Sex and Relationship Education
Cottingham High School

In drawing up the school’s policy due regard has been given to:

• Consultation with parents, governors, teachers, school nurse, LEA and other agencies in the local community;

• The Sex and Relationship Education Guidance issued to schools in July 2000.

• The OFSTED report on Sex and Relationship Education published in April 2002.

• The new QCA Personal Wellbeing key concepts, processes and programmes of study for implementation from September 2008

What is sex and relationship education?
The Dfes guidance of 2000 defined Sex and Relationship Education as lifelong learning about physical, moral and emotional development. It is about the understanding of the importance of marriage for family life, stable and loving relationships, respect, love and care. It is also about the teaching of sex, sexuality, and sexual health. It is not about the promotion of sexual activity – this would be inappropriate teaching.

Aims and objectives of the Sex and Relationship Education Programme (based on the 2000 Dfes guidance:)

• attitudes and values
- learning the importance of values and individual conscience and moral considerations;
- learning the value of family life, marriage, and stable and loving relationships for the nurture of children;
- learning the value of respect, love and care;
- exploring, considering and understanding moral dilemmas; and
- developing critical thinking as part of decision-making.
- being tolerant of different types of sexual relationships

• personal and social skills
- learning to manage emotions and relationships confidently and sensitively;
- developing self-respect and empathy for others;
- learning to make choices based on an understanding of difference and with an absence of prejudice;
- developing an appreciation of the consequences of choices made;
- managing conflict; and
- learning how to recognise and avoid exploitation and abuse.

• knowledge and understanding
- learning and understanding physical development at appropriate stages;
- understanding human sexuality, reproduction, sexual health, emotions and relationships;
- learning about contraception and the range of local and national sexual health advice, contraception and support services;
- learning the reasons for delaying sexual activity, and the benefits to be gained from such delay; and
- the avoidance of unplanned pregnancy.
- learning about the legal position regarding sexual activity

To reiterate – in all areas of human experience a good base of knowledge and understanding is deemed necessary for informed opinions and decisions to be made. Human sexuality is no exception. It is vital that students receive Sex and Relationship Education before they become sexually active or put themselves at risk in other ways. It is also vital to correct prejudice and misinformation, which may affect relationships with others both now and in the future. The importance of sexual relationships in all our lives is such that Sex and Relationship Education has a crucial role to play in preparing young people for their lives now and in the future as adults and parents. It is vital that learning information about the physical aspects of sex must be complimented by learning about family life, the formation of positive, loving and non-exploitative relationships and the exercise of personal responsibility towards other individuals and the broader community.

The Provision of Cottingham High School’s Sex and Relationship Education Programme

The Dfes 2000 guidelines recommend that at secondary school level, Sex and Relationship Education should prepare young people for an adult life in which they can:

• develop positive values and a moral framework that will guide their decisions, judgements and behaviour;
• be aware of their sexuality and understand human sexuality;
• understand the arguments for delaying sexual activity;
• understand the reasons for having protected sex;
• understand the consequences of their actions and behave responsibly within sexual and pastoral relationships;
• have the confidence and self-esteem to value themselves and others and respect for individual conscience and the skills to judge what kind of relationships they want;
• communicate effectively;
• have sufficient information and skills to protect themselves and, where they have one, their partner from unintended/unwanted conceptions, and sexually transmitted infections including HIV;
• avoid being exploited or exploiting others;
• avoid being pressured into unwanted or unprotected sex;
• access confidential sexual health advice, support and, if necessary, treatment; and
• know how the law applies to sexual relationships.

PSHCEE

Year 7

• Body Image.
• Healthy Lifestyle

Year 9

• Teenage Pregnancy (including use of outside agencies – School Nurse/Theatre Group).
• Contraception
• Effects of pregnancy on relationships.
• Sex and the Law

Year 10

• Safe Sex – revisitation of contraception and individual responsibility where contraception is concerned.
• Assertive behaviour in sexual relationships.
• Where to source contraception/advice
• How sexual relationships are portrayed in the media.
• STIs – Sexual Health Workers
• Responsibilities of parenthhod

Year 11

• Revisitation of STIs with focus on HIV/Aids

Science

KS3

SRE is represented in the KS3 Science Curriculum with the following units which are common to all students. The emphasis is on “How Science Works” and not necessarily on knowledge.

Year 7

• Reproductive Organs
• Sexual Intercourse
• Fertilisation
• Fertility Treatment
• Periods and Menstrual Cycle
• Pregnancy
• Developing Foetus
• Giving Birth
• Puberty and Adolescence

Year 8

Sexually Transmitted Disease
HIV and AIDS

Year 9

• Inherited Characteristics
• Variation
• Cloning
• Genetic Modification

Key Stage 4

In KS4 Science there will be differences between higher and foundation groups with some differences between students studying Applied Science and Separate Sciences despite some common units.

Year 10

• Inheritance and Variety
• Family values
• Amiocentesis
• Designer Baby
• Gene Therapy
• Cloning
• Lifestyle
• Risk
• Hormones

Year 11 (Additional Science)

• Growing and Changing
• DNA
• Sexual Reproduction

Year 11 Applied Science (Lifecare)

• Development of Foetus
• Pregnancy Testing
• Giving Birth
• NHS – People and Organisation
• Examination and Health Checks

Year 11 Separate Sciences

• Blood Types and Inheritance
• Sex, Variation and Natural Selection

At KS4 all students follow a short course RE GCSE. Students study and discuss Christian perspectives on:

• Abortion.
• Contraception.
• Sex before marriage.
• Chastity.
• True love waits movement.
• Same sex relationships.
• The family.
• Marriage.
• The purpose of sex.
• Racism including stereotyping.
• Prejudice and discrimination.

Offering Advice

The Governors and staff believe that the school’s function is to provide a general education about sexual matters and issues and not to offer individual advice, information or counselling on aspects of sexual behaviour and contraception. However sources of professional information and advice will be identified when appropriate. Advice does not legally require consent but the following procedure protects the teacher and the student, and acknowledges that teachers may not be qualified to give the required advice.

Teachers and non-teaching staff cannot:

• Give personal advice or counselling on sexual matters (including contraception) to a student (either individually or within a group) if a parent has withdrawn that student from sex education;
• Give personal contraceptive advice to a student under 16.

Teachers and non-teaching staff can:

• Provide students with education and information about where and from whom they can receive confidential sexual advice and treatment, e.g. school nurse, Health Clinic, their GP, Local Family Planning Clinic or Conifer House. This is not the provision of sex education, but merely the imparting of factual information as to where advice, counselling (and treatment) can lawfully be obtained. The School Nurse et al hold drop in sessions every week in school in the Health Clinic and are another source of support to our students. Other trained workers e.g. Connexions, also have trained staff to offer drop in sessions in the Health Clinic. It should be noted that the Health Clinic offers condom distribution, pregnancy and STI testing amongst its many services.

Dealing with Explicit Questions

Teachers should establish clear parameters and ground rules of what is appropriate and inappropriate in a whole class setting. Many teachers are concerned about responding to unexpected questions or comments from students in a whole-class situation. Having a set of ground rules should reduce the chances of this happening.

• If a question is too personal, the teacher should remind the student of the ground rules. If the student needs further support, the teacher can refer her or him to the appropriate person, such as a school counsellor, school nurse, helpline, or an outside agency or service;
• If a teacher doesn’t know the answer to a question, it is important to acknowledge this, and to suggest that the student or teacher or both together research the question later;
• If a question is too explicit, feels too old for a student, is inappropriate for the whole class, or raises concerns about sexual abuse, the teacher should acknowledge it and promise to attend to it later on an individual basis. In this way, the student will feel they have been treated with respect, but the rest of the class will not have to listen to personal experience or inappropriate information. To maintain trust and respect the teacher must remember to talk with the student later; and
• If a teacher is concerned that a student is at risk of sexual abuse, they should follow the school’s child protection procedures.

Confidentiality:

Having considered all available advice and guidance, the Governors and Headteacher state that in circumstances where a student is considered at some risk of any type of abuse (e.g. moral or physical) or in breach of the law, the teacher must refer this immediately in writing to the Headteacher or Child Protection Coordinator in compliance with the LEA procedures for safeguarding children.

Although there is no legal duty on a teacher, or a Headteacher, to inform parents of matters which a student has confided to them:

• Teachers and non-teaching staff must not promise confidentiality.
• Students must be made aware that any incident may be conveyed to the Headteacher or Child Protection Coordinator.
• Teachers and non-teaching staff must indicate clearly to students when the content of a conversation can no longer be kept confidential – the student can then decide whether to proceed or not.

Failure of staff to adhere to this policy may constitute grounds for disciplinary action.

Health Clinic

A Health Clinic has been established in the school from Easter 2008 located in LD3. The workers in the clinic e.g. School Nurse, have a remit approved by Governors to be able to prescribe condoms as well as STI and pregnancy testing. It should be stressed that the guidelines set out under “Offering Advice”, “Dealing With Explicit Questions” and “Confidentiality” are in no way affected by this provision. The Health Clinic will simply be seen as another advice centre to which students can be directed.

Withdrawing students from the Sex and Relationship Programme

Parents have the right to withdraw their children from all or part of the sex and relationship education provided at school except for those parts included in the Statutory National Curriculum i.e. Science.

NB: Parents do not have to give reasons for withdrawal, but we respectfully invite them to do so – sometimes we can then resolve misunderstandings. Once a parent’s request to withdraw is made, that request must be complied with until revoked by the parent.

What we do if a request for withdrawal is made by a parent.

• We discuss the nature of the concerns with the student’s parent and if appropriate attempt to reassure them.
• We consider whether the programme can be amended or improved in a way that will reassure parents – care is taken not to undermine the integrity of the Sex Education and Relationship Programme and the entitlement of the other students, e.g. it may be appropriate and desirable to have single sex classes for some sections of the Sex Education and Relationship Programme.
• We attempt to ensure that where a student is withdrawn there is no disruption to other parts of their education.
• We point out that students who have been withdrawn are vulnerable to teasing – we therefore attempt to cause minimal embarrassment to the student and minimal disruption to the programme.
• We also point out that students may receive inaccurate information from their peers.

Lesbian and Gay issues:

It is inevitable and natural that homosexuality will be discussed during a programme of sex education. One of the many advantages of exploring gay and lesbian issues is the opportunity to correct false ideas, assumptions and address prejudice, and to promote tolerance. Teachers should be able to deal honestly and sensitively with sexual orientation, answer appropriate questions and provide support. Teachers are encouraged to tackle homophobia and should view any homophobic comments directed at individuals as a form of harassment and bullying.

Equal Opportunities Issues and Special Needs:

The nature of work undertaken must be appropriate to the age and maturity of the student. As students mature and develop at different rates, the Sex Education and Relationship Programme is a ‘spiral system’ in as much as key concepts are revised several times throughout the programme. This allows for reinforcement as well as the differentiated stages of student maturity. Students with learning difficulties may need more help than others in coping with the physical and emotional aspects of growing up; they may also need more help in learning what sorts of behaviour and are not acceptable and in being warned and prepared against abuse by others. The ABC club and Find A Voice Group in PSHCEE can help to support the delivery of sex education to students with special needs. Some parents find it difficult to come to terms with the idea that their children (special needs or not) will some day become sexually active.

CPD:

All teachers involved in this work do not necessarily have to be ‘experts’ on the issues concerned. However, they do require sensitivity to the needs of the group, an ability to deal with questions openly/honestly and an awareness to refer to more expert advice if necessary. Areas that have been specifically addressed by the PSHCEE Steering Group and will continue to be so are:

• An examination of the school’s Sex Education and Relationships Policy;
• An examination of the timing of the different elements of the Sex Education and Relationships Programme;
• An examination of who should teach the programme.
• Developing skills related to managing group work and discussion.
• The opportunity for staff to access the National PSHE Qualification (run through the LEA) which offers individuals the opportunity to train specifically in SRE issues

Monitoring, Evaluating and Reviewing the Sex Education and Relationships Programme:

We are committed to monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the programme. Specifically important to the Sex Education and Relationships Programme are:

1. Student feedback (year/school councils).
2. Staff review and feedback, particularly at pastoral briefings.
3. Parental feedback.
4. PSHCEE Steering Group

• Reviewed/amended annually by Ian Wilkinson/Denise Greendale June 2004 – 2009 with input from Ian Grandidge, LEA PSHCE Advisor prior to Healthy Schools Award Accreditation Jan 2006 and Mrs A Rawlin, School Governor July 2009.