Relationships and Health Education: Statutory Content

 

Relationships Education

Relationships Education is compulsory for all primary-aged children and there is no right of withdrawal. It focuses on teaching children the fundamental building blocks of positive, respectful relationships with family, friends, peers and adults.

 

By the end of primary school, our children will understand:

• Families and people who care for me - That families come in many forms and all can provide love, security and stability; the characteristics of healthy family life; how to recognise unhealthy family relationships and seek help; marriage and civil partnerships as legal commitments.
• Caring friendships - How friendships contribute to happiness and security; characteristics of healthy friendships including mutual respect, trust, loyalty and kindness; how to recognise and navigate friendship difficulties; how to make and maintain positive friendships.
• Respectful, kind relationships - The importance of paying attention to others' needs; setting and respecting boundaries; communicating effectively and managing conflict with kindness; the importance of respect and self-respect; different types of bullying and how to respond; understanding stereotypes and how to challenge them.
• Online safety and awareness - How to behave respectfully online; critically evaluating online relationships and information; understanding privacy and personal information; recognising and reporting online risks; age restrictions for social media; understanding that content online can be inappropriate or upsetting.
• Being safe - Understanding appropriate and inappropriate boundaries; concepts of privacy and consent; that each person's body belongs to them; how to recognise when relationships are unsafe; how to respond to concerning adults; how to report abuse and seek help with confidence.

 

Health Education

Health Education is compulsory for all primary-aged children and there is no right of withdrawal. It focuses on supporting children to make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing.

 

By the end of primary school, our children will understand:

• Mental wellbeing - The normal range of emotions; how to recognise, talk about and manage feelings; simple self-care techniques; that mental health challenges are common and can be supported; where and how to seek help when needed.
• Internet safety and harms - The benefits and risks of internet use; rationing screen time; recognising and displaying respectful online behaviour; age restrictions on games and apps; being discerning about online information; where to report concerns.
• Physical health and fitness - Benefits of an active lifestyle; building regular physical activity into routines; risks of inactive lifestyles; when to seek health support.
• Healthy eating - What constitutes a healthy diet; principles of healthy meal planning; risks of unhealthy eating including impacts on teeth and weight; impacts of alcohol on health.
• Drugs, alcohol, tobacco and vaping - Age-appropriate facts about legal and illegal substances and associated risks, including the risks of nicotine addiction.
• Health protection and prevention - Recognising early signs of illness; sun safety; importance of good quality sleep; dental health and oral hygiene; personal hygiene and germ spread; facts about vaccination and immunisation.
• Personal safety - Recognising hazards and reducing risks; road, water and rail safety; when and how to seek help in emergencies.
• Basic first aid - How to make emergency calls; dealing with common injuries including head injuries.
• Developing bodies - Understanding growth and body changes during adolescence; correct names for body parts; facts about the menstrual cycle including physical and emotional changes (noting that whilst average age of menstruation is 12, it can begin from age 8, so we teach this content before girls experience menstruation).

 

Sex Education - taught within science:

 

We teach about human reproduction within our science curriculum, in line with the National Curriculum Science requirements that children learn about life cycles and how mammals reproduce. Because this is taught as part of the statutory Science curriculum, parents do not have the right to withdraw children from this content. We ensure this learning is delivered in a factual, scientific manner and is age-appropriate.

The following Jigsaw lessons in the Changing Me Puzzle contain non-statutory sex education content:

Year 5: Conception

Year 6: Babies: Conception to Birth

 

As this is non-statutory, parents do have the right to withdraw for the specific lessons listed above. However, we believe this information is important for children before they leave primary school, particularly as children naturally become more aware and curious about how life begins, and may seek information from less reliable sources if we do not provide age-appropriate, factual teaching.