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Welcome.

Our aim at Bishop Barrington is to provide all pupils in our care with a desire and clear path to achieve academic success.

We strive to reach our aim by creating a climate of high quality teaching, firm but fair discipline, below average class sizes and a caring pastoral system.

You are here: Bishop Barrington School > About > Policies > Sex Education

Sex Education Policy

Rationale

Sexual Health and Relationships Education is an educational entitlement of all pupils and an integral part of each pupil's emergence into adulthood.

It should "promote the spiritual, moral, mental and physical development of pupils at school and in society' and 'prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life." (Education. Reform Act 1988)

Aims

At Bishop Barrington, the school's Sexual Health and Relationships Policy aims to prepare pupils for an adult life in which they can:

  • Value their own body
  • Develop high self-esteem
  • Neither exploit nor be exploited
  • Be informed how to protect themselves and other from STIs
  • Behave responsibly in personal and sexual relationships
  • Understand the nature and importance of marriage for family life and bringing up children
  • Consider and understand reasons for delaying their sexual activity
  • Enjoy their sexuality
  • Develop respect for alternative choices of others

Objectives

The SHRE programme should provide information that is straightforward to understand, relevant and appropriate to Bishop Barrington pupils. It should include:

  • Development of communication and social skills
  • Encouragement of exploration and clarification of values and attitudes
  • Opportunities to revisit themes as pupils, physically and emotionally develop

Content: Knowledge and Information

The school will:

  • Ensure pupils understand how the law applies to sexual relationships
  • Deal with issues of peer pressure and risk taking behaviour, e.g. alcohol, smoking, drugs
  • Look at arguments/reasons for resisting pressure and delaying sexual activity
  • Provide pupils with information on safe sex and how they can access local sources of advice and treatment
  • Teach the responsibility and consequences of actions in relationships
  • Teach about mental as well as physical well being
  • Build self-esteem

Key Stage 3

Puberty, Personal Safety, Family Life, Relationships, Friendships, Gender issues, Conception, Contraception, STIs, Sex and the Law, Access to advice, dealing with bullying, discrimination.

Key Stage 4

Birth processes, Termination, Genetic Inheritance, STIs, Lifestyles, Prejudice and Stereotyping different cultures and faiths, Moral Choices.

Dealing with Individual Questions

  • Staff should establish clear instructions as to what is acceptable and not acceptable in a whole class setting. Ground rules reduce the chances of unexpected comments and questions.
  • Staff should establish clear instructions for appropriate language and terminology to be used

Training should be provided for all staff through training sessions annually on how to deal with:

  • Explicit questions (The teacher reminds the pupils of the ground rules. If further support is needed the teacher refers the pupil to the appropriate person, parent, counsellor, school nurse, helpline, or outside agency)
  • Questions where the teacher does not know or is not sure of the answer should be acknowledged and research by student or teacher can follow or be passed to outside agency, school nurse
  • Questions that raise concern: Too explicit, too old for the pupil, is inappropriate for the group/class or raises concern about abuse or bullying. The teacher should acknowledge the question but promise to deal with it later, out of lesson time. The teacher must remember to talk with the student and;
  • If there is concern that the student is at risk of abuse, they should follow the school's Child Protection Policy.

Relationships

SHRE will build on information about reproduction and include discussion, role play and group activities about values, feelings and relationships. The importance of a stable relationship and marriage to family life will form part of the discussions. Activities will be planned to encourage boys and girls to discuss issues about relationships and responsibilities and engage in a variety of learning styles.

Ethnicity

Bishop Barrington will reflect the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of its students and, if appropriate, offer access to additional support groups in the community.

Special Educational Needs and Learning Difficulties.

Students will receive SHRE. Support to access the curriculum will be offered if needed.

Values and Beliefs

Pupils will be encouraged to consider the following linked with the school's Code of Conduct:

  • Respect and valuing themselves and others
  • Sensitivity and understanding towards the needs and views of others
  • Responsibility for their own actions
  • Responsibility to the school, their family, the wider community

Skills and Abilities

It is hoped that the following will be developed:

  • Assertiveness
  • Decision Making
  • Recognising and using opportunities to develop a healthy lifestyle
  • Communication, the making and keeping of relationships
  • Making informed choices

Guidance and Recommendations

The Action Plan of the Social Exclusion Report on teenage pregnancy was published in June 1999. The plan aims to reduce under 18 conceptions by half by 2010 and to reduce the social exclusion of young parents.

The plan has been agreed across government departments and sends out three basic messages that link with SHRE policies:

  • Underage sex is not a good idea
  • If you have sex you should use contraception
  • If you have a baby when you are young, support is available

Organisation

SHRE is jointly co-ordinated by the Assistant Headteacher (Educational Climate), the PSHE/Citizenship co-ordinator, the Head of R.E., the Head of Science and the Head of P.E.

Delivery is through:

  • Planned aspects within Science, PSHE, R.E., and P.E.
  • Addressing moral and ethical issues that may arise from apparently unrelated topics in National Curriculum subjects, in keeping with the school code of conduct

Teaching Approaches

A variety of approaches are to be used to give pupils relevant information so that moral issues can be explored through discussion. Details can be seen in schemes of work.

Resources

Materials: a wide range of information will be used from appropriate texts and health publications, along with expertise of health professionals.

Staff: Staff need to feel comfortable with the subject matter and annual training will be provided for those involved. Support will be offered by team-teaching approaches. All staff will teach within the School's value framework.

Time

Sexual Health and Relationships Education will form part of the curriculum in every year group.

Specific Issues

Confidentiality and Advice

Pupils will be made aware that some information cannot be held confidentially and made to understand that if certain disclosures are made then certain actions will ensue.

Pupils will be offered sensitive and appropriate support.

All adults in school need to follow procedure:

  1. Disclosure or suspicion of possible abuse - follow the school's child protection policy.
  2. Disclosure of pregnancy or advice on contraception or sexual activity - it is hoped that the following will ensure that pupils in difficulties know they can use the school for support:
    • Professional information and guidance will always be sought from a health professional
    • The school will always encourage pupils to talk to their parents first except in the most exceptional of circumstances
    • If pupils refuse to tell their parents, the adult should refer them to a health professional
    • The adult should always report to the Head Teacher
    • Thee Headteacher and Governors should monitor the frequency of such cases and address any issues by review of the school's SHRE policy

Lesbian and Gay Issues

The Department of Education in circular 12/88 stated

Section 28 does not affect the activities of school governors nor teachers. It will not prevent the objective discussion of homosexuality in the classroom nor the counselling of students concerning their sexuality.

This was confirmed in Sex Education Circular 5/94 published by DfES.

Legislation

Since 1994, schools are required to :

  • Provide SHRE including HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections to pupils
  • Grant parents the right to withdraw their children from all or part of sexual health education

Parental Partnership

Parents will be consulted regularly on the content of the SHRE programme.

If a request for withdrawal is made the school will:

  • Talk to parents about their concern and may invite parents voluntarily to indicate their reasons for withdrawal so that any misunderstanding about the nature of Sexual Health and Relationships Education can be resolved (Sex Education Circular 5/94 DfE)
  • Explore with parent(s) if the child can be withdrawn from part of the programme
  • Ensure that the child is neither embarrassed, teased, bullied nor has their education disrupted by being withdrawn
  • Remember that once a child has been withdrawn, it cannot be included in sex education until a parent revokes the request

Monitoring and Review

SHRE will be monitored by Assistant Headteacher (Educational Climate), PSHE/Citizenship co-ordinator, Heads of Science, R.E., P.E.

The policy will be made available to all parents when their child enters the school. A nominated governor will have a link role between the school and the governing body. The policy will be reviewed annually.

Dissemination and Links

The full policy will be available on request to parents, the LEA, and OfSTED through the Headteacher.

Delivery of SHRE is not the sole responsibility of schools. Parents, health professionals, youth workers, Educational Welfare - all play a part and should respect, and abide by, the school's policy.


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