From September 2020, Relationship and Health education is statutory for primary schools. We have decided to include the statutory RHE statements within a wider PSHE curriculum that includes financial, careers and sex education. This follows guidance from the PSHE Association and we have used their skills progression document as a starting point for designing our curriculum.

We have created a bespoke curriculum based around seven strands: Our safety, Our relationships, Our bodies, Our community, Our future, Our feelings and Our digital world. Learning has been moved between year groups or additional learning added, this has been done with the knowledge of our children, their families and their needs. The Keeping Children Safe in Education document was used as a point of reference throughout the development of our curriculum.

Strands will be taught in a constant cycle instead of being blocked e.g. Week 1 = Strand 1, Lesson 1; Week 2 = Strand 2, Lesson 1; Week 3 = Strand 3, Lesson 1 etc. Every class will be covering the same strand at the same time. Learning objectives also link to Moat House Primary rules, values and learning behaviours wherever possible. There has been a huge emphasis on inclusivity and diversity which is revisited at every opportunity. This should ensure that PSHRE knowledge is embedded within a wider context than a weekly lesson and will be at the heart of all we do. 

PSHRE - ADVICE FOR PARENTS

Feeling nervous? Don’t worry - it’s perfectly normal to worry about children coming home with questions or learning things that are different to your family beliefs. What children learn at school is only part of the curriculum, and children can continue to learn from you at home. For some parents/carers, it can feel totally natural to discuss relationships, puberty and human reproduction with their child, while for others it can seem uncomfortable. Either way, it is important to remember these key points:

• We all want children to be safe, healthy and happy.

• We need to consider their needs and the world they inhabit.

• We need to normalise talking about relationships, puberty and human reproduction to ensure children feel they can talk to  parents/carers about any concerns or worries they may have.

• We may need to challenge our own ways of thinking about how we feel about relationships and sex education.

Here are some tips for talking to your child:

• Be honest. If you don’t know the answer to a question, be honest and say so. Tell your child that you will need to find out and that you will get back to them with more soon.

• Remember that children are curious and want to know and understand. We tend to place our adult perspective on children’s questions and comments, when actually a child just wants (and needs) a very simple, age-appropriate, matter-of-fact answer. This answer will not involve an ‘adult’ understanding of a topic – it needs to be at a child’s level, with opportunity given for the child to be able to ask further questions if needed. Give yourself time to respond by asking something like, “What do you think that means?” or “Why do you ask?”

• Keep lines of communication open. Having an open and honest relationship with your child can really help make conversations easier, so make sure that you are always willing to talk when your child needs you; if you can’t, explain why and find another time when it is more mutually convenient.

• Use correct terminology. It helps that children aren’t confused by hints, euphemisms and innuendo; use correct terminology whenever you can, especially for body parts. This is hugely important for safeguarding too.

• Respond to what children say they need. Bear in mind that children’s lives today are very different from even five years ago. Therefore, the education they receive needs to reflect this. Research shows us that children want and need to understand relationships, puberty and human reproduction, and want to be able to talk with parents/carers about this when they have had lessons at school. We may feel that they know too much, when actually ignorance is the enemy of innocence.

• Answer questions and don’t be afraid to say, ‘I really don’t know – let’s work it out or look it up together’. Have a phrase for awkward moments, such as, ‘That’s a good question, and let’s talk about it once we get home’.

• Always respond. If you don’t, they may think it is wrong to talk to you about relationships, puberty or human reproduction and as a result you may find your child clams up when you want to raise the subject, now or in the future.

• If it all feels too personal, try talking about people in books, films and favourite television programmes.

• Enjoy it. Laugh with each other! A lot of this makes adults giggle when they talk about it so it’s normal for children to giggle too and it’s fine for them to see you giggle. It doesn’t have to be serious.