Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)

At Blackwell Primary School, teachers will be teaching the RSE units of work in the second half of the Summer term (June–July).

The opening paragraph of the Department for Education guidance states: “Today’s children and young people are growing up in an increasingly complex world and living their lives seamlessly on and offline. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks. In this environment, children and young people need to know how to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way.”  We believe this is at the heart of the RSE teaching at Blackwell and have developed a policy that reflects this.

The RSE Policy at Blackwell states the following aims: https://www.blackwellprimaryschool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Relationships-and-Sex-Education-RSE-LGB-October-2021.pdf

Provide a framework, tailored to our community in which sensitive discussions can take place.

Prepare pupils for puberty, and give them an understanding of sexual development and the importance of health and hygiene.

Help pupils develop feelings of self-respect, confidence and empathy.

Create a positive culture around issues of sexuality and relationships.

Teach pupils the correct vocabulary to describe themselves and their bodies.

The school will be using the Christopher Winter Project – Teaching RSE with Confidence in Primary Schools. 

This 5th edition of Teaching RSE with Confidence in Primary Schools reflects recent developments in PSHE and the Statutory Guidance for Relationships Education, RSE and Health Education.

These resources are West Sussex approved.

The Christopher Winter Project have devised new lessons which increase the focus on families, relationships, safeguarding and keeping children safe. This resource encourages children to develop the skills of listening, empathy, talking about feelings and relationships with families and friends.

In Reception we focus on families and friendships. From Year 1 children will learn the names of the body parts, the differences between males and females and the ways in which they will develop and grow. Importantly, they will also learn to recognise unsafe and risky situations and to ask for help.

The curriculum continues to develop their knowledge and skills as they learn about the physical and emotional changes of puberty and about reproduction.

In Year 6, we have added an extra lesson on internet safety and communication in relationships.

The materials have been used to train thousands of teachers to teach RSE with confidence.  Every unit has been taught in a variety of school settings and has been enthusiastically received by teachers and pupils.

RSE Curriculum Overview