Sandroyd Sex and Relationships Education Policy
Responsibility:
Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) is a discrete element within the Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship Education (PSHCE) provision at Sandroyd.
Ultimate responsibility for SRE Policy at Sandroyd lies with the board of governors who will take advice from the Headmaster and head of PSHCE.
Purpose:
SRE is a fast changing subject as it responds to the changing norms and values of the culture we live in. These days it particularly has to respond the proliferation, accessibility and normalisation of pornography online as well as a general sexualisation across media such as; music and music videos, television and advertising, magazines and newspapers. Offered no alternative, this is where young people go to find answers to their questions and where they develop their sense of healthy and normal sexual practice.
●SRE attempts to instil in our pupils an age appropriate awareness of the physical, emotional, relational and moral implications of sex and gender.
●Its focus is the healthy, non-discriminatory and affirming pursuit of self-confidence and positive relationship building.
●It seeks to provide the cultural perspectives required to prepare Sandroydians for participation at their senior schools and in the wider world.
●It attempts to provide a safe space for our pupils to raise and discuss valid and important issues that they are unlikely to feel confident discussing within the mainstream structures of the school routine.
●it also plays a vital role in meeting Sandroyd’s safeguarding obligations by providing a self-awareness, a forum, and a language appropriate to the discussion of issues young people commonly see as taboo.
Statutory vs Non-Statutory:
Although there is obvious overlap, the Science department cover the biological aspects of puberty, adolescence and human reproduction. Delivery of this part of the science National Curriculum starts in Year 6 and is statutory provision that is supplemented through the PSHCE curriculum.
The PSHCE department focus more on the personal, social, and cultural dimensions as outlined in the PSHCE overview.
Emphasis:
Broadly and gently biblically grounded, the importance of love, trust, respect and equality are emphasised. The pivotal roles of marriage and a stable family are particularly promoted along with the valuing and recognition of family setups and lifestyles that don’t fit that model. Recognising that a variety of cultural and religious views prevail in these sensitive areas, sharing perspectives, listening to others and engaging with difference are emphasised just as strongly. Sensitively challenging perceptions is seen as a positive and healthy exercise whilst combatting prejudice is seen as crucial.
Core Aims and Objectives
Equality & Prejudice
●recognising the influence of culture and media in the formation of our attitudes, values and beliefs.
●Be able to challenge inequality and prejudice in those attitudes, values, and beliefs even if counter-cultural.
●engage with, and value, difference in others.
Confidence, safeguarding & seeking help
●Be comfortable discussing sensitive issues in context and with appropriate language.
●Recognise both strong and poor sources of advice on personal issues know how to seek advice appropriately.
●Be able to make personal and moral decisions about physical and social boundaries and know how to respond when those boundaries are crossed.
●Understand that emotions can be affected by physiological, social and personal issues and develop emotional empathy.
Relationships
●Understand the importance of the nurturing of self esteem and self confidence in oneself and in others.
●Value and respect oneself and others.
●Know that relationships take a variety of forms including social, familial, professional, romantic, hetero and homo sexual, etc.
●Recognise the influence of power, control and authority within relationships.
●Be able to empathise with and support others with personal issues.
●Know the importance of trust and respect within all relationships.
Puberty
●Know about the physical changes of puberty in both boys and girls before they happen to them or their peers.
●Know that changes of puberty happen at different times for everyone & recognise the elasticity of ‘normal’ in this context.
Sexual Intercourse
●Recognise the dual purpose of sexual intercourse for procreation and attachment.
●Challenge the myth of sexual intercourse as a form of recreation and promote the connection between sexual intercourse and marriage.
●Know the main types of contraception including, but not restricted to, abstinence.
●Know that a range of sexually transmitted diseases exist.
Implementation:
SRE is delivered through the timetabled PSHCE sessions. The overlap between these two related subjects is such that although some topics may clearly be one subject or the other, in some topics it may be hard to distinguish. From years 6-8 this is led by the head of PSHCE and in younger years by the form tutors.
In previous years, year 7 and 8 have received 3 additional sessions a year through the SKULL (Skills, Knowledge, Understanding, and Lifelong Learning) rotation on a Monday afternoon. In seeking to limit the effects of the gender imbalance that currently exists at Sandroyd, This has been dropped in the present year in favour of exploring alternative solutions.
Gender separation is seen as unhelpful in pursuit of the subject aims, although there may be extremely rare occasions when it is deemed pragmatic. Class groups, however, will always be organised such that no group would ever have a lone girl or boy.
Much time is spent on the discussion of language and recognising (and where necessary challenging) the power of words. Pupils are encouraged, within the context of these classes, to use whatever vocabulary they need in order to make their point or ask a question, however, they are also reminded of the appropriate words that they should be using.
Pupils are made aware that issues are discussed at a general level, not a personal one. They should not ask personal questions of the teacher or each other and are given the opportunity to role play how they might respond to questions they feel are too personal to answer. At the same time, the importance of raising personal concerns with a responsible and trustworthy adult should the pupil feel the need, or want, to is also made clear (see personal issues section)
Pupils are actively encouraged to ask questions but are prompted to be cautious about over sharing personal information. Staff will endeavour to answer questions as clearly, simply, and openly as possible although there may be times when the appropriate response will be to suggest raising the matter more privately, in another context, or at a later time.
Whilst a variety of teaching methods are used, discussion forms the bulk of the sessions, often combined with age appropriate video clips and images. These images might show elements of nudity as required but will be non-sexual and impersonal.
Personal Issues:
Sex and relationships education involves teaching about the human condition, it is not ever intended to be personal to any particular pupil. It is, however, likely that personal issues might occasionally arise out of the discussions. These issues might be brought to the teacher of the session or any other member of staff a pupil chooses to raise it with. This is particularly likely to be the case with Form Tutors and Houseparents. For example, the Housemistress for the Year 7 and 8 girls house is often the first point of contact for girls who seek guidance as they physically mature. In these circumstances teachers are encouraged to deal with the issues frankly, but within the guidelines laid down by the SRE policy. All staff are reminded that these are sensitive issues and teachers should be wary of being led into inappropriate discussions. Some tutors in some instances may prefer to ask a colleague to discuss the issues with the pupils concerned.
The school sister is always available to discuss concerns with individual pupils and should be contacted as necessary to help girls with their periods. All information will be treated with appropriate confidence and sensitivity.
Staff must not under any circumstances offer pupils confidentiality. At the same time, pupils should be offered sensitive and appropriate support. If there are any suspicions that abuse may have taken place then the school’s Child Protection Procedures will be used and the Headmaster should be informed immediately. If matters of a sensitive nature have been discussed which require no further action, staff should consider passing on relevant information to a senior member of staff in order to provide protection for themselves against any possible future developments.
Parental Rights:
Sandroyd believes that parents are the people best placed to talk to their children about these topics and pupils are encouraged to discuss the issues introduced in these sessions at home. In either opening or developing these conversations, Sandroyd is not only fulfilling some of the obligations incumbent upon its ‘in loco parentis’ role as a boarding school, but is also bringing specialist knowledge and experience to the discussion. The opportunity to discuss these issues in a social setting is also a strong factor in the important breaking down of taboos.
Although we see the partnership between school and parents as an important one, all parents do have the right to withdraw their child from non-statutory elements of SRE and should do so by writing to the Headmaster. This does not affect the statutory material delivered through the Science curriculum, for which there is no right of withdrawal.
Revised: TEC Feb 2016For review before September 2019
Reviewed by Governors March 2016