Index of Information on this page
SRE and the law
The October 2006 Amendment to the Education and
Inspections Act places a statutory duty on schools to promote
children’s wellbeing, as well as their academic achievement.
The amendment uses the definition of
‘wellbeing’ as outlined in the Children Act 2004 which includes the
promotion of: physical and mental health, and emotional wellbeing;
protection from harm and neglect; education, training and
recreation; the contribution made by (a child) to society; and
social and economic wellbeing. One of the Wellbeing indicators will
require schools to deliver SRE. All indicators will be used by
Ofsted to inspect schools to ascertain their effectiveness in
promoting wellbeing of all the children and young people in the
school.
• The puberty, reproduction and
infection related elements to SRE are contained in the National
Curriculum (NC) 2000 Science orders and are mandatory for all
pupils of primary and secondary age;
• All schools must provide an up to
date policy that describes the content and organisation of SRE
provided outside NC science. It is the school governors’
responsibility to ensure that the policy is developed and made
available to parents/carers for inspection;
• Primary schools should have a
policy statement that describes the SRE provided or gives a
statement of the decision not to provide SRE other than that
provided within NC science;
• Secondary schools are required to
provide an SRE programme which includes (as a minimum) information
about sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS;
• Special schools and middle
schools may need to make separate arrangements for primary school
aged children and secondary school aged children;
• Parents have the right to
withdraw their children from the SRE provided outside NC Science.
They cannot withdraw their children from NC subjects
For further information see:
• Sex and Relationship Education
Guidance, 0016/2000 (DfES 2000)
• National Service Framework for
Children, Young People and Maternity Services (DH 2004)
• Sex and Relationships Education
Framework. 2005 Sex Education Forum, NCB
• Sex and relationships education:
support for school governors, Sex Education Forum, Spotlight
Series, 2004
• Sex and Relationships Education
in schools, HMI 433 (Ofsted 2002)
• Time for change? Personal, Social
and Health Education, HMI 070049 (Ofsted 2007)
The National Curriculum
Primary – Non-statutory framework for PSHE and
Citizenship (2000)
This document has four main elements through
which sex and relationships education can be developed and
organised. These are:
• Developing confidence and
responsibility and making the most of abilities
• Preparing to play an active role
as citizens
• Developing a healthy, safer
lifestyle
• Developing good relationships and
respecting the differences between people
PSHE Education is currently organised into two
new non-statutory programmes of study:
- Personal wellbeing
- Economic wellbeing and financial
capability
The non-statutory programme of study for PSHE
Education is intended to support schools in developing coherent
whole-school approaches to personal, social, health and economic
wellbeing. It provides a context for schools to fulfill their legal
responsibilities to promote the wellbeing of pupils and provide sex
and relationships and drugs education. It also provides schools
with an opportunity to focus on delivery of the skills identified
in the framework for SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of
Learning).
For further information see:
http://www.qca.org.uk/curriculum
for information on all subjects PSHE: Personal Wellbeing, Programme
of study (non-statutory): Key Stage 3 (QCA 2007) PSHE: Personal
Wellbeing, Programme of study (non-statutory): Key Stage 4 (QCA
2007)
Social Emotional Aspect of Learning (SEAL)
SEAL is a comprehensive approach to promoting
the social and emotional skills that underpin effective learning,
positive behaviour and emotional health and well-being in schools.
SEAL aims complement the delivery of effective SRE.
http://www.education.gov.uk/
The National Healthy Schools Programme
The National Healthy Schools programme(NHSP)
played a key role in helping schools to deliver good quality PSHE
programmes. Nationally 95% of schools have been involved in the
programme. Schools that have achieved Healthy Schools Status have
SRE programmes of study and schemes of work in place in line with
national guidance.
The government has said that it wants Healthy
Schools to continue, but also has said that there will be no
central government funding after March 2011. The Healthy Schools
website will close at the end of March, and all the resources and
guidance will move to the DfE website. Healthy Schools status will
no longer be nationally recognised but may be maintained locally.
There is some more detail on the Healthy Schools website:
http://resources.healthyschools.gov.uk/v/e3e249bd-1789-49ae-b09e-9e6900a2bfd6
Policy Development
School governing bodies have an overall
statutory responsibility for SRE policy development. They should
also ensure that SRE is part of PSHE and is included in the
school’s planning to secure adequate funding. Governing bodies are
expected to involve parents, children and young people, and health
and other professionals in SRE policy development.
National SRE Guidance (DfEE, 0116/2000) states
that all schools must have an up-to-date SRE policy which:
• Defines SRE;
• Ensures that the needs of all
pupils, whatever their developing sexuality, are met;
• Describes how SRE is provided and
who is responsible for providing it;
• Explains that teachers should be
able to deal honestly and sensitively with sexual orientation,
answer appropriate questions and offer support;
• Says how SRE is monitored and
evaluated;
• Includes information about
parents’ right to withdrawal;
• Is reviewed regularly;
• Is available for inspection and
to parents/carers.
For further information see:
• Sex and relationships education:
support for school governors, Sex Education Forum, Spotlight
Series, 2004 www.ncb.org.uk/sef
• Developing sex and relationships
education in schools: guidance and training activities for school
governors, Frances and Power, 2004. www.ncb.org.uk/sef
Effective SRE policies should take into account the following
issues:
Faith and culture
Children and young people from all faiths and
cultures have an entitlement to SRE. SRE should be sensitive to the
range of different values and beliefs within a multi-faith and
multi-cultural society. To do this effectively SRE programmes must
be developed in partnership with parents and the wider community.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) children and families
are present in all schools, including faith schools. All schools
also have a duty to prevent all forms of bullying including sexual,
homophobic and transphobic bullying.
For further information see:
• Faith, values and sex and
relationships education, sex education forum factsheet 30, 2004,
www.ncb.org.uk/sef
Confidentiality
Schools need a confidentiality policy that is
developed in partnership with young people and understood by them
and their parents. Staff working in schools can never guarantee
total confidentiality.
Teachers, schools nurses and outside visitors
who are involved in the delivery of SRE need to set out clear
boundaries which encourage discussion but make clear what will
happen if a child or young person makes a disclosure that causes
concern. There is no legal requirement for staff in schools to
report knowledge of sexual activity amongst under-16s unless there
are safeguarding concerns; where there are concerns the local
safeguarding policy/protocols must be applied.
All staff involved in the delivery of SRE
should provide information to young people about sources of 1:1
confidential sexual health advice, information and treatment,
whether these are part of the school’s extended services or based
in another setting.
For further information see:
• Confidentiality: Promoting young
people’s sexual health and well-being in secondary schools (Sex
Education Forum Factsheet 38, 2007), www.ncb.org.uk/sef
• www.northumberland.gov.uk/safeguarding
Sexuality, sexual orientation and sexual identity
National guidance is clear that SRE in schools
should be relevant to, and inclusive of, all young people,
regardless of their developing sexual identity. This fundamental
principle applies to all schools whatever the phase, sector,
culture or faith.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)
young people report that a continued focus on biological and
reproductive aspects means that the content of SRE is not something
that they can relate to. A broader focus on emotional aspects of
sexuality, with positive discussion about the feelings we
experience during relationships, skills for negotiating
difficulties, pleasure and the range of sexual identities would
have meaning for all young people. When staff sign-post young
people to confidential sexual health advice, information and
treatment, they need to be mindful of the need to include sources
of support for LGBT young people. Schools can request the support
and expertise of LGBT agencies.
In addition to taking an inclusive approach to
the delivery of SRE, schools also need to address explicit and
implicit homophobia in schools. The negative impact of this on the
attendance and attainment of LGBT young people is well documented,
and schools need to take a whole school approach to addressing
prejudicial behaviour and attitudes.
For further information see:
• Sexual Orientation, sexual
identities and homophobia in schools (SEF factsheet 32, 2005)
www.ncb.org.uk/sef
• The No Outsiders research project
supports primary teachers to develop their work to tackle
homophobic bullying and develop inclusive SRE www.nooutsiders.sunderland.ac.uk/about-the-project
Ethnicity
A young person’s culture and ethnicity may have
an impact on how likely they are to have talked about sex and
relationships with their parents, whether they are likely to be
sexually active at a young age, and what their beliefs are about
sexuality. All young people have an entitlement to high quality,
appropriate sex and relationships education. In a county that has
increasing numbers of different cultures, schools will need to
engage with children and young people, parents and the wider
community to ensure that the content of SRE is relevant to the
young people attending the school.
Values
Schools can sometimes be fearful of
encountering resistance by parents to the planned programme of SRE.
Equally parents can assume that SRE will promote a particular set
of values that may be at polar opposites from their own, or that
SRE is delivered in a values vacuum. Young people can sometimes
feel torn between the values and behaviour they have learned at
home and those they hear and see on the street. Some acknowledge
that they are grateful that schools provide them with SRE because
their parents are unable to do so. SRE in schools creates the
opportunity to safely explore and discuss differences in values and
behaviour.
SRE is not value-free. However it is important
that SRE/PSHE is set within a values framework.
It is important that such a framework supports
an approach that enables young people to explore issues, values and
social and moral dilemmas. Learning about personal, social, health
and economic issues requires all children and young people to
explore and understand a range of different attitudes, values and
social, cultural and religious perspectives. Religious views and
moral issues on contraception, relationships and marriage need to
be included. 6
SRE allows learning to take place within a
framework of a school’s core values of mutual respect, rights and
responsibilities, including the promotion of equalities in regard
to race, faith, gender, sexual orientation, disability and age. SRE
needs to promote discussion of difference and promote positive and
confident attitudes; to support young people to manage pressures to
become sexually active until they are ready to enjoy and take full
responsibility for a sexual relationship.
6 PSHE Association briefing: The Independent
Review of the Primary Curriculum: Interim Report, December 2008
