Relationships and Sex Education
FAITH SENSITIVE AND INCLUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS EDUCATION, RELATIONSHIPS AND SEX EDUCATION (RSE) AND HEALTH EDUCATION (RSHE)
From September 2020, all primary schools will be required to teach Relationships Education. They will also be required to teach Health Education. Secondary schools will be required to teach Relationships Education and Sex Education.
The legislation makes it clear that all schools should approach RSHE in a faith sensitive and inclusive way, seeking to explain fairly the tenets and varying interpretations of religious communities on matters of sex and relationships and teach these viewpoints with respect. The Church of England Education Office supports the approach taken by the government, including recommending an age-appropriate provision of sex education at primary level, and is issuing a Charter which we hope schools of all foundations, faiths or otherwise will sign up to as they affirm the broad principles about how RSHE is taught.
The Charter is accompanied by guidance, given to help dioceses and schools as they develop policy in this area. Based in the principles established by the Church of England’s Pastoral Advisory Group which has set out some principles for living well together with difference and diversity and in Valuing All God’s Children we have developed the following documents:
- Relationships and Sex Education Principles and Charter
- Suggested format for parents’ meetings with associated resources
- Suggested policy template
It is our intention to add to these resources during the year.
We commend these resources for the use of schools of all foundations to uphold dignity and respect for all, while teaching children and young people the skills to develop healthy resilient relationships within a pluralistic society.
(Rt Revd Stephen Conway, Bishop of Ely)
For Relationships Education, schools will be required to have a policy, published on their website, setting out how they intend to approach the subject.
Any primary school choosing to teach Sex Education – which is recommended by the Department for Education but not required by the law – must have a policy on this as well and should consult parents on it.
Secondary schools will be required to have a policy, published on their website setting out how they intend to approach these subjects. They will also be required to teach Health Education.
We hope that these resources will provide useful material for schools as they develop their policy in this important area of the curriculum.
All schools are different, and their contexts and needs vary so it is suggested that meetings with parents and carers will need to be adapted to the local context and in some cases, translators may need to be deployed for full engagement to be possible.
You might also find it helpful to look at the following websites.
www.bristol.anglican.org/news/2011/02/04/a-policy-for-relationships-and-sex-education/