Below is a statement of our relationship and sex education policy. This should be read in conjunction with our Policy which is available to read in full on the website.

Approved by: Governing  body and Headteacher

Dated: April 2023

Review date: September 2023

I. AIMS

1. This Policy helps Campion School to fulfil the legal duties with which schools must comply when teaching Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education. It aims to ensure that the RSE curriculum:

a. Provides a framework in which sensitive discussions can take place

b. Creates a positive culture around issues of sexuality and relationships, and to develop the skills to discuss these with sensitivity

c. Prepares students for puberty, and give them an understanding of sexual development and the importance of mental, physical and emotional health, and high standards of hygiene

d. Helps students develop feelings of self-respect, self-esteem, mutual respect, confidence, tolerance and empathy for themselves and others

e. Prepares students to make informed, reasoned and responsible choices and develop a strong moral code

f. Teaches students appropriate facts and vocabulary about their bodies, puberty, sexual development, health and hygiene

g. Promotes a healthy lifestyle.

II. THE LAW

2. Campion School must provide RSE to all its students, under Section 34 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017.

3. In delivering its RSE curriculum, Campion School must have regard to guidance issues by the Secretary of State, under Section 403 of the Education Act 1996.

4. Campion School have obligations under the Equality Act 2010, including:

a. A duty not to discriminate against the nine protected characteristics that are set out by the Act (age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation)

b. The Public Sector Equality Duty, which requires public bodies to have due regard to the need to:

i. Eliminate discrimination and other conduct that is prohibited by the Equality Act 2010;

ii. Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who don’t;

iii. Foster good relations across all characteristics, and between people who share a protected characteristic and people who don’t.

III. POLICY AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

5. This policy has been developed in consultation with staff, students and parents/carers at Campion School. The consultation and policy development process involved the following steps:

a. Staff Consultation – all school staff were given the opportunity to look at the policy and make recommendations

b. Parent/Carer Consultation – a consultation paper was published on the Campion School website with a draft of this Policy and all parents/carers were given a two-week window to respond

c. Student Consultation – through the use focus groups, students were asked about specific elements of the RSE curriculum, and given the opportunity to share their wider views on these areas

d. Ratification – following the consultation process, this Policy and our RSE Curriculum was ratified by the Governing Body.

IV. ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND TRAINING

6. The governing board will approve the RSE policy, and hold the Headteacher to account for its implementation.

7. The Headteacher is responsible for ensuring that RSE is taught consistently across the school, and for managing requests to withdraw students from non-statutory components of RSE.

8. Teaching staff are responsible for:

a. Delivering RSE in a sensitive way

b. Modelling positive attitudes to RSE

c. Monitoring progress

d. Responding to the needs of individual students

e. Responding appropriately to students whose parents/carers wish them to be withdrawn from the non-statutory components of RSE.

9. Teaching staff do not have the right to opt out of teaching RSE. Staff who have concerns about teaching RSE are encouraged to discuss this with their Line Manager in the first instance. Such cases can then be brought to the attention of the Headteacher.

10. Training will be offered to staff through various sources throughout the year to ensure they are confident to deliver the RSE curriculum.

V. WHAT IS RSE AND HOW IS IT DELIVERED?

11. RSE is key to the emotional, social and cultural development of students. It teaches them about:

a. Families;

b. Respectful relationships, including friendships;

c. Online and media;

d. Being safe;

e. Intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health; and

f. Physical and mental wellbeing.

12. These topics are taught within the context of family life taking care to ensure that there is no stigmatisation of students based on their home circumstances: families can include single parent families, LGBTQI+ parents/carers, families headed by grandparents/carers, adoptive parents/carers, foster parents/carers amongst other structures.

13. These topics are also taught within the context that some students may have a different structure of support around them, for example: looked after children or young carers.

14. RSE does not promote sexual activity and, whilst it encourages equality and respect for all groups, it does not pressure students to adopt beliefs or practices that are inconsistent with their values, which may be linked to their faith, culture or another aspect of their background.

15. Framework:

a. The Department of Education requires all secondary school students to learn about specific RSE topics by the end of secondary school. These requirements are listed on Appendix A of our full Policy

b. Campion School’s RSE Curriculum (Appendix B - full policy) has been consulted on in line with Section III of this Policy – “Policy and Curriculum Development”. The curriculum is a live document, so it will be reviewed and updated as appropriate

c. Campion teaches its RSE curriculum as part of Life Skill Days. Biological aspects of the RSE Curriculum are taught within the Science Curriculum and other aspects are included tutor time and school assemblies

d. The primary lead for RSE at Campion School is Mrs Julie Gardner.

VI. SEND STUDENTS

16. It is Campion’s policy that SEND students should follow the same RSE curriculum as all other students.

17. Where appropriate, and to ensure that the RSE curriculum is accessible for all Campion students, teaching will be differentiated, and content will be adapted to meet the needs of SEND students.

18. When delivering RSE to SEND students, Campion will be mindful of:

a. The SEND Code of Practice

b. The additional vulnerability that SEND students can face, to exploitation, bullying and other issues

c. The potential need to tailor content and teaching to meet the specific needs of SEND students at different developmental stages.

VII. THE RIGHT TO WITHDRAW

19. Parents/carers have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from some or all of the sex education delivered as part of statuary RSE up to or until three terms before the child turns 16.

20. After this point, if the student wishes to receive sex education rather than being withdrawn, Campion School will arrange this.

21. This process is the same for students with SEND, however, in exceptional circumstances the Headteacher may take the specific needs of a SEND student into account when making this decision.

22. Requests for withdrawal should be put in writing using the form found in Appendix C of this policy and addressed to the Headteacher. The Headteacher will discuss the request with parents/carers and take appropriate action.

23. A copy of withdrawal requests will be placed in the student’s educational record.

24. Alternative work will be given to students who are withdrawn from sex education.

VIII. MONITORING IMPACT

25. The impact of RSE is monitored through learning walks, the staff appraisal process and day to day management or communication with colleagues, students and parents or carers.

26. Students’ development in RSE is monitored by Form Tutors and House Learning Leaders as part of Campion’s pastoral system. It is also assessed through the completion of student evaluation forms as part of Life Skill Days.
27. This policy will be reviewed at least every three years by the Governing Body. At every review, the policy will be approved by the Governing Body.