Sex & Relationships Education (SRE)

for Educational Settings

Rachel McKenna
Sexual Health Nurse and Independent Sexual Health Training Consultant
Kelly Green
Lead teacher GHLL
 Aim of the session
To increase and update delegate’s confidence
and knowledge to support the delivery of
relationships and sex education
 Learning Outcomes
By the end of the session delegates will be able to-

1. Explain how the use of ground rules effectively can support the confident delivery of SRE
2. Consider values, beliefs and attitudes impact on healthy and unhealthy relationships
3. Describe the legal and statutory implications of the sexual offences act and Fraser competence
4. Explain how differentiation can meet the needs of SEN within mainstream schools and colleges
5. Describe the female and male reproductive systems
6. Reflect on a variety of activities that can be used in the delivery of relationship sand sex
education
Sex and relationships education (SRE) is learning about the
emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up;
relationships; sex; human sexuality; and sexual health
www.sexeducationforum.org.uk 2015 Evidence briefing
SRE aims to equip children and young people with the –

 Information
 Skills
 Values

That they need to have-

 Safe
 Fulfilling
 Enjoyable relationships
 Take responsibility for their sexual health and well being
SRE needs to be taught by willing and competent teachers.
Young people have said SRE is best when teachers are
confident, unembarrassed and able to teach correct
biological facts and also explore relationship issues.
 SRE – statutory or non-statutory?
• PSHE is a non-statutory subject
• Aspects of PSHE are named in
the National Curriculum though
and must be covered.
• These include SRE, drug
education, financial education
and the importance of physical
activity and diet to a healthy
lifestyle
• The DfE guidance for SRE
education has not changed since
the Sex and Relationship
Education Guidance, 2000.
• Supplementary advice has been
published by Brook, Sex
Education Forum and the PSHE
Association in 2013 to
incorporate topics such as online
pornography, consent, violence
and sexual exploitation.
• Aspects of SRE are therefore
statutory in primary schools
bound to deliver the National
Curriculum, using SRE Guidance,
2000.
• Academies do not have to
provide SRE, but if they do, they
must have regard for the same
guidance. (Source:
DfE guidance on PSHE, Sept
2013.)
 So what SRE is covered by the KS1 National
Curriculum?
Year 1 Science programme of study
(statutory requirements)
Animals, including humans
• identify, name, draw and label the basic parts of the human body and say which part of the body is associated with each
sense.
Year 2 Science programme of study
(statutory requirements)
Animals, including humans
• Pupils should be taught to:
• notice that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults
• They should also be introduced to the processes of reproduction and growth in animals. The focus at this stage should
be on questions that help pupils to recognise growth; they should not be expected to understand how reproduction
occurs.
• The following examples might be used: egg, chick, chicken; egg, caterpillar, pupa, butterfly; spawn, tadpole, frog; lamb,
sheep. Growing into adults can include reference to baby, toddler, child, teenager, adult.
• Pupils might work scientifically by: observing, through video or first-hand observation and measurement, how different
animals, including humans, grow.

• find out about and describe the basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival (water, food and air)
• describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amounts of different types of food, and hygiene.
Or if you prefer pictures…
 What SRE is in the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum?
• Pupils should be taught to describe the differences in the life cycles of a mammal, an amphibian, an insect
and a bird; and to describe the life process of reproduction in some plants and animals
• Pupils should find out about different types of reproduction, including sexual and asexual reproduction
in plants, and sexual reproduction in animals.
• Pupils should be taught to describe the changes as humans develop to old age
• Pupils should draw a timeline to indicate stages in the growth and development of humans. They
should learn about the changes experienced in puberty. Pupils could work scientifically by researching
the gestation periods of other animals and comparing them with humans; by finding out and recording
the length and mass of a baby as it grows.
• Note: At this stage, pupils are not expected to understand how genes and chromosomes work.
Year 6
Animals, including humans
Statutory Requirements
• identify and name the main parts of the human circulatory system, and describe the functions of the heart,
blood vessels and blood.
• recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle on the way their bodies function.
 Any more in the Key Stage 2 National
Curriculum?
• Pupils should be taught to recognise that living things produce
offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring vary and are not
identical to their parents.
• They should be introduced to the idea that characteristics are passed from
parents to their offspring, for instance by considering different breeds of
dogs, and what happens when, for example, labradors are crossed with
poodles.
 Anything above and beyond this content must be
approved by governors and parents
• According to the DfE guidance of
2000, this must be engaging at all
times.
• Parents/Carers have the right to
withdraw their children from any
SRE provision beyond what is
demanded of the National
Curriculum.
• But there may be more than this
to be included depending on your
settings needs.
 From Justine Hocking’s presentation (GHLL
Conference, 2015).
Extract from the National Curriculum

“2.1 Every state-funded school must offer a curriculum which is

balanced and broadly based and which:
• promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical
development of pupils at the school and
• prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities
and experiences of later life.”
 Activity

• Consider and share any safeguarding issues you

have encountered
 Keeping Children Safe
• “Governing bodies and proprietors should consider how children may
be taught about safeguarding, including online, through teaching and
learning opportunities, as part of providing a broad and balanced
curriculum. This may include covering relevant issues through
personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), and/or – for
maintained schools and colleges – through sex and relationship
education (SRE).”
• These topics should be needs-based education depending on your
setting but may include topics like LGBT education (different families,
same love - Stonewall), FGM, internet safety in terms of pornography,
etc.
 Sexual Offences Act 2003

The Act states that, a person is not guilty of aiding,

abetting or counselling a sexual offence against a
child where they are acting for the purposes of:
• protecting a child from pregnancy or STIs,
• protecting the physical safety of a child,
• promoting a child’s emotional well-being by giving
of advice.
 Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Child protection.

England and Wales

• The age of consent to any form of sexual activity is 16 for
both men and women.
• The Sexual Offences Act 2003 introduced a new series of
laws to protect children under 16 from sexual abuse.
However, the law is not intended to prosecute mutually
agreed teenage sexual activity between two young people of
a similar age, unless it involves abuse or exploitation.
Specific laws protect children under 13, who
cannot legally give their consent to any form of
sexual activity. There is a maximum sentence of
life imprisonment for rape, assault by
penetration, and causing or inciting a child to
engage in sexual activity. There is no defence of
mistaken belief about the age of the child, as
there is in cases involving 13–15 year olds.
Activity-

Review the example policies

What do you like/dislike?

What can you take back to professional practice

Sexuality
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=8AG7FkFrPrY&ebc=ANyPxKrCnN2w0V8cK3rhV8R0pA_Y-
6_5PGQLxY0KrKKob3VkboG4gzyPD2qO7cvOMjI-pHMRJFFMEOigqP2Njj8kjv-fGoQbCw
 Sexuality
Activity

In pairs discuss sexuality

Reflect on-
• What do you currently include in your schemes of
work

• How do you deliver this?

 Activity
Answering awkward questions

 Individually note down a question that you dread being

asked/have been asked

 Fold your piece of paper and pass three times

 Open your new question and get prepared to answer it using the
words you would use in class.
 Activity

In groups-
• Consider the specific issues and concerns young people may
have when approaching puberty.

• What concerns and issues do you have when teaching about

puberty and body changes?
Resources and activities

Differentiation and SEN

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GZk4hT7ncv0

And other DVD video clips etc??

Websites
British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH)
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-health-england
www.sexeducationforum.org.uk
http://www.imageinaction.org/
www.bashh.org
www.brook.org.uk
www.fpa.org.uk
www.ruthinking.co.uk
www.sexhelpglos.nhs.uk
http://www.gscb.org.uk/
www.thinkuknow.co.uk
http://www.natsal.ac.uk/home.aspx
http://www.your-life.com/
www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/interactives/lifecycle/teenagers/
www.bbc.co.uk/education/topics/z3xxsbk