At Charlton Primary School we aim to create a happy, kind and responsible school environment where children are enabled to become successful learners and develop to their full potential. Our vision is driven by our desire to offer the best possible education for our pupils in partnership with parents and the local community.
Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) enables our children to become healthy, independent and responsible members of a society. It aims to help them understand how they are developing personally and socially, and tackles many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up. We strive to provide our children with learning opportunities across and beyond the curriculum, in specific lessons, circle time, special school projects and other activities that enrich pupils’ experiences. It allows pupils to learn about rights and responsibilities and appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society.
Our children are encouraged to develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community. We recognise and embrace the way PSHE supports many of the principles of safeguarding and its close links to the school’s Safeguarding, SMSC and British Values Policies.
The personal and social development of pupils underpins our curriculum. Through a carefully planned programme, supported by all who work in or with the school, we want children to leave Charlton Primary School ready for the transition into secondary school and adult life. Our framework for PSHE embeds the three strands — health and wellbeing, relationships and living in the wider world, as well as the statutory aspects of the Relationships and Sex Education, and Health Education guidance.
Charlton Primary School is working towards achieving the Bronze in the Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA). This aligns well with our ethos, equality work and vision, by putting children’s rights at the heart of our school. We will inform you of our progress toward this through our termly newsletter.
Relationships & Sex Education
The Relationships Education, RSE, and Health Education (England) Regulations 2019 have made Relationships Education compulsory in all primary schools. Sex education is not compulsory in primary schools and the content set out in guidance (below) provided by the Department for Education therefore focuses on Relationships Education.
Effective Relationships & Sex Education (RSE), and Health Education is crucial to developing and maintaining emotional and physical health. RSE is provided through the Personal, Social and Health Education Framework and is planned to ensure pupils receive their sex education in the wider context of relationships, and are prepared for the opportunities, responsibilities and experience of adult life. We believe that the teaching of sex education should be complementary and supportive to the role of parents and should have regard to parents’ views on its content and presentation.
Our RSE programme is designed to meet the statutory requirements of DfE guidance (September 2019). Sex Education is provided by class teachers and supported of health professionals as appropriate. Parents are informed in writing prior to the teaching of Sex Education and are given the opportunity to see teaching materials to be used and receive explanations of the way in which it is proposed to use them in the classroom.
Parents have the right to withdraw their children from all or part of any Sex Education provided, but not from teaching of the biological aspects of human growth and reproduction, a statutory part of the National Curriculum for Science. If a parent wishes to withdraw their child, they should put their request in writing to the Head of School – a reason for this decision is not necessary.
