Healthy Relationships Education

Entitlement and opportunity for all

At Bamford Academy we strive to attain excellence in a happy, caring, secure and dynamic community where we all have the opportunity to achieve our highest potential for life.

Education is concerned with the whole person, not simple the specific areas and subjects of the curriculum. Schools have an obligation to provide an education for all pupils that allows them to acquire the knowledge, skills and qualifications required for a personally rewarding life, productive employment and effective citizenship.

At BamfordPrimary School Every Child Matters: Every Child Matters’ was developed through consultation with children and young people.It aimed to provide services which best suited their needs.

From the results gathered from children and young people the five main outcomes were:

• Be healthy
• Stay safe
• Enjoy and achieve
• Make a positive contribution
• Achieve economic well-being

Schools make a significant contribution to the way in which children develop the value, attitudes, personal skills, knowledge and understanding to live confident, healthy and independent lives as they grow.

Healthy Relationships Education Policy

At Bamford Primary the values and dispositions that underpin the ethos of our school (through the mission statement) influence the aims for Relationship Education.These include:

• Respect and caring for self
• Respect and caring for others
• A sense of social responsibility
• A commitment to learning
• A sense of belonging

Healthy Relationships Education in most schools is referred to as Sex and Relationship Education.We often feel that the focus from parents is on the sex (reproduction) and our curriculum is much more valuable as we discuss different types of relationships, self-esteem, attitudes, values and personal and social skills. Reproduction is only a small element of our year 6 curriculum.

The policy is reviewed annually and is approved by the Governors.You can obtain a copy of the policy in more detail from the school office.

The curriculum

At Bamford Primary HRE is delivered through a whole school approach delivering factual, age appropriate information which aims to:

• Provide an effective HRE programme which meets the needs of all our pupils;
• Provide opportunities for all children to understand themselves within the wider context of physical and emotional changes and to equip them with the skills and understandings to be confident with their own sexuality.
• To enhance the self-esteem of young people with the aim of promoting a positive self-image.
• To explore the nature of the wide range of relationships such as friendship and marriage and how their behaviour, attitudes and values affect these.

Our curriculum considers the age and maturity of the children and gradually develops knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to deal with various aspects of life including relationships.

Year 5

The programme of study builds upon children’s knowledge, skills and attitudes and consolidates understanding.

• Ground Rules
• Feelings – understanding basic feelings
• Feelings – expressing worries and mixed and strong emotions
• Relationships – friendships including platonic
• Relationships – family values and different types of relationships
• Personal Hygiene
• Puberty – coping with change
• How a baby develops (basic understanding)
• Rights and Responsibilities – link to personal safety

Year 6

The programme of study builds upon children’s knowledge, skills and attitudes and consolidates understanding.

• Ground Rules
• Feelings
• Relationships –family values, marriage (partnership)
• Relationships – friends (including platonic friendships) and Peer Pressure
• Puberty – vocabulary of body parts, changes that occur (physical and emotional)
• Puberty – Personal hygiene and changes (physical and emotional)
• Puberty – Solving problems, safe and unsafe touches (link to personal rights and responsibilities)
• Reproduction (extended through Science)
• Rights and Responsibilities – having a baby (flour babies)
• Question and Answer session and assessment of knowledge

The curriculum is reviewed annually by the teacher responsible for Personal, Social, Health Education (PSHE), the Senior Management Team and the Governors.There is also an opportunity for parents to view the curriculum and resources at the Curriculum Information Evening which is held in the autumn term. Members of staff are more than happy to answer your questions or concerns at this informal event.