Sex education policy

Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) in Builth Wells High School

This document has been produced in conjunction with Powys Local Health Board

Sex and relationships education (SRE) can be defined as ‘learning about sex, sexuality, emotions, relationships, sexual health and ourselves’, which should be an integral part of a lifelong learning process.

Legislation and government policy in Wales

Legal framework for SRE

Under the Education Act 2002

• SRE became a compulsory part of the basic curriculum in all secondary schools.
  Primary schools are also required to have a policy on SRE, outlining details of their SRE programme or explaining their decision not to provide SRE. The Welsh Assembly Government recommends that primary schools have a graduated programme of SRE tailored to the age and emotional maturity of the children.

Personal and social education (PSE) became a compulsory part of the basic curriculum in both primary and secondary schools in September 2003. Schools are expected to base their provision of SRE and PSE on guidance produced by the Welsh Assembly Government.

From Autumn 2008 all schools, colleges and other learning providers in Wales will be expected to base their PSE provision for 7–19 year olds on a new framework published by the Welsh Assembly Government. The five themes
of the framework are:

• active citizenship
• health and emotional well-being (which includes SRE)
• moral and spiritual development
• preparing for lifelong learning
• sustainable development and global citizenship.

Learning outcomes are set out for each theme at each key stage.

SRE guidance

The National Assembly for Wales published guidance in 2002 (National Assembly for Wales Circular 11/02, Sex and Relationships Education in Schools) on how schools should develop SRE policy, teach SRE, handle sensitive
issues, and work with parents and the wider community.

The guidance highlights key points that schools need to address through their provision of SRE:

• Both boys and girls should be prepared for puberty.
• Girls should be prepared for menstruation before their periods start.
• Young people need access to, and full information about, confidential contraceptive information, advice and services.
• Young people need to be aware of the moral and personal dilemmas that can be involved in abortion and how to access a relevant agency if necessary.
• Young people need to be aware of the risks of STIs including HIV/AIDS and know about prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
• Young people need to know what safer sex is and why it is important. They also need to build the confidence and skills to negotiate safer sex with a partner.

Confidentiality

The SRE guidance aims to help schools in drawing up their own policy on
confidentiality, which should be clear, meet the best interests of young people and be workable by staff.

Teachers will not always be able to maintain confidentiality where a young person discloses information either in the classroom or in a one-to-one
situation. Where they believe that a young person is at risk of physical or sexual abuse, the school child protection procedures should be followed, and there is specific guidance in Powys on this.

Teachers are not legally obliged to inform anyone if they learn of or suspect sexual activity in pupils under the age of consent (16 in Wales) if there is no evidence of abuse or exploitation. However, all school staff should be familiar with and follow their school’s confidentiality and safeguarding (child protection) policies regarding disclosure. If a teacher learns that a pupil under the age of consent is sexually active they should encourage the young person to talk with a parent or carer, ensure that any child protection issue is addressed, and provide adequate information about confidential sexual health advice and treatment services. This information should be freely available to all pupils.

School nurses and other outside visitors involved in the delivery of SRE should take into account the school’s confidentiality and SRE policy. In one-to-one clinical situations, health professionals and other outside visitors are bound by their professional codes of practice.

Is SRE beneficial?

Reviews of international research show that school-based SRE, particularly when linked to contraceptive services, does not increase sexual activity, but can have a positive impact on young people’s knowledge and attitudes, delay sexual activity and/or reduce pregnancy rates by the use of contraception and safer sex.

Parents’ and young people’s views of SRE

Many organisations support the call for PSE to become a statutory subject. Surveys show that the majority of the general public, parents, young people, and education professionals agree with this, and think that SRE should cover emotional and relationship issues as well as biological aspects. It is recommended that all stakeholders e.g. parents, governors, teachers, school health practitioners and pupils are involved in decisions regarding the school’s SRE policy and provision.

To ensure that the young people of Powys are offered programmes of sex and relationships education that the Government of Wales clearly believes they are entitled to receive, Powys County Council recommends that all schools in the authority:

• adopt the non statutory ‘PSE Framework for 7 to 19-year olds in Wales’ (DCELLS 2008);
• teach each aspect of sex and relationships education in line with the guidance in Circular 11/02 and raise governors’ awareness of good practice;
• ensure that all staff are aware of confidentiality and child protection procedures;
• attend PSE INSET training provided by the authority and Powys LHB;
• review the way in which the school nurses’ knowledge and experience may be utilised in the planning and delivery of PSE and SRE;
• where possible, use specialists such as PSE or religious education teachers, to deliver the moral, social and emotional aspects of sex and relationships education;
• ensure that sex and relationships education is taught as part of an integrated programme rather than as ‘one-off’ individual sessions;
• ensure that the SRE programme delivered within the context of PSE is age appropriate;
• take the views of pupils into account when planning or revising sex and relationships education programmes;
• monitor and evaluate the impact of sex and relationships education programmes on the attitudes and behaviour of pupils;
• ensure that the SRE programme delivered within the context of PSE is relevant to the young people throughout the county, taking account of their diverse family and cultural backgrounds and the greater openness in society to the diversity of sexual lifestyles;
• take due consideration of SRE in the context of transition, particularly between KS2 and KS3;
• ensure that the SRE programme delivered within the context of PSE is inclusive and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, disability or sexual orientation.
• monitor and evaluate the impact of sex and relationships education programmes on the attitudes and behaviour of pupils.
• make use of Welsh Assembly Government endorsed resources to deliver SRE.
• Builth Wells High School is committed to delivering SRE by adopting the APAUSE project and associated support and training offered by the Powys LHB.