St Johns Primary and Nursery School
Growing and Changing Education Policy [SRE]
A definition of growing and changing education
Growing and changing or sex and relationship education is education which helps and supports young people
through their physical, emotional and moral development. It is tailored to the age and the physical and
emotional maturity of the children.
Aims
1. Effective sex and relationship education is essential if young people are to make responsible and well
informed decisions about their lives and should not be delivered in isolation. It should be firmly rooted
within the framework for PSHEE and the National Curriculum but delivered in partnership with parents,
particularly as children reach the later stages of KS 2.
2. The objective of sex and relationship education is to help and support young people through their
physical, emotional and moral development. A successful programme, firmly embedded in PSHEE, will
help young people to learn to respect themselves and others and move with confidence from
childhood, through adolescence and into adulthood.
DfES guidance: Sex and Relationship Education Guidance 2000
How growing and changing education is provided at St Johns Primary and Nursery School
Our growing and changing education if firmly embedded in our PSHEE/ SEAL curriculum. See appendix 1 –
curriculum map for SEAL, PSHEE and Citizenship. It is age appropriate and there is a scheme of work which
gives details of what each year group covers. Many aspects of our growing and changing education are also
covered in our science work, particularly in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
We believe that the basic aims of growing and changing education should be to:
 equip children with the knowledge, skills and attitudes which will enable them to cope successfully with
their present and future lives
 to understand the importance of relationships
 prepare pupils to cope with the physical and emotional challenges of growing up
 give them an elementary understanding of human reproduction
 encourage them to have due regard for others and their own safety
 prepare children to manage risk and make decisions which promote a healthy lifestyle
 to work with parents to educate their children in these matters in ways that support their beliefs
 always teach the importance of relationships
The following knowledge and understanding, skills and attitudes most relevant to a growing and changing
education programme are shown below:
Knowledge and Understanding
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the importance of valuing oneself
the importance of valuing others
the range of human emotions
the concept of male and female
humans develop at different rates
changes as people grow
name the parts of the body
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individuals have rights over their bodies
there are good touches and bad touches
there are different types of family
describe the roles of individuals within the family
friendships
the rituals associated with birth, death and marriage
human babies have special needs
the idea of growing from young to old
Skills
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listening
discussing
sharing
identifying emotions
talking about emotions
co-operating with others when playing
managing emotions
managing practices which will help maintain personal safety
caring for young animals under supervision
Attitudes
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valuing oneself
valuing one’s body
valuing others
appreciating ways people learn to live together
appreciating ways people learn to work together
The components of our education programme are shown below and cover the statutory
Science Curriculum:
KS1
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Identify, name, draw and label the basic parts of the human body and say which part of the body is associated with each
sense.
Notice that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults
LKS2
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Describe the life process of reproduction in some plants and animals.
UKS2
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Describe the changes as humans develop to old age
Recognise that living things produce offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring vary and are not identical to their
parents.
Relationship education is sometimes covered through the SEAL relationships theme. We will always ensure as a school that we do not
stereotype families or promote any one form of relationship. This is to ensure that there is no stigmatism of children based on their
circumstances.
Our RE curriculum also looks at different types of family and allows children to learn about different family traditions and other
cultures. In RE the children also explore rituals, friendships and valuing others.
Social and emotional aspects of learning as part of growing and changing education:
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understand the importance of valuing oneself and others
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begin to recognise the range of human emotions and ways to deal with these
begin to be able to co-operate with others in work and play
These are covered through all aspects of SEAL teaching.
The education programme sets out objectives, activities and relevant resources for each year group as well as
differentiation opportunities. See schemes of work for details on work in each year group.
Ground rules
Each class teacher will ensure that they provide a safe and secure environment where children can share their
views and feel that they can ask and answer questions with confidence. These rules will be part of our every
day PSHEE practice and may be incorporated into class charters and circle time rules.
Other information:
Children’s Questions
When a child asks a direct question relating to sex, if possible and if appropriate, it will be answered frankly
but only the information requested will be given. Teachers will use their discretion to judge whether a
question should be answered and how to do so. A teacher may feel that it is not appropriate to answer a
certain question in a whole class situation as it may not be age appropriate. Teachers may refer the child to
talk to their parents about the question and the teacher will inform the parent of the question asked. Should
any child be asking questions of a very explicit nature this will be referred to the Headteacher who is
responsible for Child Protection issues and she will decide if this needs to be investigated further. This will be a
confidential issue and dealt with accordingly. Teachers will refer to body parts using their correct names and
will encourage children to also use correct names.
The role of parents
The school involves the parents in changing and growing education by informing them of the areas of learning
the children will be exploring, through class newsletters, which give information about our SEAL and PSHEE
topics. Should any individual issues arise they will discuss these with the parents concerned.
The school is well aware that the primary role in children’s changing and growing lies with parents and carers.
We wish to build a positive and supporting relationship with the parents of children at our school through
mutual understanding, trust and cooperation.
In promoting this objective we:
• inform parents about the school’s education policy and practice
• answer any questions that parents may have about the sex education of their child
• take seriously any issue that parents raise with teachers or governors about this policy or the arrangements
for sex education in the school
Parents have the right to withdraw their children from all or part of the sex relationship education provided at
school except for those parts included in the statutory National Curriculum- namely the Science element, and
will make alternative arrangements in such cases.
Staff Support and Development
Teachers will receive ongoing training to develop their subject knowledge and to enable them to be more
confident in their delivery of this sensitive area of the curriculum. This will be delivered by the PSHEE
coordinator or outside visitors where appropriate. The PSHEE coordinator will ensure that she stays up to date
with local statistics and initiatives and will pass this information on to other staff. The PSHEE coordinator will
also ensure that staff have the appropriate resources that they need to deliver growing and changing
education.
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MONITORING AND EVALUATION
The PSHEE coordinator is responsible for monitoring and evaluating growing and changing education. This can
be done through planning and work scrutinies, lesson drop ins and pupil interviews.
The Governors will be kept informed and encouraged to become actively involved in both the development
and ongoing evaluation of our Education Programme.
ASSESSMENT
Teachers will make notes on PSHEE planning about the development of the children in this area. This will
inform future planning and will be part of on going assessment for learning.
Other relevant policies:
Child Protection policy
SEAL, PSHEE and Citizenship policy
Religious Education policy
Revised Policy Approved Date:
Review Date:
2014
2015
Member of staff responsible for implementation and review: L OConnor PHSEE coordinator
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