BRYMORE ACADEMY
SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS POLICY
Created by: Luke Winter
Date: August 2014
Approved by Local Advisory Board:
Review date: Autumn 2014
Signature of Chair of Governors
Signature of Headteacher
Brymore Academy Sex & Relationships Education (SRE) Policy
Brymore Academy believes that sex education is an educational entitlement of all pupils and an
integral part of each pupil’s emergence into adulthood.
DEFINITION OF SRE
It is a lifelong learning about physical, moral and emotional development. It is about understanding
the importance of family life, stable and loving relationships, including marriage, respect, love and
care. It is also about the teaching of sex, sexuality and sexual health. It is not about the promotion of
sexual orientation or sexual activity – this would be inappropriate teaching.
It has three main elements:
• Attitudes and values
- learning the importance of values and individual conscience and moral considerations;
- learning the value of family life, marriage, and stable and loving relationships for the nurture of
children;
- learning the value of respect, love and care;
- exploring, considering and understanding moral dilemmas; and
- developing critical thinking as part of decision-making.
• Personal and social skills
- learning to manage emotions and relationships confidently and sensitively;
- developing self-respect and empathy for others;
- learning to make choices based on an understanding of difference and with an absence of
prejudice;
- developing an appreciation of the consequences of choices made;
- managing conflict; and
- learning how to recognise and avoid exploitation and abuse.
• Knowledge and understanding
- learning and understanding physical development at appropriate stages;
- understanding human sexuality, reproduction, sexual health, emotions and relationships;
- learning about contraception and the range of local and national sexual health advice,
contraception and support services;
- learning the reasons for delaying sexual activity, and the benefits to be gained from such delay; and
- the avoidance of unplanned pregnancy.
AIMS OF SEX EDUCATION
It is the school’s aim to deal with sex education sensibly and sensitively at each key stage, within a
supportive framework which will allow pupils to feel comfortable with the subject matter and allow
them to have the confidence to seek clarification, if necessary. All questions will be answered
honestly and openly. The underlying philosophy of this policy is to develop self-respect in young
people enabling them to develop loving, caring relationships and appreciate the moral
considerations and personal responsibilities within relationships and towards others.
We aim to deliver a programme of study which will provide knowledge and encourage the
acquisition of skills and attitudes which will allow pupils to :
1. Understand the biological development, the functions of the human body and aspects of
reproduction.
2. Recognise the importance of personal choice in managing relationships so that they do not
present risks to health and personal safety
3. Understand the responsibilities and roles in family life
4. Understand that some organisms, including HIV, can be transmitted in many ways, in some cases
sexually
5. Examine their own attitudes to their physical and emotional development and those of others
6. Develop assertiveness and decision-making skills
7. Understand aspects of legislation relating to sexual behaviour
8. Learn about contraception and the reasons for having protected sex
9. Access confidential sexual health advice, support and, if necessary, treatment
DELIVERY
SRE is delivered mainly in PSHRE and Science lessons. Great care is taken to engender in pupils a
respect for different attitudes and values with regard to religious and cultural issues. The
programme is taught within a framework of ‘loving and caring relationships’.
On occasions, it may be the case that sexual issues are implicit in other areas of the curriculum e.g.
English set texts. Where this is the case, the school, as ever, seeks to deal with such matters in a
responsible, sensitive manner.
TEACHING APPROACHES
A variety of teaching and learning styles is used to give pupils relevant information; to enable moral
issues to be explored through discussion; and to acquire appropriate skills. Pupils are taught in
mixed-ability and mixed gender groups.
PARENTAL PARTNERSHIP
Under the Education Act of 1993, parents have the right to withdraw their children from all or part
of those aspects of the Sex and Relationship Education Programme which are NOT part of the
statutory National Curriculum Science Orders. Parents wishing to exercise this right are asked to
make an appointment to meet with staff to discuss the issues (though they are under no obligation
to do so). Once a child has been withdrawn, they cannot take part in later sex education without
parental approval. We would like to make it clear that, if students are withdrawn and ask questions
at other times, these questions will be answered honestly by staff. We shall endeavour to respect
and protect the sensitivity of the child. Parents will be supported in teaching sex education at home,
if they so desire. Currently the key areas of study for students directly in PSHRE lessons are as
follows:
Yr 7 Health and Wellbeing
•
How to maintain good Personal Hygiene and Physical health
Yr 7 Rules and regulations: How do we decide what is right?
•
Moral codes/ethical guidelines. Why do we have them? How are they formed?
Year 9



“Prejudice and discrimination”
“Contraception and sexual health”
“Relationships/separation/bereavements”
Year 10 and 11

“Sexual health/relationships”
Students also study the biological aspects of reproduction in nature in Science and Agriculture.
CONFIDENTIALITY
The school will work within the guidelines set out by the DfE’s Child Protection Circular 10/95 –
“Protecting Children from Abuse: The Role of the Education Service”, working with the designated
teacher for Child Protection issues.
• It is only in the most exceptional circumstances that the school could be in the position of having
to handle information without parental knowledge.
• We will reassure pupils that their best interests will be maintained, encouraging them to talk to
their parents or carers and giving them support to do so.
• We will ensure that pupils know that teachers cannot offer unconditional confidentiality
We will assure pupils that, if confidentiality has to be broken, then they will be informed first and
then supported as appropriate.
• If there is any possibility of abuse, the school’s Child Protection Policy will be followed.
• We will ensure that pupils are informed of sources of confidential help.
Different codes of conduct regarding confidentiality apply to different professionals working in our
Academy.
1)
Counselling Service
The Academy provides a counselling service that is available to all students. The Assistant Head
(Student welfare) refers students to the counsellors where appropriate. Other students can be
referred to professionals working with the Academy as part of the extended service. Staff are
informed that the counselling is confidential between the counsellor and the student. The
counsellor works to national professional guidelines on confidentiality and LEA child protection
procedures.
Parents/carers are informed of the counselling service. Students and parents/carers will be
informed of the child protection limit to confidentiality.
2)
Doctors, Contraceptive and Sexual Health Service Clinics.
Students will be made aware of the confidential support available from doctors and local clinics
(including the child protection qualification).
3)
Academy Staff
Staff may encounter the situation where it appears that a student under 16 is about to disclose that
they are in or are about to begin a relationship involving sexual intercourse or that they are seeking
contraceptive advice. At this point staff should indicate that they wish to help the student in their
situation but that they cannot offer or guarantee absolute confidentiality.
Staff must follow child protection guidelines. Members of staff who are not health care
professionals must not give individual contraceptive advice. It is also appropriate to remind students
of information about access to support that is available in the Academy or has been outlined in
lessons. These actions (suggesting that students see specific members of staff or reminding them of
information) do not involve a requirement to inform parents/carers. Similarly, as students under 16
are able to access doctors or clinics for contraceptive advice, where a member of staff advises
students to seek medical advice at a GP’s surgery or clinic there is not a requirement to inform
parents/carers. However students will always be encouraged to talk to their parent/carers and will
be supported in so doing. In each circumstance the best interests of the young person will be seen
as paramount.
4)
Confidentiality in Lessons
Staff teaching Sex and Relationship Education have a duty of care and may wish to make a ground
rule that opinions and ideas expressed in discussion should not be repeated outside the lesson.
Again it must be stressed that no absolute confidentiality can be promised. Clearly a lesson situation
is also a significantly different context to a conversation with an individual. Students should be
reminded of this difference. Through distancing techniques and ground rules students should
understand that lessons are not an appropriate place to disclose personal information.
USE OF OUTSIDE VISITORS
Delivery of SRE is not the sole responsibility of the school.
• The school will work effectively in partnership with parents, health professionals and others in the
wider community to enhance the provision.
• Visiting experts to the school have a discrete role and responsibility for providing SRE both
informally and formally. Visitors may be used to complement but never substitute or replace
planned provision.
MONITORING AND EVALUATION
The school will monitor and evaluate this policy every year. Teachers and pupils will be asked to selfevaluate through the use of questionnaires and interviews.