Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Derwen

Relationships and Sexuality Policy

Written in line with Welsh Government Statutory Guidance, the RSE code and legislative summary (January 2022)

Introduction

The purpose of this policy is to provide all stakeholders (learners, staff, parents/carers, governors, and external organisations) at Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Derwen information about our Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) provision.

High quality RSE is fundamental in creating a safe school environment where learners grow and develop positive, healthy relationships for life.  Fostering positive attitudes towards gender diversity, equality and respectful relationships. This policy supports our approach to preventing violence against women, domestic abuse, and sexual violence (VAWDASV). At Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Derwen we believe all learners have the right to receive high-quality, holistic, and inclusive education about relationships and sexuality.

At Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Derwen we recognise that the world around us is evolving rapidly and significantly. We are inclusive of diversity.  We fully comply with our duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the RSE Code . We support parents and carers in understanding why high quality, inclusive RSE at Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Derwen is important to the development and learning of every young person.

Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Derwen actively participates in the Welsh Network of Healthy Schools Scheme (WNHSS) which provides a framework for the development of a whole school approach to RSE through effectively linking policy, staff, development of a spiral curriculum, school ethos, learner voice and the wider community.

Working with Parents and Carers

We support parents and carers in understanding why high quality, inclusive RSE at Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Derwen is important to the development and learning of every young person. Parents and carers are encouraged to discuss concerns they may have with their class teacher in the first instance or the RSE Lead, Mrs Matthews.

Legislation

Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) is a statutory requirement in the new Curriculum for Wales framework and is mandatory for all learners.

The Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE): statutory guidance (2022) sets out statutory guidance in relation to RSE and is published under section 71 of the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 (the Act); it is designed to assist those responsible under the Act to design RSE as part of the curriculum. The Curriculum for Wales – Relationships and Sexuality Education code contains mandatory requirements for RSE. It sets out the themes and matters that must be encompassed for learner from 3 to 16 years old.

Our school policy and curriculum have been developed in line with Welsh Government statutory guidance and legislative summary and aligns with the Equality Act 2010.

UNCRC

At Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Derwen we discuss RSE in the context of children’s rights as protected by the United Nations Convention on The Rights of the Child .

The rights below underpin and shape our RSE curriculum and school policy:

• non-discrimination (Article 2)
• be heard and involved in decision-making (Article 12)
• freedom of expression (Article 13)
• follow your own religion (Article 14)
• have privacy (Article 16)
• access information to make informed decisions (Article 17)
• not be harmed and should be looked after and kept safe (Article 19)
• experience the highest attainable health, access to health facilities, and preventative health care (Article 24)
• education that prepares children to understand others (Article 29)
• protection from sexual abuse and exploitation (Article 34)
• get special help if they have been abused (Article 39)

Everyone who works with children at Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Derwen should always do what is best for each learner, as part of our Whole School Approach to RSE (Article 3).

Period Dignity  

Our school fully supports the Welsh Government Period Dignity Strategy Action Plan, which aims to end the stigma and shame associated with periods.  

We will support the plan by ensuring the following:

1. Provision of free resources, including environmentally friendly resources, that learners can access from them main office and staff toilet facilities.
2. A robust RSE curriculum that covers the menstrual cycle and periods for all genders.
3. A safe and suitable environment for applying/changing products.
4. Provision of sanitary bins, in learner toilets to support the safe and environmental disposal of products.
5. Clear communication to learners/parents/carers informing them of the available free resources on site, and how they can access them.

Aims of RSE  

Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Derwen is fully inclusive which means that we use a whole school, strategic approach to fully include and respond to the needs of all our learners and families.

RSE has a positive and empowering role in learners’ education and is vital in supporting them to realise the Four purposes as part of a whole-school approach.

Our RSE curriculum enables learners to form and maintain a range of relationships, all based on mutual trust and respect, this is the foundation of RSE at our school.

Good quality RSE empowers learners to make responsible, well-informed decisions and to be able to understand themselves and others.

Equipping learners to challenge harmful stereotypes and perceptions and be able to seek help and support.

Management of the RSE Programme  

The Headteacher is the strategic lead for RSE and the Health and Wellbeing leads are responsible for identifying any training needs of staff, resources, listening to learner activities and keeping up to date with developments by attending appropriate training. The Health and Wellbeing leads will audit RSE in line with the review of this policy and/or considering any new developments, using the audit tool in appendix 1.  

The Governing Body is responsible for ensuring that the RSE policy is up to date, monitored, consulted upon, effectively implemented and is widely disseminated throughout the whole school community.  

RSE Curriculum  

RSE is taught by class teachers through discreet lessons and cross-cutting themes. Teaching strategies and techniques will vary according to the needs of learners.  

The school seeks to give quality education on RSE to all learners.

The school seeks to provide accurate, unbiased information on RSE to learners as part of our pluralistic approach. This means that where questions of values are concerned, we provide a range of views on a given subject commonly held within society. As they develop, learners are encouraged to take increasing responsibility for their own learning.

RSE will be taught through the Health and Well-being AoLE and cross-cutting themes and will incorporate all five statements of what matters.

RSE in the curriculum focuses on three broad strands:

• Relationships and identity: helping learners develop the skills they need to develop healthy, safe, and fulfilling relationships with others and helping them to make sense of their thoughts and feelings.
• Sexual health and well-being: helping learners to draw on factual sources regarding their sexual and reproductive health and well-being, allowing them to make informed decisions throughout their lives.
• Empowerment, safety and respect: helping to protect learners from all forms of discrimination, violence, abuse and neglect and enabling them to recognise unsafe or harmful relationships and situations, supporting them to recognise when, how and where to seek support and advice.

Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Derwen uses the following resources:

SENSE resources

Growing Up resource  

NSPCC 

SEAL 

Hafan Cymru (Spectrum) 

Agenda

Jigsaw wellbeing

(A suggested resources list can be found in Appendix 3).

Involving Outside Agencies: 

When outside agencies provide sessional learning opportunities for learners, the school will ensure that: 

• The school and the external provider have agreed the aims, content and approach to be adopted. 
• The school has checked that the work of the agency is known to them and is considered appropriate in respect of safeguarding/child protection procedures and equality. 
• The school has made the provider aware of any relevant school policies. 
• The school has planned for the provider to be actively and always supported by a teacher throughout the visit. 

Understanding the nature of progression in RSE

At Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Derwen we follow the Phase 1, 2 and 3 approach, as outlined by the Welsh Government’s Code in terms of what content is covered by each age range. The principles of progression across the Health and well-being Area offer guidance to progression in RSE. Our curriculum revisits content, themes and topics as outlined in the preceding phases set out in the Code, reinforcing and building on learners’ developing understanding and changing needs.

RSE for learners with additional needs.

We consider how best to meet the needs of learners whose additional needs means that their understanding of sexual health and well-being may not match their chronological age.

All our staff, including ancillary staff, physiotherapists, nurses and carers are aware of the school’s approach to RSE when working with learners with additional learning needs.

Safeguarding and Confidentiality 

Our RSE curriculum supports learners to be able to build their knowledge and understanding of how to recognise harmful sexual behaviours, discrimination, abusive relationships, and violence and develop an understanding of consent. Learners may disclose information to school staff that cannot remain confidential. When this occurs, our staff will follow the guidelines below:   

• Remind learners that staff cannot offer unconditional confidentiality.
• Inform learners first if staff are going to break confidentiality. 
• Where appropriate, encourage learners to talk about any worries and concerns they have with parents/carers.
• Ensure learners are supported adequately by an appropriate member of staff.
• Where appropriate, issue/signpost information on contraception, including precise information regarding where young people can access Health Care Services (learners over the age of 13 only). 
• Always follow our Safeguarding Policy if there are child protection concerns. 

If a learner under the age of 13 discloses that they are sexually active or contemplating sexual activity, then this is a child protection issue and the school’s Safeguarding Procedures will be followed.  

Signposting to services

(See appendix 3 for support and professional services) 

Learners can access a range of information and advice through:

• The school’s wellbeing team.
• The C Card Scheme (ABUHB Aneurin Bevan University Health Board).
• ABUHB School Nursing.

Positive, protective, and preventative RSE

Building on the Code, the approach to RSE in our school is positive, protective and preventative. We support learners to:

• have access to objective, supportive and inclusive information about growing up, changing, relationships, reproductive and sexual health.
• understand and cope with change, conflicts and pressure.
• recognise potentially harmful behaviours in relationships and know how to seek support.
• have the knowledge to recognise all forms of discrimination, violence, abuse and neglect, including violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence.
• seek help and advice where appropriate.

At Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Derwen we endeavour to create safe and supportive learning environments. This helps to create trust and allow learners a safe space to consider learning, ask questions and express their thoughts and feelings.

We aim to encourage respectful conversation. This can be achieved by developing a working agreement of ground rules with learners This helps to maintain professional boundaries and keep learners and practitioners safe. For example, creative approaches can help learners share their questions, views and experiences anonymously, allowing more open, honest discussion. 

Distancing techniques will also be used to help learners to discuss sensitive issues and develop their decision-making skills in a ‘safe’ environment. The school includes a question box within all RSE lessons for pupils to anonymously ask a question. Any information that the teacher feels would support the class will be followed up in a later activity. Sometimes an individual learner may ask an explicit or inappropriate question. If this situation arises, the learner will be reminded of the class agreement. (See example in appendix 2).

As part of the RSE programme in Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Derwen all teachers will use the correct biological terminology.  

Harmful Sexual Behaviour

We recognise that peer-on-peer sexual harassment is highly prevalent in the lives of young learners and at Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Derwen, we have adopted a whole-school preventative and proactive approach to dealing with it.

This includes providing learners with assurance that school staff will take every incidence of peer-on-peer sexual harassment seriously and work in partnership with parents/carers and external agencies.

We will provide sufficient, cumulative, and beneficial learning opportunities for learners across the whole age range about harmful sexual behaviours. This includes providing a safe, enabling, and supportive environment for open and honest discussions.

We will ensure all school staff receive regular and purposeful professional learning opportunities on, for example, relationships, sexuality, diversity, gender transitioning and harmful sexual behaviours.

Equality Statement 

Under the provisions of the Equality Act, schools must not unlawfully discriminate against learners on the basis of their age, sex, race, disability, religion or belief, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity, marriage or civil partnership, or sexual orientation (collectively known as the protected characteristics). Schools must also make reasonable adjustments to alleviate disadvantage. 

Our school recognises that people have different needs, requirements and goals and we will work actively against all forms of discrimination by promoting good relations and mutual respect within our community and between learners, parents, staff, governors/management committee members and partners. 

Monitoring and Evaluation 

The RSE curriculum will be monitored and evaluated by The Health and Wellbeing leads annually using the audit tool in appendix 1 to ensure that it remains relevant and up to date.  

Date Policy Approved by Chair of Governors/Management Committee:

Date of Policy Review:

Date of Audit:                                 Review Date of Audit: