As part of your child’s educational experience at Nene Valley Primary School, we aim to promote personal well-being and development through a comprehensive taught programme of Personal, Social, Health Education based on the Cambridgeshire scheme of work.  This gives children and young people the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and practical skills to live healthy, safe, productive and fulfilled lives both now and in the future.

As you may be aware the Department for Education announced changes to Relationships and Sex Education following a nationwide consultation.  These changes came  into effect in September 2021.    The statutory guidance can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education

The new guidance focuses on healthy relationships and keeping children safe in the modern world.  It also covers a wide range of topics relating to physical and mental health, wellbeing, safeguarding and healthy relationships.  Learning about the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up will give children and young people the information, skills, fulfilling relationships and help them take responsibility for their own well-being.  Consequently Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) along with Health Education is now statutory, and form part of the National Curriculum.

This means that we have reviewed our RSE curriculum and policy so we can be sure our RSE provision is appropriate for our pupils based on their:

• Age
• Physical and emotional maturity
• Religious and cultural backgrounds
• Special educational needs and disabilities

Whilst  I am sure that there will be differences of opinion about this, we did consult with our parents to help to inform our schools’ decisions on when and how certain content is covered and this enabled us to reach a general consensus.  Parents were consulted in February 2021.

 As part of our curriculum review the school sought views on:

• Our draft policy for Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)
• When and how certain content within this subject is covered.

What is taught, and how, is ultimately a decision for the school and consultation does not provide a parental veto on curriculum content as schools are legally required to teach the National Curriculum.  The right to withdraw children from some lessons is explained in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below.

To help you understand the curriculum requirements please follow the links below which we would encourage you to read.  

I hope this information goes some way to alleviate any worries you may have.  If you have and queries or concerns regarding the consultation process, please do not hesitate to contact Miss Gilbert through the school office. 

NVPS PSHE Curriculum Map

Survey open until the 22nd February 2021