RE: Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) Consultation

Dear Parent/Carer,

Our PSHE and RSE Policies are both due to be reviewed so I thought I would take this opportunity to re visit a period of consultation to ensure that all parents are reminded to look at what we are providing for our pupils here at Littlebourne.  There are no changes to previous policy.

This school year we continue to implement the PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) Programme across our school called Jigsaw, the mindful approach to PSHE.  This is a brought in bespoke learning package for PSHE and RSE.

The lessons since September, have built children’s emotional literacy, self-esteem and knowledge of who they are and how they relate to each other and the world in a positive and healthy way.

The Jigsaw Programme teaches the children at age appropriate levels about their personal care and health.  It also supports the teaching of British Values and other wider social issues that schools are now required to tackle.  Throughout the Summer Term, the teaching units are about Relationships (unit 1) and Changing Me (unit 2). 

The Changing Me unit includes, in every year group, 2 or 3 lessons to help children understand the changes puberty brings and how human reproduction happens. There is a very serious safeguarding aspect to this work and whilst the younger year groups are not looking at these issues directly and explicitly they are learning correct terminology for body parts and completing the foundation work for later year groups. The Years 5 and 6 lessons look more fully at puberty and human reproduction.

Although there are no changes to our Policy or what is being delivered, I warmly invite you to spend some time looking at what we are offering our pupils to ensure you are fully aware of our coverage. 

Please take the time to view the supporting documents which can be found below.

• A parent leaflet provided by Jigsaw to keep you up to date with PSHE and RSE coverage
• A copy of our proposed school policy for consultation
• The RSE curriculum overview
• The Church of England Principles and Charter
• Government guidance on the teaching of RSE

If you could look at the documents we have provided and return and comments or questions for our review via the school office at office@littlebourne.kent.sch.uk before Friday 3 March 2023.

I hope when you look at these documents, you will agree with us that this work is vitally important for children, that it needs to be done age-appropriately and that the Jigsaw Programme gives us a secure framework in which to do this.

I hope you, like us, will see the materials in Jigsaw as educationally sound and beneficial to our children, helping to safeguard them and preparing them for the wider world.