England’s leading charitable provider of Personal, Social, Health and Economic education welcomes consultation on Relationships and Sex Education

Coram Life Education, which delivers Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education to one in eight UK primary schools, supports the Department for Education’s plans to consult on the best way to deliver effective Relationships and Sex Education (RSE).

As RSE is compulsory in all schools from 2019, the eight week consultation will help shape the education to equip children with the knowledge and skills to stay safe and to know when and how to ask for help.

Digital technology means inappropriate content like online pornography, sexting, and fake and dangerous advice and myths are readily available. Coram Life Education’s teaching resources are used by half a million children in over 2,000 schools and the recently launched comprehensive Relationships Education programme reflects current Department for Education (DfE) guidance. The online Key Stage 1 and 2 programme will be updated following the consultation and will help primary schools meet statutory requirements to deliver Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) from 2019.

Coram Life Education’s Managing Director of Education & Wellbeing, Harriet Gill, said: “Coram Life Education welcomes the DfE consultation. It will provide parents, teachers, young people, service providers and policy makers with a platform to share views and evidence of what works. When delivered by confident teachers in discussion with pupils, RSE is an enriching, empowering experience, based on pupils’ right to education that helps them navigate a complex real and virtual world and to stay safe in the process”.

 

“In our experience, the earlier children are equipped with skills and strategies to remain resilient in adult life the better. When we researched schools’ readiness for statutory RSE, more than a third said they needed additional support to teach the subject. Our expertise in primary education led us to create the Relationships Education programme, helping children develop healthy friendships and relationships, learn about body ownership, consent, identifying safe and unsafe touch, puberty and reproduction and staying safe online.”

 

Coram Life Education’s Relationships Education programme covers all primary school years from an early stage, as the teaching of safety, body ownership, private parts of the body, distinguishing types of touch and types of secrets helps protect children and may increase the disclosure of abuse.***

 

The age-appropriate lesson themes reflect the needs and requirements of young people themselves.** Our research showed that the big issues for children are friendship issues, low self-esteem, body image and sharing inappropriate images or images without consent.

Content was developed from insight through the charity’s research with primary school head teachers, many of whom are delivering aspects of RSE now. However, two thirds said they needed more guidance on statutory requirements.*

 

The Relationships Education programme was funded by specialist insurer Ecclesiastical and is now available in the 2,000 schools delivering Coram Life Education, and is accessible to any primary school subscribing to ‘SCARF’, the charity’s online wellbeing resource.