Welcome To
Regents Park Community Primary School
Believe in Yourself - Anything is Possible!
Dear Parents/Carers,
As a part of your child’s educational experience at Regents Park Community School, we aim to promote personal wellbeing and development through a comprehensive taught programme of Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education that 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.
On the 17th May 2021, I shared the Department for Education’s changes to relationships and sex education following nationwide consultation. The statutory guidance can be found at:
All the feedback we have received about this has been greatly appreciated, and has helped the school make changes which should reassure parents as well as meet the statutory requirements of the curriculum. I have had lots of positive feedback from parents about how these changes will impact the pupils at our school. As I mentioned in my presentation to parents, 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 and positive values to have safe, fulfilling relationships and help them take responsibility for their own well-being.
There has been some feedback from parents with concerns about the content of the curriculum. To clarify, at Regents Park, we will not be teaching optional sex education to any of our pupils. We share your concerns that not is not appropriate for children at this age and is therefore not part our curriculum. In order to be clear about what we are teaching, we have made the decision to call the curriculum Relationships and Health Education. As part of Health education and the science National Curriculum, pupils are required to use scientific vocabulary to name body parts which include female and male genitals. However, our curriculum has been designed so it meets the needs of children as they grow older and specifically has elements which link to safeguarding children. Keeping children safe is vitally important and therefore, as a school, we want to give children the correct vocabulary to safeguard themselves. Referring back to feedback, many of our parents are pleased teachers will be professional, sensitive and work appropriately according to the ages of children.
I would urge all parents to look at the curriculum overviews on the school website to clearly see what your child will be learning within their year group. This can be found here: https://bit.ly/3wrjTFa
We appreciate all the feedback we have received and have thought carefully about how to adapt our curriculum to satisfy the majority of parents as well as adhere to the statutory requirements. Whilst some parents may still have some concerns, it is important that you aware that parents cannot withdraw their child from statutory Relationships Education, Health Education or what is taught in the Science National curriculum. This is further explained in the RHE policy, which is also on the school website, and I would encourage you to read this.
I hope this letter and information on the school website goes some way to answer any questions you may have. If you have any queries or concerns regarding the consultation process, please do not hesitate to contact the school.
Thank you for your continued support.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs McDonald
PSHE Curriculum Subject Lead