Oakgrove Integrated College

Relationships and Sex Education Policy

Reviewed January 2009

Mission statement:

Education is concerned with the personal, social, emotional and moral development of young people as well as with their academic attainment.  In a society in which sexual conduct is presented openly in the media, Oakgrove College is committed to providing a secure environment in which young people can learn about, discuss, and reflect upon the changes occurring in their bodies and how these changes affect their relationships with other people. 

Ethos of the College:

The self esteem of the individual is crucial to the making of sound life decisions and as such, the promotion of self-esteem in all areas of College life is the foundation on which a sex education programme is based, with young people being encouraged to respect the value of all traditions.

Sex Education and the Northern Ireland curriculum:

Issues related to Sex Education occur in many areas of the statutory curriculum.

It is not feasible to list all of these in detail but a few examples are:

Science:  Puberty, pregnancy, prevention of pregnancy, responsible attitudes to sexual behaviour, sexually transmitted diseases.

English:  many works of literature hinge on the themes of romantic and physical love.

Media Studies:  exploitation of the male/female body in advertising.

History:  how values and attitudes about men/women have changed throughout the ages.

Geography:  population studies/control.

Art:  nudity/the female form.

Home Economics:  Key Stage 3 - gender stereotyping, the human life cycle, positive relationships. 

Key Stage 4 - commitment and relationships, pregnancy, abortion, the changing nature of family unit e.g. single parent families etc.

Physical Education:  adolescence, hygiene, how hormones affect growth.

At all times the classroom teacher will use their professional judgement to ensure that material is appropriate to the maturity of students and they will also take into account and be sensitive to the individual circumstances of students.

The Sex Education Programme:

The College has a full sex education programme delivered through Personal and Social Education (PSE) Classes.

Moral Framework:

The guiding principle in drawing up the programme is respect for oneself and others.

Aims of the Sex Education Programme:

Students should be enabled to:

• Develop their own feelings of self worth
• Learn decision making skills
• Understand the process of puberty and their own physical and emotional development
• Consider the moral and physical significance of sexual matters
• Study the development of friendship, love and marriage
• Develop an insight into their own feelings, attitudes and values and those of other people
• Develop an appropriate vocabulary about sexual matters
• Examine and accept their responsibilities towards themselves and others
• Become aware that sexual exploitation takes place and learn how to prevent it
• Develop an understanding of the demands of parenthood

Organisation of the programme:

Generally, the work will be done during normal PSE lessons.  However, there will be times when it is more appropriate to group boys and girls separately, e.g. during question and answer sessions on puberty, or when an outside speaker is giving a talk on responsible behaviour as in year 10 and year 14 when pupils attend presentation by the family planning association on responsible sexual behaviour.

Staff:

The person who is largely responsible for delivering the Sex Education Programme will be the Form Teacher.  The Form Teacher will be assisted by other members of staff and outside professionals, and will be provided with the necessary resources and support.

The Form Teacher will be familiar with the students before embarking on the programme.  They will ensure that discussions are appropriate to the age range and will chair such discussions responsibly and with due regard for the integrated nature of the College.

The College will conduct surveys from time to time to elicit teachers’ views about sex education.  A teacher who feels uncomfortable with the material should request extra help and support.

Parents:

The College recognises that parents play the most vital role in the social and moral development of their children.

Parents will be informed in advance when Sex Education classes or talks are taking place.  They will be offered the option of having their children opt out of such sessions.

The Programme could be enhanced by discussion in the home.

Parents' opinions are always welcome and as such the College will occasionally conduct surveys to find out their views.  Governors and students will also be consulted.

Pupils:

The programmes of study are accessible to all students (with parental permission) and teachers will be aware of pupils with specific needs.

Confidentiality:

Individual advice on sexual matters will not be given to young people.  This is felt to be more properly the role of the parents.

In line with the College policy on Child Protection, students and parents will be made aware that a teacher cannot promise confidentiality to a student in case that student should be at risk.

Policy:

The policy has evolved from a consultation process with teachers, governors and parents.  The schemes used in the College are prepared by the PSE Co-ordinator.  The policy will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Outline of OakgroveCollege PSE Programme (PSE)

Oakgrove Integrated College

RSE Policy: Appendix 1

Teenage Parenthood:

Reviewed January 2009

Introduction

The birth of a baby to teenage parents can have a significant effect on the educational achievements of the mother (and also, in some cases, the teenage father)

The twin aims of the College are:

a)   to educate young people in such a way as to make them less likely to become teenage parents and

b)   in the event of a student becoming pregnant (or becoming a father), to assist the teenage parents in gaining the best possible qualifications, as this has long term beneficial effects for all concerned including the baby.

Whole school approach

There are a number of strategies in place to ensure that students are educated towards making healthy, informed, and moral decisions in relation to their lifestyle and sexuality.

The following factors are seen as crucial:

• The ethos of the College which promotes self esteem and self respect.  A young person with high self esteem is less likely to engage in behaviour without considering the long term consequences.
• The positive sex education and relationships programme which has the support of staff, parents, governors and students. (c.f. RSE). Students are made aware of the needs of small children and the challenges of parenthood.
• The Drugs and Alcohol programme which is built into the Personal and Social Education scheme. (c.f. Drugs and Alcohol policy). Young people who make sound decisions related to drugs and alcohol are less likely to engage in high risk sexual behaviour.

Parenthood

It is recognised that a number of students may become either fathers or mothers during the years they spend at OakgroveCollege.

The College fully supports the right of the student to complete their education.

As far as is possible the student will have full access to the Northern Ireland Curriculum.  If home tuition is being availed of, staff will co-operate fully in providing workschemes etc.

The College will offer Pastoral support to the student and where necessary will liaise with outside agencies.  In the case of a pregnant student the College will be flexible with regard to uniform regulations.

The College will be supportive towards the wider family of the student.

Under age pregnancies

In cases where the student is below the legal age of consent, relevant outside agencies e.g. Social Services will be informed if they are not already aware of the situation.  There may be occasions where the normal Child Protection procedures will be set in motion (c.f. Child Protection Policy)

It is recognised that each individual situation is different and the College will seek advice from outside agencies when appropriate.

Finally

The College recognises that the birth and early years of a baby can be stressful as well as rewarding. OakgroveCollege is committed to playing its role in the education of the young parent and so assisting in the best possible outcome for all concerned.