Wellbeing and RSE

At Westvale Park, the aim of our Wellbeing Curriculum is to teach children the knowledge and skills they need to to keep themselves physically, mentally and emotionally safe and healthy, throughout their lives. Our curriculum enables pupils to develop the skills and knowledge needed to make informed choices, build healthy and positive relationships and to know where to seek help when needed.

Within our Wellbeing Curriculum, children learn about the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up, relationships, sex, human sexuality and sexual health in an age and stage appropriate manner. They learn about how to keep themselves safe in a range of contexts, including online, and also about the choices they need to make to keep healthy. Children develop their understanding of the world around them and their role within it, as well as thinking about their own futures and aspirations. We also ensure children learn about the importance of managing money to support them in later life. All of these aspects equip children and young people with accurate information, positive values and the skills to enjoy healthy, safe and positive respectful relationships and to take responsibility for their health and wellbeing both now and in the future. We are committed to this and the importance this has in preparing children and young people to live safe, fulfilled and healthy lives.

Our Wellbeing curriculum is underpinned by a clear set of embedded values and principles that complement the school's ethos.  Wellbeing lessons are always taught in a non-judgemental, non-biased and fully inclusive ways. We celebrate the diversity of our pupils, their families and the wider whole-school and local community. We use information collected from our pupils and from the local community, as well as national data, to inform our curriculum so that we can make sure it is providing our children with exactly what they need. 

Our curriculum is based around the three core themes of: Health and Wellbeing, Relationships and Living in the Wider World. Each term's learning is structured around an overarching question, giving children opportunities to continue building their enquiry skills. It is progressive and builds upon children’s needs and also prior knowledge and attainment.  The Wellbeing curriculum covers all aspects required from the statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum. It also draws upon the Citizenship aspects of the National Curriculum, and reflects national policy such as British Values and teaching about Respectful Relationships to combat Peer-on-Peer Abuse. The Equalities act, and in particular Protected Characteristics, significantly impact what we teach and how we teach it. 

The impact of our curriculum cannot be measured in traditional ways. We monitor the difference it is making to our children in their confidence, their relationships, the behaviours exhibited, the choices they make during their time with us and, where possible, in the future.

At Westvale Park Primary Academy, we understand and actively support the importance of educating pupils about sex and relationships, in order for pupils to make responsible and well-informed decisions in their lives. 
The DfE’s guidance, ‘Sex and Relationship Education Guidance’, defines this programme as: “Learning about physical, moral and emotional development; understanding the importance of marriage for family life, stable and loving relationships, respect, love and care. It is also about the teaching of sex, sexuality and health.” 
The programme will be taught objectively.

Aims and objectives 
The sex education and relationship programme are an opportunity for pupils to: 
•    Develop an understanding of sex, sexuality and relationships.
•    Develop a range of appropriate personal skills to ensure they have healthy relationships and make choices which lead to a happy life. 
The aims will be achieved through developing an understanding of: 
•    A range of values and moral issues including the importance of family life.
•    The biological facts related to human growth and development, including reproduction.
•    The importance of healthy relationships and being empowered to own their own bodies and life choices.

Pupils in Reception are taught: 
•    To consider the routines and patterns of a typical day. 
•    How children can look after themselves, including keeping themselves clean and why good hygiene is important. 
•    To recognise that all families are different. 
•    Words used; dress, undress, clean, smelly, flannel, sponge, towel, hands, toothpaste, toothbrush, hairbrush, comb, family, mum, dad, brother, sister, grandma, grandad, stepmum, stepdad. 
•    Identify different types of touch that people like and do not like 
•    To understand about personal space. 
•    To talk about ways of dealing with unwanted touch 
•    To understand that all families are different and have different family members 
•    Identify who to go to for help and support. 
Year 1 are taught: 
•    To understand some basic hygiene principles. 
•    Understand that babies become children and then adults 
•    To know the difference between girl and boy babies and the biological names for various body parts including penis and vagina. 
•    To know which people we can ask for help. 
•    How families are all different. 
•    Words used; clean, similar, different, family, boy, girl, male, female, private parts, penis and vagina. 
Pupils in Year 2 are taught: 
•    Understand that some people have fixed ideas about what boys and girls can do (gender stereotypes) and to explain differences between male and female animals. 
•    Describe the difference between male and female bodies and to label male and female body parts. 
•    To describe some differences between male and female animals 
•    Understand that making a new life needs a male and female. 
•    About the process of aging and the fact that this cannot be controlled. 
•    Words used; similar, different, sex, gender roles, stereotypes, boy, girl, male, female, private parts, penis, vagina, testicles. 
Pupils in Year 3 are taught: 
•    Know some differences and similarities between males and females. 
•    Name male and female body parts using agreed words. 
•    Identify different types of touch that people like and do not like 
•    To understand about personal space. 
•    To talk about ways of dealing with unwanted touch 
•    To understand that all families are different and have different family members 
•    Identify who to go to for help and support. 
•    Words used; stereotypes, gender roles, similar, different, male, female, private parts, penis, testicles, vagina, womb, family, fostering, adoption and relationship. 
Pupils in Year 4 are taught: 
•    To describe the body changes that happen when a child grows up. 
•    To describe the main stages of the human lifecycle. 
•    To discuss male and female body parts using agreed words. 
•    To know some of the changes which happen to the body during puberty. 
•    To know about the physical and emotional changes that happen in puberty. 
•    To understand that children change into adults so that they are able to reproduce. 
•    Words used; Puberty, lifecycle, reproduction, physical, breasts, sperm, egg, pubic hair, emotional, feelings. 
Pupils in Year 5 are taught: 
•    To explain the main physical and emotional changes that happen during puberty. 
•    To ask questions about puberty with confidence. 
•    To understand how puberty affects the reproductive organs. 
•    To describe how to manage physical and emotional changes. 
•    To explain how to keep clean during puberty. 
•    To explain how emotions can change during puberty. 
•    To know how to get help and support during puberty. 
•    Words used; Puberty, physical changes, emotional changes, moods, menstruation, periods, tampons, sanitary towels, wet dreams, semen, erection, sweat, breasts, spots, pubic hair, facial hair, underarm hair, sexual feelings. 
Pupils in Year 6 are taught: 
•    To describe how and why the body changes during puberty in preparation for reproduction. 
•    To talk about puberty and reproduction with confidence. 
•    To discuss different types of adult relationships with confidence 
•    To know what form of touching is appropriate. 
•    To describe the decisions that have to be made before having a baby. 
•    To know some basic facts about pregnancy and conception. 
•    To have considered when is appropriate to share personal/private information in a relationship. 
•    To know how and where to get support if an online relationship goes wrong. 
•    Words used; Womb, sperm, egg, conception, fertilisation, pregnancy, sexual intercourse, twins, fostering, adoption, relationships, friendship, love, consent, intimacy, communication, personal/private information, internet safety. 
During Year 5 and 6 classes, pupils may be taught in gender-segregated groups dependent upon the nature of the topic being taught.