Year 7
Students will focus on settling in. This explores relationships with their peers and adults they come into contact with. They work on friendships and self-esteem. Online safety is introduced. Students learn about looking after their bodies during puberty including managing personal hygiene and menstruation. The topic of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is covered. Students look at healthy lifestyles, in particular what is healthy eating and how they can maintain this.
Topics include: Friendship; Relationships; Self-esteem/respect; Health Eating; Dental health; E-Safety; Puberty; Menstruation; Child Sexual Exploitation; FGM.
Year 8
Students focus on families and different family structures. This covers parents, separation, divorce and how to deal with it. It also includes domestic violence. Students explore growing up in particular looking at how puberty may affect them physically and emotionally. We continue with E-Safety with a focus on child sexual exploitation (CSE) so that students can recognise when pressure from others threatens their personal safety and wellbeing.
Topics include: Relationships; Divorce/Separation; Domestic Violence; Self-esteem/respect; E-Safety; CSE; Predatory behaviour; Puberty; Personal safety, Emotional Literacy, Social Media, Digital Footprints, Body Shaming, Consent, Same Sex Marriage, Domestic Violence, Sexting.
Year 9
Students will look at body image, peer pressure, eating disorders and assertiveness in relation to managing conflict and crime. Sexual orientation is discussed as part of the ongoing relationships education, which will also include homophobia, hate crime and discrimination. The topic of safe sex is introduced along with contraception options and sexually transmitted infections. The potential impact of pornography on teenage relationships is also discussed. Respecting others and the subject of consent is covered in more detail, building on knowledge from year 8.
What questions might a Key Stage 3 student have about Relationships and Sex?
The Sex Education Forum provides useful information about SRE for parents of 11 to 13 year olds. At this age most young people will be entering puberty and will be interested in hormones, how they will be affected by them, the menstrual cycle, wet dreams, erections, fertility, pregnancy - how it can be avoided, and safer sex. They may also be wondering if their physical development is 'normal'. They will want to know about the difference between sexual attraction and love and whether it is normal to be attracted or in love with someone of the same gender. Young people will be asking questions about relationships, when is the right time to have sex, how to avoid pressure and where they can get more information if they need it, including the best websites, confidential services etc.