St.Marys

RSE Policy Statement February 2008

St. Mary's BNS, Grange Road, Rathfarnham , Dublin 14.

Introduction.
One of the subjects of the revised curriculum is SPHE (Social, Personal and Health Education), this includes a module on Relationships and Sexuality Education for all mainstream classes in Primary school which must be delivered on an annual basis. Our school aims to develop a policy on RSE which reflects our ethos and vision and is in accordance with the National Curriculum and Guidelines for RSE as prepared by the NCCA.

An RSE policy review committee comprising Parents, Teachers and Board of Management representatives was established in February 2008 to review the original RSE policy statement which was formulated by an RSE committee in 1999 (cf Parents' Handbook p.12-13) .
This policy was reviewed and updated during the months February to April 2008.
The first meeting was held on February 19that 8pm.

Committee members involved in review of policy:
SPHE coordinator Lizzie Houston
Plean Scoile Coordinator Edward O'Riordan
School Principal Tom Mullins
Teachers' Representative Niamh Gallagher
Parents' Representative Catherine Lysaght
Board of Management Representative Noelle Cadell


School Ethos, Mission Statement and Vision
St. Mary's is a Catholic Primary School under the Patronage of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin.
We aim to foster the values of respect, honesty, courtesy, responsibility, tolerance, and consideration for others.
We cherish each child as an individual and we strive to develop his spiritual, intellectual, artistic, physical, emotional and social potential.
We hope each pupil can live life as a child and we aim to equip him to live as responsible life as an adult.
We have a committed staff that endeavours to create an atmosphere where cultural and religious diversity is respected. We recognise parents as the first and most important educators of their own child.
We encourage communication and parental involvement, based on mutual trust and understanding.
We cherish and foster our Irish culture.
We aim to enable children to work together in a supportive, respectful partnership within an inclusive school environment, to respect himself and others, to relate to himself and others and to become an active citizen in society.







Definition of RSE
Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) is a lifelong process of acquiring knowledge and understanding, and of developing attitudes, beliefs and values about sexual identity, relationships and intimacy. This education is delivered consciously and unconsciously by parents, teachers, peers, adults and the media.
In school, RSE will provide structured opportunities for pupils to acquire a knowledge and understanding of human relationships and sexuality through processes which will enable them to form values and establish behaviours within a moral, spiritual and social framework.
This approach gives opportunities to children and young people to learn about relationships and sexuality in ways that help them think and act in a moral, caring and responsible manner. In St. Mary's, RSE aims to help children learn, at home and in school, about their friendships and relationships with others. This work will be based on developing a good self-image, promoting respect for themselves and for others, and providing them with appropriate information.


Relationship of RSE to SPHE
RSE is an integral part of Social, Personal and Health Education and must be taught in this context. SPHE and RSE will be taught throughout the school from infants to sixth class in a spiral curriculum, and will be formally timetabled.
RSE is also offered informally to pupils through a caring and supportive school atmosphere. It is fostered in positive relationships between home, school and community.


Existing Provision for RSE
Prior to the current RSE Policy being in place, St. Mary's provided RSE through the formal and informal activities of the school, which include:
1. The SPHE programme (Walk Tall, Be Safe etc)
2. The promotion of a caring atmosphere on a daily basis
3. Lessons dealing with enhancement of self-esteem
4. The Stay Safe Programme
5. Health Education lessons
6. The SESE Programme
7. The P.E. programme
8. The Alive-O Programme
9. Behaviour Management (Molanó Code and Anti-Bullying Charter)

The aims of our RSE Programme
1. To assist parents in their role as primary educators so that they may guide their child's development physically, socially and emotionally.
2. To enhance the personal development, self-esteem and well being of the child.
3. To help the child to develop healthy friendships and relationships.
4. To foster an understanding of, and a healthy attitude to, relationships and sexuality in a moral, spiritual and social framework.
5. To develop an appreciation of the dignity, uniqueness and well being of others.
6. To acquire and develop knowledge and understanding of self.
7. To understand the nature, growth and development of relationships within families, in friendships and in wider contexts
8. To acquire and improve skills of communication and social interaction
9. To develop and promote in the child a sense of understanding of and respect for the process of birth and new life.
10. To develop some coping strategies to protect oneself and others from various forms of abuse.

Curriculum Content for RSE :
The content objectives, according to class level, which are from the SPHE Curriculum, can be found in Appendix 1. Each objective will be presented and taught using an age-appropriate and sensitive approach.
Relevant resources and appropriate language to be used in lessons are also included in Appendix 1.

Guidelines for the Management and Organisation of RSE in our School
The RSE programme will be delivered as follows:

General Management and Organisation
?Parents are the primary educators of their child. The school has a role to play in supporting and complementing parents in this work, helping to communicate the Christian visions of human life and relationships through the RSE programme. It is the policy of our school to nurture Catholic values in relation to love, marriage, parenthood and family life.
?RSE is an integral part of the SPHE programme and will be taught in this context. The curriculum is spiral in nature and all content will be delivered developmentally throughout the child's time in St. Mary's. RSE will be taught in the normal classroom situation by the class teacher. All information delivered will be informed by the content objectives of the SPHE Curriculum.
RSE specific education will be covered in the strand Myself under the strand units SELF-IDENTITY; TAKING CARE OF MY BODY; GROWING AND CHANGING and SAFETY AND PROTECTION and under the strand Myself and Others under the strand units MYSELF & MY FAMILY; MY FRIENDS & OTHER PEOPLE; RELATING TO OTHERS.
The content of the RSE programme will be covered in eight to ten lessons per year.
On enrolment in St. Mary's, parents will be provided with an overview of the SPHE/RSE programme (cf Parents' Handbooks p.12-13)

Sensitive Issues
Sensitive issues include lessons on naming the body parts (Senior Infants) and their functions (2nd Class); changes in their bodies as they grow and develop and lessons on conception and birth (5thand 6thClass).
An outline of the content of lessons specific to each class level will be available to parents before they are taught, so that they can prepare the child, if they so wish. (cf Appendix 2)
The home-school links letters from the DES RSE Resource Books may be sent home upon completion of lessons.
?A parent's right to withdraw a pupil from the process will be honoured on the understanding that the parent is taking full responsibility for this aspect of education.
?It is the responsibility of the parent to inform the school in writing of their decision to withdraw and their willingness to cover sensitive issues with their child outside of school hours. A child who has been withdrawn from class for the duration of a discrete RSE lesson will be accommodated in another classroom under the supervision of another teacher. If a child is withdrawn from the class for the teaching of sensitive issues we cannot guarantee that the other children will not inform him about what has been taught. The teacher may also need to make incidental reference to the issue at another time while that child is present.
?Each class teacher will teach the RSE programme including the sensitive issues unless they choose to opt out. A teacher's right to opt out from teaching the sensitive issues will be honoured. In this case, arrangements regarding the teaching of the programme will be made by the Principal.
?Teachers will teach only the topics laid down for the class and will only answer those questions which are relevant to the programme for that year. Questions arising from curriculum content will be addressed in a sensible, sensitive and age-appropriate manner. Should a pupil require information that is not in line with the curriculum content and not considered to be age-appropriate, the school will not give such information and will refer the question back to the parents. Teachers will not answer personal questions about themselves nor require the child to give information of a personal nature which he does not wish to share.
?Language will, at all times, reflect respect for those involved and for educational content. In St. Mary’s we will give children the correct and appropriate language to communicate confidently about themselves, their sexuality and their relationships, as outlined in Appendix 1.
?A trained facilitator may be invited to the school to cover sensitive issues with 6thClass annually. A teacher will remain in the classroom during this visit. Parents will be invited to an information evening regarding this visit beforehand. Parents are encouraged to use this opportunity to discuss these topics with their children beforehand.
?The school holds no responsibility for any information which the pupil may receive outside the direct teaching of the RSE lessons.



Provision for ongoing support and development
St. Mary's will offer ongoing training for teachers and the policy committee where necessary to help them implement the RSE programme. Information regarding courses or training for parents will be offered and may be organised by the Parents' Association/BOM/school.
Relevant RSE school resources will be sourced, stored and updated by the school SPHE coordinator Lizzie Houston.

This policy will be circulated to parents, teachers and the BOM and amended when consensus has been reached by all parties. The final agreed policy will be presented to the BOM, to be ratified and then circulated to all parties involved. It will be implemented in this school in September 2008.

Review

This policy will be reviewed in 2011 and thereafter as necessary. All partners will be informed of any amendments necessary after such a review. RSE resources will also be reviewed to ensure they are kept up to date.

Success Criteria
The success of this plan will be evaluated through teachers' planning and preparation, and if the procedures outlines in this plan have been consistently followed. We will also deem it to be a success if the children have been enabled to achieve the aims as outlined.

Communication and Ratification
This policy will be presented to Parents Association on March 11th, to staff at the March staff meeting and to the Board of Management in the March/April meeting.
The Board of Management of St. Mary's BNS ratified this plan
The plan is available to view at the school by the parents.

Appendix 1
The following are the content objectives, according to class level, which are from the SPHE Curriculum.
Each objective will be presented and taught using an approach which is in line with the school’s ethos and the curriculum and which is sensitive and age-appropriate.