Sex and Relationships Education Policy Statement fpa
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- Our beliefs about SRE
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2016
FPA believes that all children and young people have the right to high- quality, comprehensive sex and relationships education (SRE) that promotes good sexual health, and equal and pleasurable relationships. We support a rights-based approach to SRE, based on qualities such as mutual respect, trust and enjoyment. Why we believe this 1. All children and young people have the right to sex and relationships education (SRE). We believe that the best way to achieve this is through statutory SRE at primary and secondary school, as a part of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.
Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefit of sex and relationships education (SRE) in keeping children and young people safe and healthy throughout their lives. For example, research published in the British Medical Journal
found that young people (particularly young women) who had learned Our beliefs about SRE
1. All children and young people have the right to sex and relationships education (SRE). We believe that the best way to achieve this is through statutory SRE at primary and secondary school, as a part of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. 2. We believe that SRE should be age-appropriate, evidence-based and centred on the needs of young people. 3. FPA believes that PSHE education (including SRE) should be considered as important as other subjects and be taught by trained educators able to deliver a comprehensive programme. 4. FPA recognise that young people learn about sex and relationships from a variety of sources, including parents and carers. We believe that schools should inform and involve parents and carers in the delivery of their SRE programme. 5. Comprehensive SRE should provide children and young people with the knowledge and skills they need to recognise, negotiate and enjoy safe and equal relationships and to enjoy their sexuality. 6. We believe in SRE that is open and inclusive. SRE should recognise and meet the needs of young people of different gender identities, sexual orientations, minority ethnic groups and those with physical or learning disabilities, and should celebrate diversity.
about sex and relationships mainly at school were less likely to report poor sexual health outcomes 1 . School SRE increased the likelihood of people choosing to have sex for the first time at comparatively later ages, and reduced the likelihood of experiencing a sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnosis, reporting distress about sex life over the past year and having experience of non-volitional sex.
When combined with access to sexual health services, SRE also contributes towards increasing earlier reporting of sexual abuse and (in some cases) its prevention, reducing intimate partner violence, reducing unplanned pregnancy, reducing maternal and infant mortality, prevention and earlier treatment of sexually transmitted infections (including HIV) and reducing health inequality. The Department of Health’s A Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England
also uses this evidence base to back the government ambition for all children and young people to receive high-quality SRE 2 . Although state-maintained schools (not including academies or free schools) have to ‘make provision for PSHE,’ 3 the delivery of SRE in schools around the UK remains inconsistent. In 2013, the schools regulator Ofsted found that ‘the quality of PSHE education is not yet good enough in a sizeable proportion of schools in England’ 4 . FPA believes the best way to ensure a high-quality, consistent standard is by making SRE statutory, which would mean enacting legislation to ensure that all primary and secondary schools across the UK are required to teach comprehensive SRE. This should go beyond a biological understanding of puberty, reproduction and STIs and equip young people with the knowledge and skills they need to determine and enjoy their sexuality.
2. We believe that SRE should be age-appropriate, evidence-based and centred on the needs of young people. There is clear evidence to suggest that young people are not receiving information in time for when they need it. For example, a Sex Education Forum
1 Associations between source of information about sex and sexual health outcomes in Britain: findings from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3) (British Medical Journal, 2015) http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/3/e007837.full
2 A Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England’ (Department of Health, 2013) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-framework-for-sexual-health-improvement-in-england
3
2013)
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-social-health-and-economic-education- pshe/personal-social-health-and-economic-pshe-education
4 Not yet good enough: personal, social, health and economic education in schools (Ofsted, 2013) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/not-yet-good-enough-personal-social-health-and- economic-education
survey found that 24% of girls started their periods before learning about menstruation at school 5 .
With increased access to online pornography, there is also concern about young people learning about sex and sexuality from sources that reinforce gender stereotypes and encourage potentially harmful behaviour. Although analysis published in the British Medical Journal 6 has shown that school is young people’s preferred source of information on sex and relationships, around half of men and women reported getting most of their information from less authoritative ‘other’ sources such as their first sexual partner, friends, siblings or media sources 7 . Boys were more likely to report using pornography as their main source, compared to just 0.2% of girls 8 .
Beginning SRE at primary school ensures that young people get evidence-based information about sex and relationships before they encounter pornography or other, less reliable sources of information. It also help to foster an open and honest culture and ensure that young people are able to understand and challenge misinformation and stereotypes they may encounter in the future.
3. FPA believes that PSHE (including SRE) should be considered as important as other subjects and be taught by trained educators able to deliver a comprehensive programme. Legislation surrounding SRE is currently confusing. We believe that there is a need for clearer information for schools from the government about what is expected. Current government guidance for teachers 9 in England is outdated. Published in 2000, it makes no reference to topics relating to new technologies, such as online safety or sexting. Although Brook, the PSHE Association and the
5 1 in 4 girls start their periods before learning about it at school (Sex Education forum, 2016) http://www.sexeducationforum.org.uk/policy-campaigns/the-puberty-issue.aspx
6 Patterns and trends in sources of information about sex among young people in Britain: evidence from three National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles ) (British Medical Journal, 2015) http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/3/e007834.full
7
relationships (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 2015) http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/news/2015/sex_and_relationship_education_for_young_people.ht ml
New research highlights differences in how young men and women learn about sex and relationships (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 2015) http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/news/2015/sex_and_relationship_education_for_young_people.ht ml
9 Sex and Relationship Education Guidance (Department for Education and Employment, 2000) http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/news/2015/sex_and_relationship_education_for_young_people.ht ml
Sex Education Forum have produced supplementary advice 10 endorsed by the Department for Education, it is not statutory.
As a training and education provider, we observe that there are often not the resources or curriculum time necessary to deliver a comprehensive programme of SRE.
A lack of training for teachers, school nurses and other staff responsible for SRE means that delivery is often variable. We believe that SRE should be part of core Initial Teacher Training for all teachers throughout the UK. Other professionals, including youth workers and health professionals should also receive core training and continued opportunities for development ahead of the delivery of SRE.
of sources, including parents and carers. We believe that schools should inform and involve parents and carers in the delivery of their SRE programme.
FPA recognise the crucial role that parents and carers play in their children’s learning and development. We believe schools have a key role in communicating the benefits of SRE to parents and carers and working in partnership so that lessons in schools support the information and messages children and young people receive at home. However, parents should not be allowed to withdraw their children from SRE lessons.
Through work with parents on our Speakeasy project, we know that parents often need support to overcome gaps in their own knowledge, embarrassment or awkwardness when they talk about sex and relationships with their children. The majority of parents are in favour of SRE. A 2014 survey by the Sex Education Forum found that the majority of parents want SRE to be taught in primary schools, with 7 out of 10 saying that they would welcome help and support from their child's school about how they can talk to their child about growing up and related issues 11 . 5. Comprehensive SRE should provide children and young people with the knowledge and skills they need to recognise, negotiate and enjoy safe and equal relationships and to enjoy their sexuality.
10 Sex and Relationships Education for the 21 st Century (Brook, PSHE Association, Sex Education Forum, 2015) http://www.sexeducationforum.org.uk/media/17706/sreadvice.pdf
11
http://www.sexeducationforum.org.uk/policy-campaigns/parents-want-sre.aspx
Young people should be given the information and skills they need to feel comfortable and confident about their bodies and their sexuality. We believe that SRE should cover a range of topics in order to provide young people with all of the skills and values they need be able to enjoy and understand their sexuality throughout their life.
Currently this is not the case; for example, a Sex Education Forum survey found that, of over 2,000 young people, half did not learn how to get help if they were abused at school and more than four in 10 had not learned about healthy or abusive relationships 12 . SRE is also important in influencing positive sexual behaviours, providing young people with the knowledge they need to feel happy and confident in their choices. For example, evidence shows that school-based SRE acts as a delay for the start of sexual activity and increases condom and contraceptive use among those already sexually active 13 .
Effective SRE should help young people to appreciate difference. It should develop young people’s skills to effectively negotiate, communicate, assert themselves and manage their emotions and relationships as well as understand puberty, the biological aspects of sex and information about contraception, STIs and how to access services.
6. We believe in SRE that is open and inclusive. SRE should recognise and meet the needs of young people of different gender identities, sexual orientations, minority ethnic groups and those with physical or learning disabilities and should celebrate diversity. We believe that SRE has a distinct role to play in educating young people about diversity and relationships and contribute towards ending discrimination in schools, by challenging stereotypes.
Research by the charity Stonewall found that nine in 10 secondary school teachers said students in their schools are bullied, harassed or called names for being (or being perceived to be) lesbian, gay or bisexual 14 .
Good SRE recognises the needs of all children, and should contribute towards combatting the bullying of young people of different genders, sexual orientations, minority ethnic groups and those with physical or learning disabilities.
12 Gaps in sex and relationships education leave too many children at risk (Sex Education Forum, 2016) http://www.sexeducationforum.org.uk/policy-campaigns/gaps-in-sre-leave-children-at-risk.aspx
13
findings from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3) (BMJ, 2015) http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/3/e007837.full
The Teachers’ Report 2014 (Stonewall, 2014) http://www.stonewall.org.uk/resources/teachers- report-2014-0
• FPA sex and relationships education factsheet www.fpa.org.uk/factsheets/sex-and-relationships-education
• FPA pornography policy statement www.fpa.org.uk/sites/default/files/pornography-policy-statement.pdf
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www.fpa.org.uk/sites/default/files/young-people-policy-statement.pdf
Additional reading • Gaps in Sex and Relationships Education Leave Too Many Children at Risk, Sex Education Forum www.sexeducationforum.org.uk/policy-campaigns/gaps-in-sre-leave-children- at-risk.aspx
• Life Lessons: PSHE and SRE in Schools, Education Select Committee
www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmselect/cmeduc/145/14502.ht m
• Not Yet Good Enough: Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education, Ofsted
www.gov.uk/government/publications/not-yet-good-enough-personal-social- health-and-economic-education
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Association and Sex Education Forum www.sexeducationforum.org.uk/media/17706/sreadvice.pdf
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UK, Terrence Higgins Trust www.tht.org.uk/~/media/O094%20Campaign/7164200%20SRE_report_2016_ FINAL_low-res.pdf
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