Dear Parents/Carers,            

In the academic year 2020/21, Relationships Education and Health Education will become statutory in all primary schools in England.  This new subject will build on the non-statutory lessons we have previously taught in Relationships and Sex Education.

As a Catholic school, our mission is to support the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of all of our pupils, rooted in the wisdom and teaching of the Church. The education of children in human sexuality is an important, precious and privileged responsibility.  The Church teaches us that this is very much a partnership with parents, in which parents are the ‘first educators’ of their children on these matters and that we then work together to co-educate your children with you.

We have been researching various programmes that are available and have decided to adopt Life to the Full by TenTen Resources. TenTen is an award-winning Catholic educational organisation that is well-respected and very experienced in this field of work.

Life to the Full has been approved by our Diocese.  Furthermore, TenTen have entered into a partnership with the Catholic Education Service and the Department for Education to provide training for teachers in Catholic schools on the subject of the new statutory curriculum. Therefore, we are confident that this programme is a very good fit for our school.

Through their programme, TenTen understand the foundational role that parents have in educating and nurturing their children on these matters. Within the programme, they have built in resources which will not only keep you informed about what is being taught in school, but will also give you the opportunity to engage your children in discussion, activity and prayer.

We would like to have your feedback on our approach, and particularly on the key decisions that we need to take regarding the teaching of certain topics.  To this end, we have opened a consultation period during which we welcome your feedback. 

We have put a short PowerPoint with brief details onto our school website and TenTen have provided an online Parent Consultation Tool. This is a simple-to-follow, short online course which:

• Outlines the statutory changes that will take place.
• Articulates a vision for Catholic Relationships and Health Education.
• Explains how Life to the Full aims to help us fulfil the statutory curriculum with a Catholic ethos.
• Provides some information about key decisions we need to make, in consultation with parents.
• Answers some Frequently Asked Questions.

TenTen have also provided an Online Parent Portal which will keep you informed and updated about the work we are doing in school.

To take part in the consultation, please do the following:

• Please look at The curriculum page on our website and scroll down to the RE button where you will find the TenTen Overview (see Appendix 1) and  PowerPoint slides with a brief overview of the programme.  Or use  this link to take you straight there https://www.st-thomasmore.gloucs.sch.uk/re/
•  

You can access the Parent Consultation Tool here:

www.tentenresources.co.uk/parent-consultation-primary

• You will need the following login details for our school:

Username: st-thomas-more-gl51

Password: green-unicorn

Please undertake the short Parent Consultation course provided.

Please share your views with us by completing the questionnaire found at the link below: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/3VKTMC3       

or by using the QR code in the appendix

The parent consultation period will close on Friday 13^th November 2020.

So please complete your feedback by then.

As previously stated, Relationships Education and Health Education will be statutory in all primary schools and the guidance states that it is compulsory for all children to take part in Relationship and Health Education. However, if parents strongly object to the school provision for Sex Education and wish to carry out this teaching themselves, then their children can be taken out of the Sex education lessons.

The scheme we use is mostly Relationships and Health Education. Sex Education only takes place in Year 5 and Year 6 and therefore there are only a couple of lessons that pupils may be withdrawn from.

If you do not wish for your child to take part in Sex Education lessons when in Year 5 and Year 6 there is a process that must be followed:

1. A letter will be sent to parents to inform them that the Sex Education lessons will be taught soon.
2. Please ring or email the school office saying you are wanting to withdraw your child from the Sex Education Lessons.
3. You will then be contacted by the Head Teacher Mrs Tippen to discuss this wish so that she can understand what provision you have in place to be able to teach this content to your child and the resources that you will be using.
4. You will then need to put your request in writing to Mrs Tippen in order for your child to be taken out of this lesson.

If for any reason you find it difficult to access the portal or questionnaire please contact the school office and we can try to help you to take part in the consultation process.

All this information will be on the website under Latest News and you can click on the links there.

We hope that our consultation will assure you about the new provision we will be using to teach Relationship, Health and Sex Education and the sensitive approach that the school will be taking towards this subject.

Kind regards

Mrs Sue Gray