Requesting PSHE syllabus and resources from school, anyone done this or can advise?

[Mayswear]

I'd like to take a look at what my child's school are teaching in PSHE. So far I've had a very vague overview document which describes rough topics covered. I have specifically asked for drilled down details and resources used.
Has anyone done this? The school replies are politely reluctant to send me anything, it's not quite a refusal but nearly so.
Do I have any rights to view these materials? Has anyone done this?
I had a vague sense that parents are allowed to withdraw children but how can parents actually do this if they don't know what's covered? Some people have religious grounds for doing this, again, surely all content should be made available to parents so we can actually see what is going to be taught?!

[persistentwoman]

Have a look at the Safe Schools Alliance website OP - here :
safeschoolsallianceuk.net/ It's perfect for helping parents with your questions

Parents should be consulted about the SRE curriculum - you could ask when and how that happened?

[Mayswear]

Thanks persistentwoman. There are some excellent template letters there that will help me. I will take inspiration from your name and keep persisting!

[ChickenonaMug]

Mayswear I am not sure which part of the UK you are in, in does differ depending on the country. This fact sheet from Safe Schools Alliance UK is useful regarding legislation about withdrawal from parts of RSE and what parents can request to see.

safeschoolsallianceuk.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/RSE-and-the-law-in-England_Covid-update.pdf

[OhHolyJesus]

Others have done this I'm sure, so have a browse to see how they concluded their threads.

SSA resources have already be shared I see so that's a great start.

I also direct you to recent videos from Kellie Jay Keen Minshul on You Tube and all I can ask is what are they ashamed of if they don't want to share the content?

You can withdraw your child from all but the biological science element of RSE/PHSE (I think) until the term before the child turns 16. I'll be back later to see how you get on.

[OhHolyJesus]

Also this might be useful, in additional to SSA.


RSE has its first teaching from this September 2020. The law requires that each school consults with parents and carers on RSE policy. Samples of proposed teaching materials must be made available for parents to inspect.

schoolgatecampaign.org/

[ChloeCrocodile]

Do I have any rights to view these materials? Has anyone done this?
I had a vague sense that parents are allowed to withdraw children but how can parents actually do this if they don't know what's covered?

You can withdraw from any / all sex education (not relationships). But your child can opt back in from approx 15. If you state your intention to do withdraw, best practice is that you should be invited in to discuss your concerns. There is no right for you to have sight of any resources though.

[ChloeCrocodile]

Samples of proposed teaching materials must be made available for parents to inspect.

I don’t think this is correct. The actual statutory guidance is available here:
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/908013/Relationships_Education__Relationships_and_Sex_Education__RSE__and_Health_Education.pdf

[SugarPlumFairyCakes]

@Mayswear I could have written your exact post tonight. Response I got was very vague as well. I have responded and am now waiting for a call from the Head.... Feels a lonely place and I am sure most parents have no idea of what is actually being taught.

[Sunshineandsparkle]

Can I ask what you’re worried about your children being taught? I think it’s pretty straight forward, sex and relationships, drugs, alcohol, crime, money management, environmental issues etc. Obviously it all depends on the year group. The schools probably won’t have resources to send you as the teacher will plan the lesson and create/find resources for the lesson a few days before they teach it. Some schools, but definitely not all, have a bank of resources for the teachers to use.

[Melroses]

The schools probably won’t have resources to send you as the teacher will plan the lesson and create/find resources for the lesson a few days before they teach it

Last minute homework.

[Sunshineandsparkle]

@Melroses

The schools probably won’t have resources to send you as the teacher will plan the lesson and create/find resources for the lesson a few days before they teach it

Last minute homework.

Maybe! I think it also depends on the class as you can’t always plan too far ahead in the term as a pshce lesson can sometimes take an unexpected turn. It’s better for the children if the teacher can follow their lead a bit more with those types of topics.

[crunchermuncher]

I'm worried that my son will be taught that humans can change sex. Also if he doesn't conform to gender stereotypes then he is probably a trans girl and should consider socially transitioning... without telling his parents ofc. I genuinely am.

[jellybe]

My children's primary school holds information evenings for parents about what they will cover in SRE for that year group.

At secondary level ( which I teach at) I've never taught in a school that doesn't that but we have always had curriculum outlines for parents and links to general resources that might be used.

I would keep politely pushing until they give you a satisfaction level of information.

[ValancyRedfern]

A lot of schools buy in pshe schemes as they don't have specialist teachers. The sex education aspect you can withdraw your children from is actually very narrow, just the bits about actual, well, sex. Most of the stuff I am worried about (teaching dd she has a 'gender identity', that girls can become boys, that you can be 'born in the wrong body') doesn't fall under sex Ed so parents don't have the right to withdraw. They also don't fall under statutory RSE requirements either, so it's quite possible your school won't be teaching them, but finding out is the challenge. As you are finding! Dd's school haven't even replied to my email sent in July.

[crunchermuncher]

I also want to know what they are being taught about relationships - obviously on the face of it relationship education is a good thing, but I would prefer it if it broadly aligned with my own values (are they helped to recognise and understand coercive control, for example?) I don't think it's unreasonable to want a bit more detail.

[Melroses]

Maybe! I think it also depends on the class as you can’t always plan too far ahead in the term as a pshce lesson can sometimes take an unexpected turn. It’s better for the children if the teacher can follow their lead a bit more with those types of topics.

It is a while since I have done primary, but my DC's primary used to have a framework for what was covered for each year for PHSE. It was not detailed but no doubt things probably took unexpected turns each year and they probably did not cover it all. (It certainly did in other areas but that is another story.....)

[ChloeCrocodile]

crunchermuncher, how old is your DS? I teach secondary (and was head of pshe until the summer) so if he’s still in primary the below is probably irrelevant.

At secondary you can’t withdraw your child from relationships education. The actual content of the statutory RSE barely mentions trans issues. The only reference to gender is as part of stereotyping (p27 of the guidance) but it does appear to fall within relationships and therefore not something you can withdraw your child from.

Equality and diversity is also part of the relationships topic, and it explicitly references the Equality Act. There is concern that some schools are unwittingly misrepresenting the protected characteristic “gender reassignment” as “gender identity” and failing to teach that the EA has exemptions. If the school is explicitly teaching trans issues it is likely to be in this section of the pshe curriculum.

Schools aren’t required (afaik) to share resources for individual lessons as this would be overly onerous on schools, but they ought to take a co-operative approach with parents. You are more likely to get somewhere if you are specific in any requests, so I’d advise you ask for details of the scheme of work for the equalities and diversity teaching. All schools should have them for every subject, and it will include learning objectives as well as overall themes. Once you’ve got that you can make an informed decision about whether you’d want more detail.

[crunchermuncher]

Thanks that's really helpful. We're talking secondary age.