KS1 Relationship & Sex Ed

[uhoh1973]

We have been advised our LA are rolling out a new PSHE & RSE scheme. So far so good... we are all for timely sex education. However they have said it will start in Key Stage 1, including sex education (age 5+)!!?? I have asked the LA and school for the curriculum and content for Key Stage 1.

So far I've heard nothing back from either LA or school... How can we, as parents, be confident about what is going on and will be taught if they cannot show us? Now I am anxious worried about what exactly they are planning to 'roll out'. I'm happy for sex ed prior to girls start their periods etc but the idea of teaching 5 year olds about this stuff enough is enough to make my skin crawl. The ultimate reason seems to be its for 'child protection' so that children can report abuse??!!

I don't see the issue. Hasn't your 5 year old asked questions about where babies come from yet?

What made my skin crawl was hearing that one of my son's friends had been told babies came from a cabbage patch.

Well we started at 2.5. I consider that timely. If this makes your "skin crawl" it would suggest to me that you need the assistance of the school to help educate your child.

No, not directly. They know babies come from women's tummies (they can see that with her own eyes) and have a baby in the family. I'd just like to know what they plan to teach.

In my experience "sex ed" at that age is usually more shout their own bodies, a bit about the physical differences between girls and boys (often incorporating things like girls sometimes having short hairstyles and boys having long ones and that's OK etc) and the relationship side of it is often family based eg looking after each other, being kind etc. Just because it's called "sex ed" doesn't mean it's going to be graphic serial content!

What is on the curriculum at 2.5? TBH I rather teach them myself when they want to know / might need to know rather than learning at school..

Making your skin crawl seems like a very odd reaction.

I doubt they will be teaching 5 year olds the mechanics of sex (though I see no harm in them knowing) probably more like names for body parts, being in charge of their own bodies, boundaries etc.

What exactly are you worried about?

My ds knew about periods at 5. It doesn't seem to have damaged him. It's not horrifying is it?

Mine both knew the basics (sperm, egg, penis, vagina, dna, uterus, vaginal birth, Caesarian birth, breastfeeding, bottle feeding, adoption, surrogacy, ivf, sperm donation, different shapes of family, PANTS rule) by the age of 5.

Thanks pocketsized. One of our concerns is that it will 'highlight' the differences between male and female. TBH we live in quite a traditional area and stereotypes are already quite 1950's between men and women. I rather not focus on categorizing people and take the approach that all opportunities are open to all rather than dependent on gender, race etc.

We were happy with the SEAL PSHE curriculum which has been used in previous years which as you say focuses on being open to all and looking after each other etc. I just find it weird they are rolling something new out but dont seem to be able to show us what it is??

This is good, as it will embed positive definitions of consent and bodily autonomy at an early age. That, I suspect, will be the primary objective.

uhoh1973 if you concern is about highlighting differences between men and women and limiting opportunities, then the sex-ed curriculum really is the least likely place that it's going to be an issue.

It's very unlikely that any such old fashioned ideas would come out in explicit teaching, but much more in general life of the school, and teaching of other subjects, in any case I can't see why the suggestion that some people can't have children would make your skin crawl?

Sorry, but you think "highlighting" that boys and girls have different genitals is going to cause gender discrimination? How is ignorance better?

Sre is about so much more than genitals. Positive relationships, consent, trust, love, body image, stereotype, health, safety.

As a sex ed specialist I would suggest appropriate objectives for year one would be:
I know how to be a good friend and how to get help if someone is being a bad friend.
I can tell you things that make me special and I like about myself.
I know what is different and the same about boys and girls. ( eg how true is gender stereotype)
I use correct terms for body parts.
I can describe different family relationships and tell you who is in my family.
I can be assertive and say NO.
I know how to keep my body clean and have some understanding of why this important.

And on and on... there is so much you can (and should!) be teaching before you even begin to mention sex.
Problem solving skills, respect, scientific understanding, confidence, independence and autonomy are the foundations of good sex ed.

Having said that, I am also intending on telling my children 'the facts of life' from the word go. Op I think you need to examine why the idea of a 5 year knowing basic and, frankly, amazing and fascinating, scientific facts, makes your 'skin crawl'

Its just sex. We teach our children about world wars for Christ's sake. Florence nightingale used to be a ks1 staple!

TBH I rather teach them myself when they want to know / might need to know rather than learning at school

"When they want to know" is probably too late, OP.

Depends on what is being taught. My DS recently had SE at school, he is 7. I watched the video he was going to be shown and I thought some of the wording such as clitorus was just a bit much too for a 7 year old. The teachers refused to get another video because they didn't have enough time to source a different one!

Was it just clitoris you objected to?

Why is clitoris too much?

But clitoris is what it is called! Would you object to someone telling them their back teeth are called molars, or that the bones in their arms are called the radius and ulna?

Maybe it's because clitorus sounds a bit like a dinosaur and the idea that people have dinosaurs in their pants could scare a small boy for life, resulting a disappointing sex life for him and his partners forever?

Wtf is wrong with people?!
There's no harm in a 5 year old knowing the mechanics?! FFS! Bet your internet history of interesting!
We've just come back from a year 6 meeting to explain what they'll be learning.
Full on intercourse, actual footage of a woman giving birth (yes, graphic content - I only saw that when our son was born and that was by accident).
These are CHILDREN. Sure, they need to know about puberty before it happens but not to see videos of various positions ffs.
Let them be children.
The teenage pregnancy thing is more about parenting.
And they learnt the 'no pants rule' without knowing the actual reasons why.
All this has been thought up by liberal idiots that get their jollies thinking about CHILDREN learning adult stuff.
I also notice there's a lot of "probably" comments and comments from people clearly without children....
Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!

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