Nurturing Healthy Relationships: Insights on Sexual Health Education

1. Primary 4-7Parent Information TalkRelationships, Sexual Health & Parenthood EducationKeeping Myself Safe ProgrammeAugust 2016

2. Pause for thought What factors influence young peoples’ attitudes to relationships and sexual health?

3. Why is Sexual Health a Priority? • They will become aware of how thoughts, feelings, attitudes, values and beliefs can influence decisions about relationships, and sexual health. • The sexual health of young people in Scotland is poor • High teenage pregnancy rate • Sexually transmitted infections rising • Attitudes to violence • Unwanted sex and regret

4. First and foremost, it’s aboutrelationships • helping your children to be resilient to the messages they will be exposed to and • being ready to make healthy choices at a time that is right for them

5. Curriculum for Excellence: Key themes

6. First level outcomes (P2 – P4) • I am aware of how friendships are formed and that likes, dislikes, special qualities and needs can influence relationships • I understand positive things about friendships and relationships but when something worries or upsets me I know who I should talk to • I know that there are people in our lives who care for and look after us and I am aware that people may be cared for by parents, carers or other adults. • I am aware of the need to respect personal space and boundaries and can recognise and respond appropriately to verbal and non-verbal communication. • I recognise that we have similarities and differences but are all unique.

7. First level outcomes (P2 – P4) • I am aware of my growing body and I am learning the correct names for its different parts and how they work. • I am learning what I can do to look after my body and who can help me. • I am learning about where living things come from and about how they grow, develop and are nurtured. • I am able to show an awareness of the tasks required to look after a baby

8. Second level outcomes (P5 – P7) • I understand that a wide range of different friendships and relationships exist • I am aware that positive friendships and relationships can promote health and the wellbeing of others • I am identifying and practising skills to manage changing relationships and I understand the positive impact this can have on my emotional wellbeing. • I am aware of the need to respect personal space and boundaries and can recognise and respond appropriately to verbal and non-verbal communication • I recognise that how my body changes can affect how I feel about myself and how I may behave

9. Second level outcomes (P5 – P7) • I can describe the physical and emotional changes during puberty, understand why they are taking place and the importance of personal hygiene • I know that all forms of abuse are wrong and I am developing skills to keep myself safe and how to get help if I need it • I am able to describe how human life begins and how a baby is born • I can describe the role of a parent/carer and the skills, commitment and qualities the role requires

10. RESOURCES • Creating Confident Kids (P1-P7) • Emotion Talks • Living and Growing (P4 - P7) • Keeping Myself Safe (Nursery - P7)

11. Living and Growing progression • Primary 4 • Differences • Primary 5 • How did I get here? • Growing up • Primary 6 • Changes • Girl Talk • Boy Talk • Primary 7 • How a baby is made • How a baby is born • Lets talk about sex

12. Primary 4 – Differences • Children are introduced to life cycles • Explores the difference between male and female (physical and other) • Correct names for male and female body parts

13. Primary 5 – How did I get here and growing up • Explains that a baby develops inside a mother’s womb and that both the male and female sex parts are needed to make a baby • Children reflect upon their development from babies • Informs children about conception and the growth of the baby in the womb • We discuss the fact that we all grow and change, as do all living things • To show that some changes are social, that we become more independent and able to think about others as well as ourselves • To look at identify and self-esteem, and reinforce the belief that we are all special

14. Primary 6 – Changes • Explores physical & emotional changes that take place during puberty • Considers how some of these changes are outside our control but that they will make choices and decisions about how they live their life • Reaffirms that puberty is a normal and natural process

15. Primary 6 – Girl Talk & Boy Talk • Reviews the physical and emotional changes that take place for girls and boys and the onset of puberty • It deals with the information from the point of view of girls/boys but also in terms of what boys/girls need to know • The importance of good hygiene for health and self esteem

16. Primary 7 – How a baby is made • Life cycles and reproduction • What does a new baby need? • Emphasises the importance of loving, caring relationships between couples and the value of family

17. Primary 7 – How a baby is born • Review of relationships and feelings and investigates roles and responsibilities • The development of the baby in the womb and the needs of the mother before the baby • The inheritance of physical characteristics

18. Primary 7 – Lets talk about sex • The development of relationships • Considers images of sex created by the media and popular culture • Conception and contraception are explored along with stereotypical attitudes towards sex and relationships • Love and marriage

19. Keeping Myself Safe Personal Safety Programme • The programme builds on the work carried out within Keeping Myself Safe programme Nursery to P5, where they focus on one scenario in each year group • Main focus is in Primary 6 and 7 • Is taught with a gap of at least 4 weeks between sex education (Living and Growing) programme • Individual scenarios

20. Format of scenarios • Computer based scenario • Discussion tasks • Homework tasks • School based worksheets • Personal safety toolkit strategies

21. Primary 6 scenarios • The Town – keeping secrets, peer group pressure, trust between adults/children • The Skate park – safety issues when out by themselves, mobile phones, reverse charge calls • The Swimming pool – inappropriate touch by a known adult, assertiveness • My House – physical abuse, telling a trusted adult, right to feel safe • The Chat Room – dangers using the internet, self esteem, vulnerability, possible abduction

22. Primary 7 scenarios • The Bus – inappropriate touch by a stranger, peer group pressure, trust between adults and children • The Park – peer pressure, alcohol, strategies to say ‘no’ • The School Concert – sexual abuse by a sibling, personal space, inappropriate touch • The Youth Club – trusted adults, physical signs that warn a situation may be dangerous • The Woods – sexual abuse by another young person, keeping going when you are not believed