The Process
Together, the headteacher and the Health and Well-being lead mapped the content of the RSE Code and Guidance against the Area of Learning and Experience for Health and Well-being. The document was distributed to the teaching staff, who worked within their different phases to identify how the activities would be delivered and to include enrichment activities that could accompany and enhance the provision. Parents were invited to be part of the process along with governors and pupils.
The RSE lead worked alongside the local authority and other groups identified by the Welsh Government to ensure that the views of the wider community, such as religious leaders and representatives of the LGBTQ+ and BAME communities, were considered.
The staff
The school felt that understanding how the staff felt about teaching and delivering the new RSE curriculum would be crucial to its successful implementation. A questionnaire was distributed to the staff, to gain an understanding of their strengths, weaknesses and training needs regarding the delivery of the RSE curriculum. There were several requests for training and guidance as many staff members were anxious about teaching certain sections of the RSE Code. To assist them in the successful implementation of RSE, staff were given the opportunity to participate in external training sessions, as well as in-house training provided by the RSE lead. This significantly increased the staff's confidence and willingness to teach some of the more sensitive subjects.
Parental involvement
The school recognised that it was essential to collaborate closely with parents on the creation and implementation of the curriculum.
An initial parental questionnaire was issued to parents to survey their opinions and level of understanding of the topic of RSE. It was also used to identify any parents that would be interested in participating in a parent focus group to help co-create the curriculum. A large number of responses were received, with 93% of respondents requesting more information and 83% wanting to join the focus group.
A number of effective parent meetings took place with staff working alongside parents to discuss the elements of the RSE Code and to generate ideas as to what the developmentally-appropriate sessions might look like within the primary classroom.
Pupil voice
The school valued the views of pupils and they were given opportunities to raise questions about different RSE strands. Staff ensured that planning incorporated the pupils' contributions.
Governors
Leaders ensured that the governing body of the school was regularly informed of the progress and involved at each of the curriculum development stages. Governors attended information sharing events and presentations. As critical friends, governors were invited to ask questions and regularly discussed the content of the RSE Code, guidance, and curriculum.
