Current classroom issues are discussed in our ‘Care to talk’ sessions, every Friday. The children work together to solve any issues. It’s a great environment to encourage discussion and appropriate actions.

We have a host of great visitors throughout the year, who provide engaging sessions on really important topics. This year we have D:Side, who teach the children about drug awareness, as well as Leeds City Council’s Road Safety team.

We have a host of great visitors throughout the year, who provide engaging sessions on really important topics. This year we have D:Side, who teach the children about drug awareness, as well as Leeds City Council’s Road Safety team.

Mental health is important to everyone. We make sure to prepare our children with skills to help with their emotional wellbeing. We use resources from our current scheme ‘You, me and PSHE’,  as well as MindMate by the NHS.

MindMate (NHS) website

In Early Years, PSHE is known as PSED (Personal, social and emotional development). This is taught again through role play and class discussions, as well as giving children opportunities to listen to others, take turns, solve problems together and think about the needs and emotions of others. The areas covered are;

• self confidence and self awareness
• managing feelings and behaviour
• making relationships

What do we mean when we say ‘Relationships’?

‘The focus in primary school should be on teaching the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships, with particular reference to friendships, family relationships, and relationships with other children and with adults.’

The aims of relationships and sex education at Woodlands are to:

• Provide a framework in which sensitive discussions can take place
• Prepare pupils for puberty, and give them an understanding of sexual development and the importance of health and hygiene
• Help pupils develop feelings of self-respect, confidence and empathy
• Create a positive culture around issues of sexuality and relationships
• Teach pupils the correct vocabulary to describe themselves and their bodies
• Help pupils develop feelings of self-respect, confidence and empathy
• Create a positive culture around issues of sexuality and relationships, including the importance of family for the care and support of children
• Help children to understand the consequences of their actions and behave responsibly within relationships
• To be able to recognise unsafe situations, protect themselves and ask for help and support

The right to withdraw

Parents/carers have a right to withdraw their child from the non statutory aspects of sex education that are taught outside of the statutory science curriculum.

At Co-op Academy Woodlands this only applies to the lessons in Year 6 that teach ‘how a baby is made’.

To withdraw from these lessons, a letter needs to be written to the Headteacher expressing your request and a meeting will be arranged to discuss this further.

If a child is withdrawn from lessons it is possible that they may try to find this information from an unreliable source. They could hear it from children in the playground which can lead to misinformation.