Health for Life Dunblane Cluster Schools Sexual Health and Relationships Education “A practitioner’s reflection on the successes and challenges of implementing RSHP in a Primary context”

The Starting Point Our Self Evaluation of Learning and Teaching in the area of Health Education identified major weaknesses with the “consistent and progressive Sexual Health and Relationship Education Programme”

Why we all got involved? To ensure consistency of learning and teaching within the Dunblane Cluster To ensure consistency of learning and teaching within the Dunblane Cluster To create positive learning experiences in S.R.E education To create positive learning experiences in S.R.E education To fulfil our responsibilities To fulfil our responsibilities

Project Structure:- Ensuring Ownership and Involvement Establishment of a steering group consisting of representation from all community groups, parents, churches, and schools Establishment of a steering group consisting of representation from all community groups, parents, churches, and schools Questionnaires and focus groups to canvas thoughts and opinions of all stakeholders Questionnaires and focus groups to canvas thoughts and opinions of all stakeholders Creation of stage working parties to pull together programme of study following parental and staff consultation Creation of stage working parties to pull together programme of study following parental and staff consultation Cascade model for whole school staff training Cascade model for whole school staff training Partnerships with Parents workshops, leaflets, resource open afternoons Partnerships with Parents workshops, leaflets, resource open afternoons

Health for Life Pupil QuestionnairesQuestionnaires If you already knew a lot about Sexual Health, where did you learn about it? Parents (65%) Parents (65%) Siblings (27%) Siblings (27%) Friends (46%) Friends (46%) Books (15%) Books (15%) How did you feel during Sexual Health Lessons? I felt comfortable (31%) I felt embarrassed (58%) I felt worried (20%) I felt scared (5%)

Lessons from the Children Provide increased opportunities to listen to their worries and concerns and discuss how they feel Provide increased opportunities to listen to their worries and concerns and discuss how they feel Make health lessons appropriate for all children Make health lessons appropriate for all children Use up to date and modern resources Use up to date and modern resources Create opportunities for children to reflect and think about health issues and how these issues relate to them Create opportunities for children to reflect and think about health issues and how these issues relate to them

Parental Audit “ I feel children should be given a factual sexual health and relationship education, within a supportive environment, early in their primary school life; P6/7 is too late” “When my daughter started her SHR education I was not aware of the information she was going to be given. I would have liked to have been more informed of the course content. I think there was a lack of communication between school and home”

Steering Group :- co-ordinated the project within our individual schools and ensured continuity and consistency throughout the creation, training and implementation of the programme Successes Common goal Common goal Commitment Commitment Multidisciplinary nature Multidisciplinary nature Teamwork Teamwork Challenges Cultural differences Timescales “I will be honest in the early stages I was not happy about being involved in this project, but now I understand its’ benefits, necessity even, and believe the whole experience has been very worth while.” “ I see only positives in working this way”

Challenges Co-ordination Consistency and coherence Timescales Successes Distributed Leadership Distributed Leadership Peer supporters Peer supporters Confident mentors Confident mentors Commitment Commitment Before the course “I was really uncomfortable at the thought of teaching SRE to 24 children. I thought I can’t do this” After course “Now I feel I could deliver quite comfortably” “Your initial feelings of nerves and concerns will be alleviated through staff training” Working Parties :- representatives from each of the schools attended SRE training and they became leaders or members of working parties; responsible for creating the programme, delivering future training and supporting staff within their school

Staff Training:- Took place over 18months Starting point required the staff to reflect on their personal experiences of SRE Results of this questionnaire and discussion informed the next stage of training The decision was taken as a cluster to run workshops within individual schools Consultation over the draft programme of study across our cluster of schools Staff meeting in stage groups to comment and evaluate the programme and it’s resources Further challenges and concerns identified Resources familiarisation within our own establishments

Working with staff Reflect on your own experiences of Sexual Health education pairs discuss: Reflect on your own experiences of Sexual Health education pairs discuss: Who did you talk to about sex and relationships when you were young? Who did you talk to about sex and relationships when you were young? What was it like? What was it like? Where did you get information and ideas about sex and relationships? Where did you get information and ideas about sex and relationships? Did you have misconceptions or fears about sex and relationships when you were a child? Did you have misconceptions or fears about sex and relationships when you were a child? What were they? What were they? What are your feelings about S.R.E? What are your feelings about S.R.E? How confident are you delivering S.R.E? How confident are you delivering S.R.E?

Staff Training:- Class Teachers Successes Thorough staff training Thorough staff training Support Support Knowledge Knowledge Confidence Confidence Open and honest approach Open and honest approach Challenges Personal baggage and experience of own and that of their childrenPersonal baggage and experience of own and that of their children Building staff confidenceBuilding staff confidence “I just feel I have to share my concerns that by teaching the children this we are stealing away their innocence… these lessons were the only ones my daughter hated at school”

Partnerships with Parents “I trust you to do the best for my children in SRE just as you do in maths and languages” Successes Cluster Open Evening;- an opportunity to show-case staff confidence and shared vision Cluster Open Evening;- an opportunity to show-case staff confidence and shared vision Parental Involvement Parental Involvement Building confidence and trust Building confidence and trust Challenges Personal Agendas Instilling confidence in all parents Perseverance Vocabulary

Implementation Support for staff Support for staff Confidence building Confidence building  A programme of study  Collaborative Teaching Annual Review and Evaluation:- Annual Review and Evaluation:- At the end of the first year of implementation the cluster schools all gathered together for a sharing session evaluating and reflecting on their teaching experiences using the new programme

Evaluation We have a programme that is workable, sustainable yet flexible enough that our professional team of teachers will mould it and use it to reflect their teaching styles and strengths We have a programme that is workable, sustainable yet flexible enough that our professional team of teachers will mould it and use it to reflect their teaching styles and strengths Pupils in the lower stages are interested and eager to learn about the topic, all feel happy doing Health for Life lessons Pupils in the lower stages are interested and eager to learn about the topic, all feel happy doing Health for Life lessons Children in the upper school prefer the new BBC resource and appreciate the change to single sex lessons Children in the upper school prefer the new BBC resource and appreciate the change to single sex lessons

Evaluation Health for life lesson feedback Health for life lesson feedback  P1-3 P1  Upper School Upper School Upper School  Parents Parents “First I felt embarrassed and then I learned that there wasn’t anything to be embarrassed about” (P5 pupil) Feels odd to hear some of the words being taught in P1 being used so freely by the children however good everything is clear from an early age to prevent embarrassment and unanswered questions when approaching puberty (hopefully) (Parent of P1) Excellent way of introducing the topic for P4 in body project (Parent of P4) “I learned new things. Mum knew I was having the lessons so I am more able to talk to her about it” (P6 pupil)