Health for LifeDunblane Cluster Schools

Sexual Health and Relationships EducationSexual Health and Relationships Education

““A practitioner’s reflection on the successes A practitioner’s reflection on the successes and challenges of implementing RSHP in a and challenges of implementing RSHP in a

Primary context”Primary context”

The Starting Point

Our Self Evaluation of Learning and Teaching Our Self Evaluation of Learning and Teaching in the area of Health Education identified in the area of Health Education identified

major weaknesses with the “consistent and major weaknesses with the “consistent and progressive Sexual Health and Relationship progressive Sexual Health and Relationship

Education Programme”Education Programme”

Why we all got involved? To ensure consistency of learning and To ensure consistency of learning and

teaching within the Dunblane Clusterteaching within the Dunblane Cluster To create positive learning experiences in To create positive learning experiences in

S.R.E educationS.R.E education To fulfil our responsibilitiesTo fulfil our responsibilities

Project Structure:- Ensuring Ownership and Involvement

Establishment of a Establishment of a steering groupsteering group consisting of consisting of representation from all community groups, parents, churches, representation from all community groups, parents, churches, and schoolsand schools

Questionnaires and focus groups to canvas thoughts and Questionnaires and focus groups to canvas thoughts and opinions of all stakeholdersopinions of all stakeholders

Creation of stage Creation of stage working partiesworking parties to pull together to pull together programme of study following parental and staff consultationprogramme of study following parental and staff consultation

Cascade modelCascade model for for whole schoolwhole school staff training staff training Partnerships with ParentsPartnerships with Parents workshops, leaflets, resource workshops, leaflets, resource

open afternoonsopen afternoons

Health for Life Pupil QuestionnairesIf you already knew a lotIf you already knew a lot

about Sexual Health,about Sexual Health,

where did you learnwhere did you learn

about it?about it? Parents (65%)Parents (65%) Siblings (27%)Siblings (27%) Friends (46%)Friends (46%) Books (15%)Books (15%)

How did you feel duringHow did you feel during

Sexual Health Lessons?Sexual Health Lessons? I felt comfortable I felt comfortable

(31%)(31%) I felt embarrassed I felt embarrassed

(58%)(58%) I felt worried (20%)I felt worried (20%) I felt scared (5%)I felt scared (5%)

Lessons from the Children Provide increased opportunities to listen to their Provide increased opportunities to listen to their

worries and concerns and discuss how they feelworries and concerns and discuss how they feel

Make health lessons appropriate for all childrenMake health lessons appropriate for all children

Use up to date and modern resourcesUse up to date and modern resources

Create opportunities for children to reflect and Create opportunities for children to reflect and think about health issues and how these issues think about health issues and how these issues relate to themrelate to them

Parental Audit

“ “ I feel children should I feel children should be given a factual be given a factual sexual health and sexual health and

relationship education, relationship education, within a supportive within a supportive

environment, early in environment, early in their primary school their primary school life; P6/7 is too late”life; P6/7 is too late”

““When my daughter started When my daughter started her SHR education I was her SHR education I was

not aware of the not aware of the information she was going information she was going to be given. I would have to be given. I would have liked to have been more liked to have been more informed of the course informed of the course

content. I think there was content. I think there was a lack of communication a lack of communication

between school and between school and home”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

SuccessesSuccesses Common goalCommon goal CommitmentCommitment Multidisciplinary natureMultidisciplinary nature TeamworkTeamwork

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 LeadershipDistributed Leadership Peer supportersPeer supporters Confident mentors Confident mentors CommitmentCommitment

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 Reflect on your own experiences of Sexual Health education pairs

discuss:discuss: Who did you talk to about sex and relationships when you were Who did you talk to about sex and relationships when you were

young?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 Did you have misconceptions or fears about sex and relationships

when you were a child?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 TeachersSuccessesSuccesses Thorough staff trainingThorough staff training Support Support KnowledgeKnowledge ConfidenceConfidence Open and honest Open and honest

approachapproach

Challenges•Personal baggage and Personal baggage and experience of own and experience of own and that of their childrenthat 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 I trust you to do the best for my children in SRE just as you do in maths and languages”do in maths and languages”

SuccessesSuccesses Cluster Open Evening;- an Cluster Open Evening;- an

opportunity to show-case opportunity to show-case staff confidence and shared staff confidence and shared visionvision

Parental InvolvementParental Involvement Building confidence and Building confidence and

trusttrust

Challenges•Personal Agendas

•Instilling confidence in all parents

•Perseverance

•Vocabulary

Implementation Support for staffSupport for staff

Confidence buildingConfidence building A programme of study A programme of study Collaborative TeachingCollaborative Teaching

Annual Review and Evaluation:- Annual Review and Evaluation:-

At the end of the first year of implementation the cluster At the end of the first year of implementation the cluster schools all gathered together for a sharing session schools all gathered together for a sharing session evaluating and reflecting on their teaching experiences evaluating and reflecting on their teaching experiences using the new programme using the new programme

Evaluation We have a programme that is workable, sustainable We have a programme that is workable, sustainable

yet flexible enough that our professional team of yet flexible enough that our professional team of teachers will mould it and use it to reflect their teachers will mould it and use it to reflect their teaching styles and strengthsteaching styles and strengths

Pupils in the lower stages are interested and eager to Pupils in the lower stages are interested and eager to learn about the topic, all feel happy doing Health for learn about the topic, all feel happy doing Health for Life lessonsLife lessons

Children in the upper school prefer the new BBC Children in the upper school prefer the new BBC resource and appreciate the change to single sex resource and appreciate the change to single sex lessonslessons

Evaluation Health for life lesson feedbackHealth for life lesson feedback

P1P1-3-3 Upper SchoolUpper School ParentsParents

“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)