Relationships Education is compulsory for all pupils receiving primary education and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) compulsory for all pupils receiving secondary education.
However, parental rights to withdraw from RSHE Sections 34 and 35 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017 set out rights of parents / carers to withdraw pupils from sex education (but not Relationships or Health Education) and the process that headteachers should follow in considering a request from a parent. If a parent / carer wishes their child to be excused from some or all of sex education lessons delivered as part of RSHE but which does not count as statutory content, they can request that their child is withdrawn. The Headteacher should consider this request and discuss it with the parent / carer, and grant it in all but exceptional circumstances, up until three school terms before the child turns 16. At this age, a child can choose to receive sex education if they would like to, and school must make arrangements for this to take place in one of those three terms (again, unless there are exceptional circumstances).
For further information on this, please see the policy available via the link below:
Sex & Relationship Education Policy (inicioacademies.org.uk)
In November 2023, we wrote to parents / carers with information on the RSHE Curriculum and how to withdraw. To view this letter, please click the link below:
