Healthy Relationships and Sex and Relationships Working Party

In response to concerns from parents about information circulating in the community, mainly through Social Media, the leadership of Thornton and Sladefield schools asked parents if they would like to set up a joint working party to look at a range of issues affecting the two schools around the teaching of Equality and Diversity, and also Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education, for which new Statutory Guidance has now been produced by the Government (Department for Education).
 
We are delighted that parents came forward from both schools and when the working party was constituted there was representation from parents with children in every year group from Reception to Year 6.
 
Since that time, under the Chairing of Mr Sajad Akram, the group have explored a range of issues; looked at resources used in the teaching of this area of the curriculum and drawn up a policy across the two schools.
 
On this page you will find minutes of the working party meetings and the policy.  There was an information briefing, run by the working party members, on Tuesday 9th July 2019 at 9.00 am at Thornton Primary School, where parents from both schools came along and heard from the Working Party and looked at the policy and other materials. This was complemented, in June 2021, by online Zoom and Microsoft Teams sessions run for parents and carers as 'class information sessions', with additional mop-up information sessions run for year groups at a later date.
 
We will continue to hold annual meetings of the working party to review detailed curriculum planning and resources.  Both schools will then continue to provide opportunities for all parents/carers to view the planning and resources prepared for the teaching of Relationships Education. Please make yourself familiar with the content on this page as you will learn a lot about what the schools are teaching and we are sure you will feel reassured.
 
Sajad Akram, Chair of the Working Party,
Cathy Grace, Headteacher of Thornton Primary
Rob Meadows, Headteacher of Sladefield Infants