Statutory at secondary level (Children and Social Work Act 2017; 2026 guidance). Parental right to withdraw applies to the sex education component only — not to Relationships Education or Health Education.
Statutory topics (secondary)
The 2026 guidance covers:
- Intimate and sexual relationships — the qualities of healthy intimate relationships; commitment, mutual respect, communication; the impact of media representations on expectations
- Contraception — methods, effectiveness, where to access (NHS, sexual health services); shared responsibility
- Sexually transmitted infections — types, prevention, testing, treatment; reducing stigma
- Pregnancy — choices and options; access to support; the realities of parenting
- Pornography and online sexual content — the difference between media depictions and real intimacy; the harms of excessive consumption; the legal context of underage and non-consensual sexual content (see also Online Safety)
- Sexual exploitation, grooming, sextortion — recognising patterns; help-seeking; legal protections
Parental right to withdraw
Statutory framework: parents/carers can withdraw their child from sex education content (not Relationships or Health Education). NEO must:
- Document the request
- Confirm the withdrawal in writing
- Continue to provide Relationships Education and Health Education to the learner
- Respect the learner’s own right (from age 15 / three terms before their 16th birthday) to opt back into sex education if they wish
This is non-negotiable and is documented in the NEO Admissions Policy and the Home-School Agreement.
Care note for the EBSNA cohort
Per the PSHE Mapping v0.1: many learners with EBSNA / school-avoidance histories also have safeguarding histories that make sex education content particularly live. Practitioner training is non-negotiable. Sex education delivery should:
- Be planned with the learner’s safeguarding status in view
- Use trauma-informed framing throughout
- Offer the learner control over pacing and depth
- Pair difficult content with help-seeking signposting (CEOP, NSPCC, Samaritans, Brook for under-25 sexual health)
Cornerstone fits
- Reflection (●●●) — sex education is a reflective discipline, not just an informational one
- Connection (●●●) — relational and ethical framing of intimate life
- Rest (●●) — body literacy, regulation, recognising what one’s own body needs
Cross-curriculum links
- KS4 Science — Reproduction, heredity, and genetics (the biological content; coordinated delivery is essential)
- RSHE — Relationships Education (consent and respectful-relationships content sits alongside)
- RSHE — Online Safety (pornography, sextortion, online sexual exploitation overlap)
- Relating Intelligently — Module 5: Ethics of Relating (consent as architecture, power dynamics)
Owner
Emily Baty (DSL / SEND oversight) co-owns this strand alongside the Curriculum Lead (when filled). Practitioner training is a precondition of delivery.