RELATIONSHIPS AND SEXUALITY EDUCATION

POLICY STATEMENT

OUR SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY:

The ultimate aim of Bunscoil McAuley Rice is the religious, moral, intellectual, physical and social education of our pupils. All our staff strive to create an atmosphere of trust, happiness, peace and friendliness.

DEFINITION OF RSE:

R.S.E. is part of Social Personal and Health Education. R.S.E. provides children with structured opportunities to develop the knowledge, attitudes, values, beliefs and practical skills necessary to establish and sustain healthy personal relationships as children and, subsequently, as adults.

RELATION OF RSE TO S.P.H.E:

The general aim of education is to contribute towards the development of all aspects of the individual including the aesthetic, creative, critical, cultural, emotional, intellectual, moral, physical, political, social and spiritual development for personal and family life, for working life, for living in the community and for leisure. R.S.E. is clearly a part of this general aim.

AIMS OF OUR RSE PROGRAMME:

1. To help young people develop healthy friendships and relationships.

2. To promote a healthy attitude to sexuality and to relationships.

3. To promote knowledge of and respect for reproduction.

4. To enable young people to develop healthy attitudes and values towards their

sexuality in a moral, spiritual and social framework

Broad Objectives of the RSE programme:

The RSE programme should enable the child:

 To acquire and develop knowledge and understanding of self.

 To develop a positive sense of self-awareness, self-esteem and self-worth.

 To develop an appreciation of the dignity, uniqueness and well-being of others.

 To understand the nature, growth and development of relationships within families, in friendships and in wider contexts.

 To develop an awareness of differing family patterns

 To come to value family life and appreciate the responsibilities of parenthood.

 To develop strategies to make decisions, solve problems and implement actions in various personal, social and health contexts.

 To become aware of the variety of ways in which individuals grow and change, and to understand that their developing sexuality is an important aspect of self-identity.

 To develop personal skills which will help them to establish and sustain healthy personal relationships.

 To develop some coping strategies to protect themselves and others from various forms of abuse.

 To acquire and improve skills of communication and social interaction.

 To acquire and use an appropriate vocabulary to discuss feelings, sexuality, growth and development.

 To develop in the child a critical understanding of external influences on lifestyles and decision making.

Overview of Content

GUIDELINES FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND ORGANISATION OF RSE IN OUR SCHOOL:

The teachers, in their professional capacity will deliver the school - based element of the programme.
Timetable will be organised so that all children will have access to the R.S.E. programme.
Teaching methods will be child - centred and appropriate to the age and development of the pupil.
Some aspects of R.S.E. will be taught in a cross-curricular manner.
The atmosphere in the classroom will respect the privacy of each individual student and treat all with due sensitivity and care.
Teachers are well aware that the openness that is possible between parent and child will not always be possible between a teacher and a classroom of children.
If desired, a visiting, suitably qualified medical person will continue to deal with sensitive issues at senior level. Mrs. O’Sullivan has replaced visiting professionals in this area recently.
The Board of Management will ensure that parents who wish to withdraw their child from the RSE programme are facilitated and every effort will be made to avoid embarrassment to such parents.

Confidentiality

Where there is disclosure by a child of abuse, or a teacher has any concerns about a child, the school authorities will follow our Child Protection Policy. The Principal is our Designated Liaison Person.

PROVIDE FOR ON-GOING SUPPORT, DEVELOPMENT AND REVIEW:

Our R.S.E. policy makes provision for on-going support to teachers, pupils, parents and Board members by: -

Ensuring access to in career development opportunities for teachers.

Supporting efforts of parents to provide educational opportunities for other parents.

Providing relevant R.S.E. school resources.

This policy was ratified by the Board of Management on 30th January,2019.

Parents' Information Pack

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Parents as Partners Policy

Rationale

In the process of educating its pupils, Bunscoil McAuley Rice recognises the role of parents as partners in education and their right to active participation in their child’s education. This includes their rights as individuals to be consulted and informed on all aspects of their child’s education.

The involvement of parents in the formal education of their children complements and acknowledges their central role in their children’s development.
The development of a strong and effective home-school partnership is an essential element in the life of our school.
A welcoming climate is created in many ways e.g. the tone and correspondence between school and home and the provision of opportunities for informal meetings.
At all times parents are made to feel welcome and valued in the school.

Bunscoil McAuley Rice seeks to enable each child to develop his/her potential in a caring environment where the talents of each child are valued. This work can best be done where there is a high level of openness and co-operation between staff, parents and pupils.

Aims

To build a school community committed to supporting all its pupils.
To establish procedures for the sharing of information in relation to pupils accessing the skills and talents of parents, community members etc.

Board of Management and Parent Representation

The Board of Management is responsible for the direct governance of the school. Constitution of the Board includes two parents of children enrolled in the school (one being a mother, the other a father) elected by the general body of parents.
The duties of the B.O.M. include the following:

The appointment of teachers and ancillary staff
Approving school closures
Approving teacher absences for a variety of reasons
Appointment of teachers to posts of responsibility
Ensuring compliance with relevant legislation
Ensuring that schools are adequately insured and maintained.

The Board may authorise the Chairperson, and/or another member in respect of a particular function or functions to act on its behalf for a specified period of time. The Board elects a Recording Secretary/Treasurer from among its members with specific duties attached to these roles. Term of office of Board members is four years.
The Board at the closure of each meeting determines the information to be conveyed to parents.

Role & Responsibility of the Parent Association Committee

While all parents are part of the Parent Association, not all can be involved or need to be involved in the day-to-day business of organising the work. It is for this reason that parents in this school elect a committee.

The committee is the team of people who manage the tasks of the Parent Association on behalf of all the parents. The committee manages the business of the Parent Association in accordance with the constitution of the Parent Association.

The committee has the responsibility to plan and manage the programme of work of the Parent Association for the year. There will be changes in the programme from year to year, as new needs and new interests emerge. The term of the committee runs for one year.

In a spirit of collaboration and trust, the Constitution of the Parents’ Association will recognise that there are areas of school activity which belong to the professional work of the Principal and the teachers. There will also be recognition that certain areas of responsibility (e.g. finance) belong to the Board of Management.

The Parents’ Association is entitled to raise funds for the administration and activities of the association. Full accounts must be maintained and presented at the Parent Association AGM, in accordance with the rules of the Association.

The Parents’ Association should consult with the Board about fundraising for the school or school projects.

*Remember- there may be many parents who do not want to be on a committee but who may want to help with particular activities. If you wish to offer your services to help in extra curricular activities etc. please be sure to give your name to a Committee member or contact the school.

Parental Involvement in the classroom.

- Parents come into the classroom at the invitation of the teacher by prior arrangement and for an agreed purpose suc as Shared Reading/Researching Jobs/Local History etc.
- The happiness, welfare and safety of our children are our primary concern. A child’s personal history and academic achievements are strictly confidential. Any doubts about issues of confidentiality must be discussed with the teacher.
- Respect for the teachers in their professional capacity is essential.
- Discipline remains the responsibility of the teacher.
- All work will be supervised by the teacher.
- Parents who participate should be conscious of and sensitive to needs of the entire class, not just the needs of their own child.
- Parents coming into the classroom must consult with the teacher before inviting other parents/individuals to participate.
- The highest standard of behaviour and language is expected.
- The school ethos must be upheld at all times and it is important to keep in mind that the school is Catholic, co-educational, child centred and democratic. Consequently, respect for all the partners in education - children, teachers and parents - must be maintained at all times.

Policy Formation

The consultative process followed by the Board and staff of the school in involving parents/guardians in policy formation is as follows.

Questionnaires are issued to parents/guardians when/where appropriate
Consultation with Parents Association
Membership of policy committee
School Self Evaluation

Curriculum Plans

Parents are informed on curricular updates on an ongoing basis as the school recognises the importance of the parental role in supporting the learning of the child and the school plan.
Parents support the child’s learning in many ways – by communicating to the school the child’s learning needs and progress/barriers to progress, through homework, paired reading, spelling, independent reading, language development, preserving and raising self esteem of child, approaches to number operations, maths language, tables, ag spreagadh na paisti chun gaeilge a labhairt sa bhaile, poetry, local history, local geography, environmental awareness, living things etc.
The school on an ongoing basis identifies parents with particular knowledge or skills in curriculum areas and encourages them to share these skills with the pupils during school time or through extra-curricular activities
Learning Support & Special Needs: Parents are facilitated on an on-going basis to support their child’s learning needs etc.
Extra-Curricular Activities: Parents play an important role in supporting teachers to develop, promote and manage extra-curricular activities e.g. transport to matches and school events.

Communication

Parent/Teacher meetings are held on an annual basis usually in the first term. Both parents/guardians are encouraged to attend. If a parent cannot attend on the day, they are encouraged to set up an appointment and meet with the class teacher at a time that is suitable to both.
School Reports detailing pupil progress are completed and communicated to parents at the end of the school year. This format is used for all standards.
School Web Site: Policy updates and news updates are readily available on the website.
Notes Home: Notes may be sent home from time to time.
Homework Journal: Comments from parents are welcome and suggestions from teachers are also recorded.
Parent/guardian requested meeting: Where a parent wishes to contact a teacher it is appropriate to make an appointment so that the teacher may give the parent their full attention.

This policy was ratified oby the Board of Management.

SPORTS CODE OF CONDUCT

All students participating in school sports and their parents are required to sign this code at the beginning of the season.This code was ratified by the school Board on 24^th May,2010.

How I treat Myself

If I play below my best but try my best, I should not blame myself for a defeat. A defeat, the same as a victory, is brought about by a team.

Players from opposing teams

I should shake hands before and after the match.
I should treat opponents with respect.
I should wish them well whether they win or lose.
I should never deliberately hit an opponent.
I should never lose my temper.

Our Own Team Coaches

I should respect our own team coaches.
If I am not picked to play in a match, I should not complain.
I should never use bad language.
I should never be cheeky or back answer our own team coaches.
If our own team coach is giving a pep talk or advising us, I should not interrupt.

Supporters and Coaches of Other Teams

I should respect adults supporting and coaching other teams.
I should not use bad language.
I should never give cheek to them.
I should wish tem well if I meet them after a game.

Fellow Players

I should respect our fellow players and treat them as part of a team.
The team includes the players and the substitutes – the full panel.
I should show loyalty to everyone on our team.
I should encourage my teammates and support them, even when they make mistakes.
I should remember my teammates are always trying their best.
We should play as a team, not as a group of individuals.

Referees

I should respect the referee as he/she is in charge of the match.
I should never give cheek or use bad language to the referee.
I should remember that I can never change a referee’s decision no matter what I say or do. A referee’s decision is always final.
If the referee’s decision seems unfair, I should not give out, sulk, blame other people, instead I should get on with the game.
I should shake hands with the referee and thank her/him after the game.

When participating in sport organised by Bunscoil McAuley Rice, I agree to follow the above Code of Conduct.

Player’s Signature: ___________________________ Parent’s Signature:____________________

Policies

SPORTS CODE OF CONDUCT

All students participating in school sports and their parents are required to sign this code at the beginning of the season.This code was ratified by the school Board on 24th May,2010.

How I treat Myself

Fellow Players

Referees

All students participating in school sports and their parents are required to sign this code at the beginning of the season.This code was ratified by the school Board on 24^th May,2010.