New resource to help teach relationships and sexuality education in primary schools

Credit: PA

Primary school teachers around Wales will now have the help of a new teaching toolkit to help introduce children to a range of relationship and social issues.

The launch of "Primary AGENDA" comes after a new Relationships and Sexuality Education curriculum was announced to be rolled out from 2022. The Education Minister has already been forced to defend the curriculum after a row over relationship and sex education in faith schools.

The new resource has started activities and case studies for teachers to adapt for their classrooms. Credit: PA

The free resource is designed to help students aged 7-11 years old explore topics including:

  • Feelings and emotions

  • Friendships and relationships

  • Body image

  • Consent

  • Gender and sexuality equality and rights

The new resource will help introduce primary school students to sexuality rights. Credit: PA

Researchers at Cardiff University developed "Primary AGENDA" with the new curriculum "in mind".

The "AGENDA" resource is already in use in secondary schools across the country. Education Minister Kirsty Williams said: "The first AGENDA kit has been hugely successful and has been used widely throughout Wales".

She added: "It's fantastic to see that there is now a Primary AGENDA resource [...] This new resource will support teachers to provide comprehensive, relevant and inclusive Relationships and Sexuality Education, under both the current and future curriculum arrangements."

Credit: PA

The Minister for Education's expert panel, the future of the SRE curriculum in Wales, recently concluded that sex and relationships education in Wales is "too biological and too negative".

Read more:Should faith schools be allowed to teach sex education in line with their beliefs?

Focus on relationships and sexuality in changes to sex education in Welsh schools