ADVICE has been issued to parents explaining how relationships and sex education (RSE) will be taught in Welsh schools under the new curriculum, after a legal challenge to stop the rollout was thrown out.

The new Welsh RSE curriculum had been subject of a legal challenge from campaign group Public Child Protection Wales calling, and a judicial review will be heard in November.

The group wanted a High Court judge to issue a temporary ban on the incoming curriculum until after the judicial review, but this has been rejected.

The legal challenge includes an objection to the Welsh Government making the RSE compulsory, as parents currently have the right to withdraw their children from such classes, and claimed that children as young as three would be taught about “sensitive and arguably inappropriate topics”.

However, the Welsh Government said these claims were “incorrect” and that all lessons would be age-appropriate.

Mrs Justice Tipples said there was no evidence that any of the claimants’ children will be taught anything to which they object before the review is heard.

The group must now pay £12,000 to the Welsh Government towards the costs of defending the injuction.

A Welsh Government spokeswoman said: “All schools which are rolling out the curriculum from September will teach RSE in a developmentally appropriate way as required by the legislation.

“This means all learners in these schools will receive RSE, which is critical to keeping them safe.

“We remain confident our reforms are proportionate and lawful, and we reiterate that the claims this group makes in its literature have absolutely no basis or evidence whatsoever.”

The Curriculum for Wales – Relationships and Sexuality Education Code said that children aged three will be taught about acting with kindness, empathy and compassion to others; an awareness of diversity in families and relationships; the use of accurate terminology for body parts; recognising trusted adults who can help them when they feel unhappy or unsafe; and an awareness of how to keep safe online.

Children will also be taught about experiencing inclusive behaviours and language showing respect for others, to be aware of how human bodies change as they grow, the importance of self-care and person hygiene, and the ability to communicate if someone is touching them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable.

From age seven, pupils will be taught to understand how reproductive organs develop in a human body – including understanding fertility and the processes of reproduction, understanding changes which take place during puberty, an awareness of how people can feel attracted to each other, and to recognise emotional abuse and neglect – including bullying and the role technology can play.

Children of this age will also be taught how to be a good friend to others and how to seek or offer support, how to form and maintain relationships, to recognise the different characteristics in family, friendship and peer relationships, an awareness of how identity can be expressed in different ways, and to challenge gender and sexual stereotypes.

And from age 11, children will be taught about understanding the diversity of relationships including marriage and all types of civil partnership and how this has changed over time, how fertility, sexual function and menstrual health and well-being can change across life, to understand contraception – including an awareness of abortion, and understanding good sexual health – including knowledge of the causes, symptoms and impact of sexually transmitted infections, HIV and reproductive cancers.

They will also be taught about positive and negative representations of the body through various forms of media – and how these can be unrealistic and harmful, to understand the legal age of consent and how consent can be communicated, understanding the importance of inclusivity, and also how to recognise harmful, abusive or coercive behaviour in personal relationships.

You can read the Curriculum for Wales – Relationships and Sexuality Education Code in full on the Welsh Government website.