It is important that young people can get confidential one-to-one support as well as having opportunities to learn about sex and relationships with their peer group.
The classroom is a public place, where it is not appropriate to talk about private concerns. However relationships and sex education (RSE) is likely to raise personal issues for some young people.
All schools need to ensure that they give young people clear information about where they can get confidential advice and support - either in school or nearby. RSE lessons are an obvious place to tell young people about the services available locally. The government guidance on SRE advises that schools give young people "precise details of local confidential advice services".
Schools can also put local service information up on notice boards, stickers on toilet doors, student diaries, intranet and through assembly. By making links with local services is may be possible to organise visits from health professionals to talk to young people about the services available.
There are clear benefits in improving young people's access to confidential advice and support. Many schools have worked with local partners to set up confidential drop-in health services on or near the school-site. These services are typically run by the school-nurse or a visiting health professional. There is strong support in government policy for the provision of health services, including sexual health in education settings such as schools and colleges.
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