Health Curriculum - Sexuality Education

The basis of our Health and PE curriculum statement which we consult with the community on every 2 years. This was last done in 2025.

Health Education units of learning at Kohia Terrace School have been designed to align with the school’s values as well as those of the New Zealand Curriculum around inclusion, diversity, equity and respect. Through learning in Health Education and in conjunction with growing students as Kohia Kaitiaki of our schools’ values, students will develop their understanding of well-being in themselves and others and recognise the diversity within our community in authentic contexts.

Care and Respect Value - Kohia Kaitiaki consider how the actions of themselves and others, as well as wider societal influences, affect well-being.

Persevere to Achieve Value - Kohia Kaitiaki think critically about health-related situations and develop skills and attitudes to make healthy life choices.

Lead with Integrity Value - Kohia Kaitiaki take action to help others and develop healthy environments

Learning experiences in Health Education will be provided by teachers with some external support, as appropriate, and will take place within students’ usual safe and supportive learning environments.

There are 7 key areas of learning are:

Mental health
Sexuality education
Food and nutrition
Body care and physical safety
Physical activity
Sport studies
Outdoor Education

Programmes included at KTS include

Wellbeing (in 2022 this is based around MITEY)
Keeping Ourselves Safe
Road safety/ bike safety/ safety at school (lockdown, fire etc)
Life Education programmes
Anti-bullying
Growth Mindset (NED)
Healthy Eating

Relationships and Sexuality Education

Parents will be informed, in advance of programmes covering relationships and sexuality education. The information provided will outline the key learning. Parents withdraw your child from all or part of relationships and sexuality education. To do this write to Alison (alison@kts.school.nz ) and with your request. If you want to do this, it is important that you have a good understanding of what will be taught and why, so it is a good idea to talk to your child’s teacher first.

Key points

Learning about relationships and sexuality is part of The New Zealand Curriculum and is one aspect of health education (within Health and Physical Education).
Children and young people learn about themselves and develop knowledge and skills about acting in positive and respectful ways with others.
Effective relationships and sexuality education takes a positive view of sexual development as a natural part of growing up. It is vital to the overall wellbeing of children and young people.
Other learning in health education includes mental health education, drug and alcohol education, safety and violence-prevention education, and food and nutrition studies.
Relationship and sexuality education also has a place in the wider school by helping to create a safe and inclusive physical and emotional environment for everybody.
Learning about health is essential for the ongoing wellbeing of all communities in Aotearoa New Zealand.

It is important to note that "Sex education" and "sexuality education" are different. The New Zealand Curriculum supports a holistic approach to sexuality education as defined by the hauora model, which includes physical, social, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects. This is much broader than "sex education" which relates only to the physical aspects of sexual and reproductive knowledge.

In the primary levels students are likely to learn about:

the human body and its growth and development
friendships and feelings
different kinds of families
consent in a range of relevant contexts (eg, at the doctor, in the playground, online)
identity, respect for themselves, each other, and people who are different from them
belonging, roles and responsibilities within the school, whānau and wider community
who to trust and where to find help, how to stand up for themselves and others

In addition, in years 5 - 8 of primary school they may also learn about:

puberty (Yr 6 - 8)
body development and image
human reproduction (Yr 7 - 8)
different types of relationships
identity and diversity
risks and issues that can arise online and when using social media.

More detailed information around sexuality education can be found on the Ministry of Education site HERE.