Sex and Relationships Education at Summerhill comes in the form of termly ‘chats’ with all kids from each boarding area. These are informal workshops involving lots of group discussions, games, informational videos and structured Q&As; usually led by two members of staff. The content of these workshops are designed to be age appropriate, but also to respond to what the kids really want to know.
For the youngest kids in the community these conversations are mostly about bodies, understanding diversity and types of love and relationships. This leads on to conversations around puberty and the development of romantic and sexual feelings. Finally chats with the biggest kids involve a range of topics covering healthy happy adult relationships, LGBTQ+ identities, contraception, online safety, consent and pleasure.
Sex and Relationships Education is very unique at Summerhill, because due the to way we live together, we are able to have really honest and frank conversations with the kids about these topics. In addition to this, the social and emotional learning that underpins our way of life in the community, means that kids from a very young age have a fundamental understanding of the need to respect each other’s boundaries, individuality and know how to keep themselves and others safe. All this learning provides the perfect foundations for the development of healthy happy adult relationships and sexuality.