School criticised for encouraging 11-year-olds to swear

A class of 11 and 12-year-olds have been taught the meaning of swear words during a sex education lesson. Year 7 pupils at St Laurence School in Bradford on Avon were asked to list all the swear words they could think of which could be used as slang for sex and the names of body parts.

The words the teacher subsequently wrote on the board, and then explained the meanings of, included the most notorious terms - including the c-word. Deputy headteacher Richard Clutterbuck defended the secondary school's decision to lay on the lessons, but said he and his colleagues would be responding to parental concerns.

He said: "The school has a programme of sex and relationship education in accordance with the governors' policy on sex and relationship education. Part of the delivery of the programme is to ensure that the students use the correct terms when referring to the biological aspects of the programme and to dispel any use of slang terms.



"With hindsight, the delivery of this particular lesson should not have focussed upon the slang terms and I must apologise for any distress caused."

An uncle of one of the pupils present in the lesson said he had been completely shocked when he heard about the incident. He said: "Every parent should be informed that this lesson took place. They have a right to know that their children know these disgusting swear words.

"Many of these children didn't know these words before the lesson, but unfortunately now my niece does. When you are having to hear all those words in a Year 7 lesson it is absolutely disgusting. Is this part of the curriculum? The c-word being explained in the classroom? It beggars belief, the world has gone upside down. These children have been tarnished."