Teaching Puberty Before It Happens: A Guide for Primary Schools

A Year 5 teacher told me recently that one of her pupils had started her period at school and was convinced she was dying. Nobody had told her. Not school, not home. She was ten.

That's the case for teaching puberty before it happens. Not because it's comfortable, not because parents are asking for it, but because children deserve to understand what's happening to their bodies before it starts.

When to teach it

The DfE guidance is clear: puberty should be taught before onset. For most schools, that means Year 4 or Year 5. Some children — girls especially — are beginning puberty as early as eight or nine, which means waiting until Year 6 is too late for a proportion of your class.

Most schools start with the basics in Year 4 — what puberty is, what changes to expect, why it happens — and build on that in Year 5 with more specific content about menstruation, emotional changes, and hygiene. That spiral approach works well because it gives children time to absorb the information and come back with questions.

What to include

Correct terminology matters. The 2026 DfE guidance strengthens the requirement for primary schools to use accurate terminology for body parts, including genitalia. That means penis, vagina, vulva, testicles — not "front bottom" or "private parts." Children who know the correct words are better equipped to communicate about their bodies and, if needed, to disclose abuse. Research consistently supports this.

Menstruation needs to be taught to everyone, not just girls. Boys need to understand what periods are, why they happen, and that they're normal. This isn't about embarrassing anyone. It's about building a school culture where menstruation isn't treated as shameful or mysterious. When boys understand periods, they're less likely to use them as ammunition for teasing, and girls are less likely to feel they need to hide what's happening.

Cover emotional changes alongside physical ones. Puberty isn't just about bodies. Mood swings, new feelings, changing friendships — these are the things that often affect children's day-to-day experience more than the physical changes, especially in the early stages.

Parents can't withdraw from this

Puberty falls under Health Education, which is statutory. Parents do not have the right to withdraw their children from it. This is different from sex education, where parents retain a limited right to withdraw at primary level. The distinction matters, and it's worth communicating clearly to parents so there's no confusion.

That said, parent anxiety about puberty education is usually about uncertainty, not opposition. Most parents are relieved that school is covering this. The ones who push back often just want to know what you're going to say and when. A short parent information session or a letter home explaining the content and timing goes a long way. Show them the resources you're using. Answer their questions. In my experience, transparency resolves most concerns before they become complaints.

Making it normal

The biggest gift you can give children in puberty education is normality. Use a matter-of-fact tone. Don't apologise for the content. Don't single anyone out. If you treat it as embarrassing, they will too.

Have period products visible and available in school toilets — for all year groups, not just Year 6. Normalise conversations about bodies in the way you normalise conversations about anything else in school life.

And remember that for some children, this will be the first time anyone has talked to them about their body in a factual, respectful way. That matters more than you might think.

Trusted resources

• DfE 2026 statutory guidance: Health Education content on puberty (gov.uk)
• FPA (Family Planning Association): Guidance on teaching puberty in primary schools (fpa.org.uk)
• PSHE Association: Programme of study for PSHE Education, including puberty content points (pshe-association.org.uk)

If you'd like support delivering puberty education in your school, get in touch.