According to the NHS, most girls start their periods when they are about 12 years old, but they can start as early as eight years old. It’s therefore important to talk to girls and boys about periods from an early age to make sure they are aware of what is involved and how girls can be prepared for their first period.

Menstrual wellbeing fits into the Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Area of Learning at Key Stage 2 under Theme 4: Health, Growth and Change. This includes:

• knowing how the body grows and develops;
• being aware of the physical and emotional changes that take place during puberty; and
• knowing how babies are conceived, grow and are born.

Both boys and girls should be taught about menstrual wellbeing. By teaching all pupils together, you can send a powerful message that periods are not secret or shameful. They are not ‘girls’ business’ and are normal and natural. It’s important that boys have knowledge of and understand what girls experience before and during menstruation, and how their mood might change as they go through the menstrual cycle each month.

Teachers should cover:

• facts about menstruation;
• menstrual wellness – physical and emotional wellbeing leading up to and during periods;
• menstrual hygiene – essential facts and how to deal with related situations; and
• challenges – pain, anxiety, fear, embarrassment and myths.

Here are some links that we think are particularly useful for this topic:

Menstruation is a normal and natural part of a girl’s physical development. It should not be treated with secrecy or stigma, which can contribute to girls’ feelings of embarrassment during their period. The menstrual cycle is also accompanied by emotional, social and cognitive changes, as well as practical challenges.

Menstruating in school can be distressing, particularly if it happens unexpectedly. Teachers need to be aware of and sensitive to the physical, emotional and practical needs of girls during menstruation. These may include asking for permission to leave class, feeling uncomfortable during PE lessons, mood swings and lack of concentration.

It’s important that girls have access to period products and are aware of the importance of personal hygiene. They should also know which staff members they can go to if they are having their period and need help.

Menstrual wellbeing fits into Learning for Life and Work at Key Stage 3 in the Personal Development strand under the key concept Relationships, which states that:

Pupils should have opportunities to explore the implications of sexual maturation, for example sexual health, fertility, contraception, conception, teenage pregnancy and childbirth.

At Key Stage 4, menstrual wellbeing also sits under the Personal Development strand of Learning for Life and Work, which states that:

Pupils should be enabled to:

• develop an understanding of how to maximise and sustain their own health and wellbeing; and
• reflect on, and respond to, their developing concept of self, including managing emotions and reactions to ongoing life experiences.

Pupils who choose to study GCSE Biology, Double Award Science or Single Award Science will learn about the events of the menstrual cycle, including ovulation and when fertilisation is most likely to occur.

Teachers should cover:

• key facts about the menstrual cycle;
• what is and isn’t normal;
• communication skills needed to ask for help;
• the range of period products available, how and when they’re used, and their advantages and disadvantages;
• menstrual wellness – physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing leading up to and during periods;
• menstrual hygiene – essential facts and how to deal with related situations;
• challenges – pain, anxiety, fear, embarrassment and myths;
• endometriosis and other menstruation-related issues – symptoms, support and treatment; and
• period poverty.

Here are some links that we think are particularly useful for this topic: