Yes. Parents have the right to withdraw their child from the ‘Sex Education’ element of RSHE, but not from the Health or Relationships elements. Parents cannot withdraw their child from National Curriculum Science. There is a slightly different process for the family & school to follow if the student is within 3 terms of their 16th birthday. “Right to be excused from sex education (commonly referred to as the right to withdraw) Parents have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from some or all of sex education delivered as part of statutory RSE. Before granting any such request it would be good practice for the head teacher to discuss the request with parents and, as appropriate, with the child to ensure that their wishes are understood and to clarify the nature and purpose of the curriculum. Schools will want to document this process to ensure a record is kept. 46. Good practice is also likely to include the head teacher discussing with parents the benefits of receiving this important education and any detrimental effects that withdrawal might have on the child. This could include any social and emotional effects of being excluded, as well as the likelihood of the child hearing their peers’ version of what was said in the classes, rather than what was directly said by the teacher (although the detrimental effects may be mitigated if the parents propose to deliver sex education to their child at home instead).” DfE, RSHE Guidance 2021