Children are to be taught about different kinds of relationships – including same-sex relationships – from the age of five, the UK Government has announced.

A new curriculum for primary schools will include teaching five-year-olds about different kinds of relationships, managing their emotions and about physical changes to their bodies in childhood.

At the age of nine pupils will learn about “physical and emotional changes that take place as they grow and approach puberty”, and by 11 they will be taught about reproduction and understanding their feelings as they enter puberty.

Faith schools will not have to adhere to the same rules, however – they will be able to provide sex and relationship education in line with the “context, values and ethos” of their religion. This could mean teaching children that homosexual relationships or the use of contraception are sins.

Parents will also have the legal right to withdraw their children from sex education classes. Currently 0.04% of pupils are withdrawn from sex education lessons, usually on religious grounds.

Currently all secondary schools must have a sex education policy, but there is no statutory requirement for teaching about relationships or the social and emotional side of sex.