The announcement followed a Government review of sex and relationships education and a report by the Advisory Group on Drug and Alcohol Education.Both recommended that personal, social and health education (PSHE) should be part of the curriculum for key stages 1 to 4.
Children aged five and upwards will be taught to name body parts and about animal reproduction. At seven they will learn about puberty and the facts of life. Primary school children may also learn about medicines and toxins.
The Government hopes that improving PSHE teaching will reduce teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and underage drinking.
Sir Alasdair Macdonald, head of Morpeth School in east London, will lead a review into how best to integrate compulsory sex education into the curriculum.
Schools minister Jim Knight said, 'This is a bold move to equip our young people for modern life.'