Except, that is, at Pine Tree elementary in Monroe county, New York state.

The American school was forced to apologise last week after discovering that a booklet it had given parents featured a font composed of stick-figures in a range of sexual positions.

The X-rated typeface was used on the title page of the document which contained details of the spelling curriculum for eight to nine-year-olds and was handed out at a school open day.

The school said that the teacher who produced the booklet had not been aware the font was offensive when she downloaded it from the internet. The typeface was so subtle it was not noticed by staff or many of the parents who picked up the document until they received an apology letter from Jean Maxson, the school principal.

“This packet was reviewed by a number of people, including myself,” she wrote. “I take full responsibility for this inappropriate publication.”

It is not expected that any disciplinary action will be taken against the teacher responsible. The booklet was only given to parents, rather than pupils, and the Pine Tree Parent Teacher Association said it had received few complaints.

Joseph DiLorenzo, the district’s (local authority) school superintendent, told New York state’s Times Herald-Record: “It was very unintentional. It was missed. It was a mistake.”

UK teachers on The TES online staffroom said they believed the suggestive font was likely to be “Group Sex”, which is available for free download on the internet.

One teacher, who works in a special school in England, said: “I’ve got that font. However, I do not have it on any school machine. Blimey, I’ve never even used it for personal correspondence.”

www.tes.co.ukstaffroom