PSHE & C – Personal, Social, Health, Economic Education and Citizenship
RSE – Relationships and Sex Education
Other Terms:
PSED – Personal, Social and Emotional Development
SMSC – Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural
SEMH – Social, Emotional and Mental Health
SEAL – Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning
Intent
PSHE & C is a fundamental educational entitlement to all pupils at our school. Pupils are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities and experiences across and beyond the curriculum, contributing fully to the life of the school and their community. In doing so, pupils learn to recognise their own worth, work well with others and become increasingly responsible for their own learning. Our PSHE & C curriculum includes the study of culture, ethnic diversity, physical differences and difference of experience. Pupils acquire understanding of and respect for other people and their values, and they are encouraged to learn that open-mindedness and the questioning of assumptions are valuable attributes. We believe that a high quality PSHE & C curriculum will ensure that our pupils grow up healthy, happy, safe, and able to manage the challenges and opportunities of modern Britain.
Relationships Education and Health Education at primary school are compulsory. RSE is lifelong learning about physical, sexual, moral and emotional development. It involves acquiring information, developing skills and forming positive beliefs, values and attitudes. It is about the understanding of the importance of stable and loving relationships, respect, love and care for family life. We recognise that family is a broad concept and includes a variety of types of family structure, and acceptance of different approaches, including sexual orientation, without promotion of any particular family structure. We recognise that parents/carers are the key people in teaching their children about relationships, growing up and sex. We further recognise that the wider community has much to offer and we aim to work in partnership with health professionals, social workers and other external agencies where appropriate.
At our school, we believe that the PSHE & C curriculum should include RSE as part of a broader, planned PSHE & C curriculum.
Through PSHE & C and RSE, we aim to:
- Promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of all pupils
- Promote the mental and physical development of all pupils
- Prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life
- Encourage pupils to respect and value themselves and others
- Allow pupils to recognise and appreciate difference and diversity, and understand the importance of equality
- Teach pupils how to make informed choices relating to their wellbeing
- Prepare pupils to be positive and active members of society
- Teach pupils to understand what constitutes a safe and healthy lifestyle
- Provide an environment in which sensitive discussions can take place
- Provide pupils with a toolkit for understanding and managing their emotions
- Provide pupils with the opportunities to consider issues which may affect their own lives and/or the lives of others
- Help pupils to identify the characteristics of healthy relationships and how relationships may affect mental and physical health
- Help pupils understand how to stay safe online
- Prepare pupils for puberty, and give them an understanding of sexual development and human reproduction
- Help pupils develop feelings of self-respect, confidence and empathy
- Create a positive culture around issues of diversity in sexuality and relationships
- Teach pupils the correct vocabulary to describe themselves and their bodies
Implementation
Our PSHE & C curriculum, which includes RSE, is based on the PSHE Association Programme of Study for Key Stages 1 and 2. This ensures that core knowledge is broken down into units of manageable size and communicated clearly to pupils, in a carefully sequenced way. PSHE & C is timetabled and taught discretely. It also takes place throughout the school day and is supported by other learning opportunities across the curriculum, for example:
- Learning opportunities in other curriculum subjects, such as:
- English, as it actively promotes the skills of reading, writing and in particular speaking and listening through debating topics and issues
- Science, as it teaches about our bodies, growing and staying safe
- Physical Education, as it teaches children about right and wrong, being fair, taking part, being healthy, competing and working as a team
- Computing, as it allows pupils to apply their skills through activities such as word processing, multimedia sources and the use of search engines
- RE, as it enables pupils to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures
- Whole school and extended timetable activities that enhance the curriculum
- One-to-one or small group support and guidance on specific areas of learning and development
- Learning through involvement in the life of the school and wider community
Teaching will include well-chosen opportunities and contexts for pupils to practise applying and embedding new knowledge so that it can be applied in real life situations. Our PSHE & C curriculum follows a thematic model, where all pupils are working on a common, whole-school theme during each unit of work. This allows for assemblies, displays and discussions to enhance the learning taking place.
PSHE & C Curriculum Overview:
Impact
Assessment of PSHE & C is ongoing and used to measure pupil progress and inform planning. The class teacher will make an overall judgement as to whether each pupil has achieved the intended learning objectives and summative judgements will be recorded on Target Tracker, in line with other curriculum areas. The impact of PSHE & C, including RSE, is monitored and evaluated through lesson observations, learning walks, work scrutinies, feedback from staff and children, and evaluation of recorded assessment data. Outcomes from the monitoring process will be used to evaluate our current provision and make improvements where necessary. Pupils’ progress is reported to parents/carers during formal consultations, informal discussions and termly written reports.
Inclusion and SEND
We teach PSHE & C to all pupils regardless of abilities. We view equal opportunities in the widest possible sense as embracing the wellbeing, contribution and development of all members of the school community irrespective of gender, race, religion, ability, disability, age or socioeconomic group. PSHE & C is reflected in the ethos of our school, the positive relationships between pupils and staff, school displays, the outside environment and our Pupil Voice. We will ensure that all pupils receive an age-appropriate PSHE & C and RSE curriculum, and we will offer provision appropriate to the particular needs of all our pupils, taking specialist advice where necessary. We aim to deal sensitively and honesty with issues of sexual orientation, answer appropriate questions and offer support.
Right to Withdraw
In accordance with the DfE, parents/carers cannot withdraw their child from PSHE & C, including Relationships Education, because it is important that all children receive this content, covering topics such as friendships and how to stay safe. If a parent/carer does not want their child to take part in some or all of the lessons on Sex Education, they can ask that they are withdrawn. This request can be granted by the Head Teacher. The science curriculum includes content on human development, including reproduction, which there is no right to withdraw from.