Personal, Social and Health Education
Intent
At Wellington Primary School, the intent for our PSHE curriculum is to deliver a curriculum which is accessible to all, and that will maximise the outcomes for every child.
PSHE is embedded in all that we do to enable our children to become independent, responsible, healthy and confident members of society. Our PSHE curriculum supports the development of the ‘whole child’, by helping them to understand how they are developing personally and socially as well as promoting their social, mental and physical development. Children will be able to develop the ability to tackle the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up. We want our children to develop a confidence in sharing their own thoughts and opinions and to show tolerance of others beliefs, religions and life choices, building positive, respectful relationships. We endeavour to support and prepare children to achieve their academic potential and leave school equipped with skills they will need to manage opportunities, responsibilities and experiences in the present and in later life.
Implementation
At Wellington Primary School, our PSHE programme of learning and the wider curriculum will enable children to acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships.
In KS1 and KS2 we plan using the ‘You, Me PSHE’ scheme of work which is a clear and progressive scheme of work that is in line with the National curriculum and incorporates the Relationships, Health education and Sex Education Statutory guidance. Lessons are taught weekly and are adapted to suit the learning needs and style of the individual classes and children at Wellington.
Our ‘You, Me PSHE’ scheme of work is divided into seven strands:
- Relationships and Health Education (RHE)
- Drug, alcohol and tobacco education (DATE)
- Keeping safe and managing risk
- Mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Physical health and wellbeing
- Careers, financial capability and economic wellbeing
- Identity, society and equality
Within each strand, there are age appropriate topics for different year groups. One topic per half term is taught to each year group (RHE is taught over a whole term in Years 2, 4 and 6 and includes RSE lessons).
In the Early Years Foundation Stage, PSHE is integral to, and embedded throughout, the EYFS curriculum. The objectives taught are the Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) statements from ‘Development Matters in the EYFS’ and the PSED Early Learning Goals. Independent learning, adult facilitation (‘sustained, shared thinking’), age-appropriate stories and regular circle times, as well as class discussions support children’s development. Through Personal, Social, Emotional Development, children are supported to build constructive and respectful relationships that allow them to play, learn and develop alongside both adults and their peers. In the Early Years, children are encouraged to express their feelings. Adults carefully model the handling of these feelings and emotions to support children in becoming independent in moderating their own feelings. Children are taught to manage their own physical needs and understand the importance of respecting the privacy of others. A large part of the curriculum in the Early Years supports the developing resilience within young children and they are encouraged to persevere to meet their goals and targets.
Along with our broad and balanced PSHE curriculum, there are overlaps with other subjects, for example Computing (E-safety), Science (puberty, healthy eating and recycling), PE (leading healthy active lives). Therefore, flexibility in the timetable is accounted for as some objectives for PSHE education will also be met outside of the allocated PSHE timetable slot. PSHE themed assemblies are used across the whole school and within the Key stages to make links and promote British Values and SMSC. Flexibility in the timetable is also important to allow us to respond to local, national or global events that may occur and allow us to respond to any such event in an age appropriate way. PSHE lessons at Wellington complement a range of enrichment activities and key campaigns throughout the year.
Pupil participation is integral to the school’s vision and ethos; there are clear structures in place to capture pupil voices and children have a range of opportunities to influence decisions which affect them, such as through Wellington’s school council.
Long-Term Overview:
Impact
Children will leave Wellington Primary School as healthy, independent and responsible members of society. They will be able to demonstrate and apply the British Values of Democracy, Tolerance, Mutual respect, Rule of law and Liberty. Children will know how to be safe and to understand and develop healthy relationships both now and in the future. They will be aware of the dangers encountered in life and have the necessary tools to manage and mitigate these as adolescents and adults. They will have an awareness of society as a whole and know their place and role in this. They will contribute positively and with confidence. Children will be equipped to live in the modern world successfully as adults.
Children will have demonstrated a progression in their knowledge, skills and understanding of all
aspects of PSHE. This will be evidenced through work completed which is recorded in PSHE books and is used to support teacher assessment. This is used alongside in-depth knowledge of the children acquired through ongoing ‘formative’ assessment which is used to inform future planning and teaching of the subject. PSHE assessments are an integral part of each topic. At the beginning of the topic children complete a pre-topic assessment activity, which is then repeated at the end of the topic. This enables children and teachers to determine prior knowledge and demonstrate the progress made. Assessments are recorded on OTrack for each topic each half term. These are then used to identify children who need support or challenge.