PSHE Policy & Rationale

All schools must provide a curriculum that is broadly based and balanced, and which meets the needs of all pupils. Under section 78 of the Education Act 2002 and the Academies Act 2010 such a curriculum: - promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, and - prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

PSHE education is essential to such a curriculum and to meeting schools’ requirement to promote pupils’ wellbeing. The Department for Education (DfE) has made it clear that schools should make provision for PSHE education.

PSHE education is a planned programme of learning though which pupils acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to manage their lives now and in the future.

As part of a whole school approach, it develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society. PSHE education should address both pupils’ direct experience and preparation for their future.

PSHE education should not be planned in isolation. It is most effective in a ‘health promoting school’ culture and where links are made with other relevant subjects to ensure consistency and continuity for pupils. These include, but are not limited to, science, computing, citizenship, physical education and design and technology.

Those planning PSHE education should take account of existing DfE guidance on:

• Sex and Relationships Education
• preventing and tackling bullying
• safeguarding and equality

The overarching aim for PSHE education is to provide pupils with:

• accurate and relevant knowledge
• opportunities to turn that knowledge into personal understanding
• opportunities to explore, clarify and if necessary challenge, their own and others’ values, attitudes, beliefs, rights and responsibilities
• the skills, language and strategies they need in order to live healthy, safe, fulfilling, responsible and balanced lives

As recommended by the PSHE Association, our Programme of Study is based on three ‘core themes’. Objectives will be covered through a cross curricular approach and some will be taught discreetly through carefully planned lessons under six ‘mini topics’ – My Class and school, My feelings, My Body, My Choices, My Special People and My Money, My Life.

1. Health and Wellbeing

Pupils should be taught:

• what is meant by a healthy lifestyle
• how to maintain physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing
• how to manage risks to physical and emotional health and wellbeing
• ways of keeping physically and emotionally safe
• about managing change, including puberty, transition and loss
• how to make informed choices about health and wellbeing and to recognise sources of help with this
• how to respond in an emergency
• to identify different influences on health and wellbeing

2. Relationships

Pupils should be taught:

• how to develop and maintain a variety of healthy relationships within a range of social/cultural contexts
• how to recognise and manage emotions within a range of relationships
• how to recognise risky or negative relationships including all forms of bullying and abuse
• how to respond to risky or negative relationships and ask for help
• how to respect equality and diversity in relationships.

3. Living in the Wider World

Pupils should focus on ‘economic wellbeing and being a responsible citizen’ and be taught:

• about respect for the self and others and the importance of responsible behaviours and actions
• about rights and responsibilities as members of families, other groups and ultimately as citizens
• about different groups and communities
• to respect equality and to be a productive member of a diverse community
• about the importance of respecting and protecting the environment
• about where money comes from, keeping it safe and the importance of managing it effectively
• how money plays an important part in people’s lives
• a basic understanding of enterprise.

Whilst our curriculum identifies a broad range of important issues that pupils should learn about, we feel it is essential that our children’s experience of PSHE education is not simply a series of ‘one-off’, disconnected sessions each on a different topic and focussing only on factual content.

While factual knowledge is essential, we have limited curriculum time and we therefore used local data (see Public Health England CHIMAT data set - March 2014 & June 2015 ) and our knowledge of our own pupils’ needs as key drivers in determining the content of our curriculum.

These needs have been identified through consultation with:

• school staff including welfare and support staff.
• parents and carers
• young people

These will provide a relevant context for pupils to both broaden and deepen their understanding of the key concepts and to develop competence in the essential skills. It is important that our pupils can see how the skills acquired through looking at one issue can be transferrable to other contexts.

Our world is rapidly changing and whilst the content of PSHE is vitally important, it can quickly date and we cannot predict the challenges, opportunities and responsibilities that pupils may face in their future.

It is the overarching concepts and essential skills that will enable pupils to manage the challenges, opportunities and responsibilities they will face now and in their future.