PHSE
Coordinator: Mrs Parker’PSHE education is a school subject through which pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to keep themselves healthy and safe, and prepare for life and work in modern Britain. Evidence shows that well-delivered PSHE programmes have an impact on both academic and non-academic outcomes for pupils, particularly the most vulnerable and disadvantaged.’ - PSHE Association 2019
At Netherthong, we are aware of the way that PSHE supports many of the principles of safeguarding and links closely to schools Safeguarding, SMSC and British Values Policies. We are all aware of the important role the PSHE curriculum has in supporting school to implement the 9 protected characteristics of The Equality Act 2010.
We deliver a curriculum which is accessible to all, and maximise the outcomes for every child, so that they know more, remember more and understand more. 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 has been built with the aim to support 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. Through our discreet lessons as well as wider cross curricular approach to teaching PSHE, children are taught how to keep themselves safe, physically and emotionally resulting in the acquisition of knowledge and skills, which enables children to access the wider curriculum.
We provide our children with opportunities for them to learn about rights and responsibilities and appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society. Our children are encouraged to develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community.
We strive to provide our children with learning opportunities across and beyond the curriculum, in specific lessons, circle time, special school projects and other activities that enrich pupils’ experiences. There are always occasions where teachers may feel it necessary to teach PSHE as a result of an issue arisen in their own class. Our school environment reinforces the PSHE curriculum through questioning, vocabulary and discussion topics on displays throughout school.
Early Years
Personal, Social and Emotional Education is one of the three Prime Areas and we teach PSHE and citizenship as an integral part of the topic work covered during the year through the Early Learning Goals (ELGs). All areas of learning are important and inter-connected, but the PSE area is vital for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. The EYFS Framework states that: Personal, social and emotional development involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.
It also splits the Prime Area into 3 strands:
Self-Regulation: Children will – Show an understanding of their own feelings and those of others, and begin to regulate their behaviour accordingly; - Set and work towards simple goals, being able to wait for what they want and control their immediate impulses when appropriate; - Give focused attention to what the teacher says, responding appropriately even when engaged in activity, and show an ability to follow instructions involving several ideas or actions.
Managing Self: Children will - Be confident to try new activities and show independence, resilience and perseverance in the face of challenge; - Explain the reasons for rules, know right from wrong and try to behave accordingly; - Manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs, including dressing, going to the toilet and understanding the importance of healthy food choices.
Building relationships: Children will - Work and play cooperatively and take turns with others; - Form positive attachments to adults and friendships with peers; - Show sensitivity to their own and to others’ needs.
A child must achieve the age-related expectation in each of these three areas in order to obtain the Early Learning Goal at the end of the Reception Year.
Key Stage One and Key Stage Two
Within Key Stage One and Key Stage Two, our PSHE curriculum has been adapted from the PSHE Association’s Programme of Study. It is used to enable us to develop our pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding based on the three core themes: Health and Wellbeing, Relationships and Living in the Wider World. It considers the progression and development of pupils’ understanding of the overarching concepts and development of essential skills. Topic areas are arranged into half-term ‘chunks’ under a question theme for the half term, which have been adapted to suit our planning requirements. The following strands are covered, within these topics, throughout the year from Year One all the way to Year 6:
- Healthy lifestyles (physical wellbeing)
- Mental health
- Ourselves, growing and changing
- Keeping safe
- Drugs, alcohol and tobacco
- Families and close positive relationships
- Friendships
- Managing hurtful behaviour and bullying
- Safe relationships
- Respecting self and others
- Shared responsibilities
- Communities
- Media literacy and digital resilience
- Economic wellbeing: money
- Economic wellbeing: aspirations, work and career
We ensure that the content is relevant and appropriate to the ethos of our school, the needs of our pupils at Netherthong and the surrounding area.
Relationship and Sex Education
At Netherthong, we use the CWP Teaching RSE with Confidence in Primary Schools. RSE is taught as explicit lessons through the PSHE and science curriculums but is also embedded in other areas of the curriculum and day-to-day life of the school. In PSHE, RSE is specifically covered in the units ‘Relationships’ and in science ‘Animals Including Humans’ and ‘Living Things and Their Habitats’ also cover the statutory requirements; other elements are also covered in the Religious Education curriculum. Children are taught by familiar adults who they have a good rapport with, in order to facilitate constructive and supportive discussions around sensitive topics in a safe and secure environment. Staff have received in-house CPD to support them in responding to the needs of the individual child and support children with any questions or concerns they may have. If staff feel uncomfortable or unsure when delivering the RSE curriculum or dealing with individual pupil needs, they know where to seek advice and support. The RSE curriculum has been mapped out clearly in the progression grids for PSHE and science which ensure coverage of all of the statutory elements by the end of the primary phase; these are delivered at the appropriate stage for our children. Our high expectations of behaviour, interpersonal relationships, respect and tolerance of others reflect the British Values upheld in both our community and the wider world. Through our rigorous and progressive curriculum, children develop key skills and are prepared for the wider world beyond Netherthong, a world in which they can keep themselves safe and healthy and thrive with the support of the positive relationships they forge with those around them.
British Values
As a school we promote British Values ensuring that our children leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. We support the values of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. Through aspects of school life such as voting for school government members, assemblies and discrete PSHE lessons, these values are embedded within our curriculum. We plan assemblies and lessons to teach the children about our values, respecting similarities and differences, tackling stereotypes and understanding why some people discriminate. We aim to empower children to have a voice and to stand up against discrimination, valuing equality and diversity, tolerance and mutual respect.
Computing and Internet Safety
Information and Communication Technology offers an important tool through which the teacher can motivate pupils. It is used to support the individual child’s learning, helps with research and enables information to be manipulated and retrieved. Information and Communication Technology can give invaluable opportunities to develop and apply PSHE skills and knowledge already learnt. Our Computing curriculum teaches pupils to be responsible online and educate them about the need to develop a positive and safe online profile.
Diversity and Equality
As stated in our Equality policy, all teaching and support staff, during PSHE sessions, will:
- Promote an inclusive and collaborative ethos in their classroom.
- Challenge prejudice and discrimination.
- Deal fairly and professionally with any prejudice-related incidents that may occur Statement Objectives.
- Plan and deliver curricula and lessons that reflect the school’s principles, for example, in providing materials that give positive images in terms of race, gender and disability.
- Maintain the highest expectations of success for all pupils.
- Support different groups of pupils in their class through differentiated planning and teaching, especially those who may (sometimes temporarily) find aspects of academic learning difficult.
Keep up-to-date with equalities legislation relevant to their work. We will provide training and guidance on Equalities for all staff in our staff handbook. This is reviewed annually and introduced to staff at the start of the year. The handbook is introduced to all new members of staff.
Inclusion, including the meeting the needs of SEND children
Our teachers provide learning opportunities matched to the individual needs of all children including those with special educational needs and disabilities. PSHE is taught inclusively to all children regardless of their gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religion, disability, socioeconomic status or academic ability, whilst at the same time addressing the need for equal opportunity. Staff will ensure that no judgement will be passed on the lifestyles and choices made by others. If a safeguarding issue is raised, staff are required to follow the correct safeguarding procedure and safeguarding policy.
Here at Netherthong, we firmly believe that a meaningful PSHE curriculum is the key to children becoming confident, tolerant and well-rounded adults.
We ensure that all children understand the importance of PSHE, RSE, RE, SMSC and British Values and the effects it can have on life in and out of school, this is evident through termly pupil voice and Holistic Learning and PSHE coverage folder monitoring by the curriculum leader.
From exposure to a range of global issues and problems, children can build up tolerance and a sense of responsibility of being a global citizen, children can understand the different lifestyles that people may live and be respectful and tolerant towards those leading different lives to themselves. By teaching pupils to stay safe and healthy, and by building self-esteem, resilience and empathy, an effective PSHE programme can tackle barriers to learning, raise aspirations, and improve the life chances of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils. The skills and attributes developed through PSHE education are also shown to increase academic attainment and attendance rates, particularly among pupils eligible for free school meals, as well as improve employability and boost social mobility. Across school, we have groups which promote our PSHE curriculum and develop children into young leaders. The groups are as follows:
Gardening Club
Energy Club
Nurture Groups
Mindfulness
Sports Leaders
School Government
By the time they leave Netherthong, personal, social and health education (PSHE) enables our learners to become healthy, independent and responsible members of a society. It helps them understand how they are developing personally and socially, and tackles many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up. Our PSHE curriculum is used as a whole-school approach to positively impact wellbeing, safeguarding and social, moral, spiritual and cultural outcomes. This will ensure that all children are able to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to succeed at school and in the wider world, preparing them for life in modern Britain.
