PSHE
PSHE at Rivelin Primary
Introduction
All pupils are entitled to a broad and balanced curriculum regardless of race, gender, religion or ability. At Rivelin Primary School we are committed to the development of the whole child and as a consequence we place Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) and Relationships at the heart of all that we do. We recognise that schools support pupils to develop in many diverse aspects of life, and the responsibility of preparing pupils for their adult lives is one that Rivelin Primary School takes pride in, and assumes with integrity and purpose.
This policy outlines the Intent, Implementation and Impact of how PSHE is taught using a spiral curriculum in our school. The PSHE Policy should be read in conjunction with the following policies: SEND and Safeguarding.
The Implementation of this policy is the responsibility of all teaching staff.
The school policy for PSHE reflects the consensus of opinion of the whole teaching staff and has the full agreement of the Governing Body.
Intent
Our intention is that when children leave Rivelin Primary, they will do so with the knowledge, and an increased understanding of emotional literacy to be able to thrive in an active, positive and successful role in today’s diverse society. We want our children to have high aspirations, a belief in themselves and realise that anything is possible if they put their mind to it. In an ever–changing world, it is important that they are aware, to an appropriate level, of different factors which will affect their world and that they learn how to deal with these so that they have good mental health and well-being.
At Rivelin, we are aware of the way that PSHE supports many of the principles of safeguarding. 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.
Our PSHE curriculum develops learning and results in the acquisition of knowledge and skills which will enable children to access the wider curriculum and prepare them to be global citizens now and in their future roles within a global community. It promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils, preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences for later life.
We are aware that the delivered curriculum must reflect the needs of all our pupils. Our bespoke scheme of work is built on the statutory content already outlined in statutory guidance, providing consistency throughout our school for all staff and pupils.
Teaching and learning in the classroom should show progression across all Key Stages within the PSHE core themes: relationships, living in the wider world and health and wellbeing. Each phase builds on the vocabulary, knowledge and skills taught in the previous to allow children to acquire further knowledge, know more and remember more.
Implementation
Our ‘Whole School Core Values’ reinforce the PSHE curriculum. We highly value: respect; kindness; honesty; determination; curiosity; dignity and integrity within our school community and explore the importance of our values within PSHE lessons, Healthy Minds lessons, Talk Assemblies, wider curriculum opportunities and whole school displays.
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. These values are embedded within our curriculum.
We strive to provide our children with learning opportunities that enrich their experiences. Our PSHE lessons are often based around high quality children’s literature that provides a context for learning about aspects of PSHE. Introducing a range of stories and poems to the children in this way, broadens their vocabulary and deepens a love of reading.
Our school environment reinforces the PSHE curriculum through active learning. We believe that children should participate in lots of discussion and debate in lessons. Verbalising and engaging in concepts out loud has been shown to assist in solidifying learning. Talking with other pupils enables them to learn from one another. In the classroom, speaking skills enable individual children to ask questions, to offer ideas, and to say if they do or do not understand. Throughout all PSHE lessons, talk is at the heart.
PSHE is an important part of school assemblies where children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural curiosity is stimulated, challenged and nurtured. Our weekly Talk Assemblies promote an awareness and understanding of relationships, living in the wider world and health and wellbeing.
We provide enrichment opportunities to contextualise learning. PSHE is promoted on displays around school; through links with the local communities; fundraising opportunities; visitors; and national and international events.
In addition to the provision in place to support PSHE teaching and learning in school, children also experience whole class weekly Healthy Minds sessions, to support their emotional health and wellbeing. This can help children understand how their emotions link with behaviour, thoughts and physiological feelings, which gives them a strong level of emotional literacy. During these lessons, children learn about the zones of regulation, helping them to regulate their feelings and learn to normalise emotion. This helps children to meet the demands of different situations around them and be successful socially.
Our children also take part in healthy minds activities during and at the end of playtimes, to ensure that they have the best chance of being emotionally regulated for learning in the classroom. Our play leaders are trained to use techniques, which include structure, attunement and emotional regulation.
Our Healthy Minds Champions are pupils at Rivelin who meet at least every half term. They are the voice of our children at Rivelin with regards to what they want to see happen to improve emotional wellbeing in and around school. This also includes peer to peer support by helping peers regulate their emotions and peer assemblies educating others on how to use the zones of regulation.
EYFS
In the Foundation Stage, PSHE and citizenship is taught as an integral part of topic work and is embedded throughout the curriculum. The objectives taught are the Personal, Social and Emotional Development statements from ‘Development Matters in the EYFS’ and the PSED Early Learning Goals.
KS1 and KS2
PSHE is taught through the ‘Rivelin PSHE Scheme of Work’. Children are taught an hour of PSHE every week. Please see the ‘Rivelin PSHE Whole School Overview’ and ‘Rivelin PSHE Learning Journey’ for more information. Our scheme is research informed and utilises resources from the PSHE Association, Learn Sheffield, Project Evolve and the DfE Citizenship Programme of Study. Resources from various charities have also been used to enrich our curriculum such as Child Line and NSPCC. Evidence of learning can be found in year group PSHE whole class books.
This outlines the sequence of individual PSHE lessons:
- Begin with what the children know, understand and are able to do and able to say.
- Introduce specific key vocabulary to be used within the lesson and its meaning.
- Provide relevant and realistic information, which reinforces positive social norms. This is often through the use of children’s story books.
- Provide opportunities for the children to work interactively with the teacher acting as facilitator.
- Provide opportunities for children to make real decisions about their lives, to take part in activities, which simulate adult choices and where they can demonstrate their ability to take responsibility for their decisions.
- Individual reflection on the learning that has taken place.
- An assessment activity at the end of each unit to give an accurate picture of what children know and have remembered.
Wider Curriculum
- We believe that focusing on developing our ‘Whole School Core Values’ will help them to build respect, kindness, honesty, determination, curiosity, dignity and integrity within their school and wider environment. We do this through the language we use in class, praising children for their efforts, and using language to encourage children to change their way of thinking. This supports both our school and PSHE aims and values, encouraging children to have a ‘Growth Mindset’.
- PSHE, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is an integral part of the whole school curriculum, and is therefore often taught within another subject area, such as literacy.
- Visitors such as emergency services, community project leaders and the school nurse complement our PSHE curriculum to offer additional learning.
- Parent/Carer volunteers are integral to our school environment. Our families support school by offering their time to read with children, develop our gardening spaces, put on music and dance workshops and create collaborative pieces of artwork.
- Extra-curricular activities after school offer wider opportunities for children and develop their social skills.
- We encourage our pupils to develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community. We challenge all of our pupils to look for opportunities to take on leadership roles. Roles vary from playground leaders, dining room leaders, library leaders, staircase monitors, tour guides, heathy mind champions and school council.
- Assemblies are linked to PSHE, British Values and SMSC and cover any additional sessions that would benefit the whole school.
- PSHE, British Values and SMSC displays throughout school reinforce the PSHE curriculum enabling children to make links.
Impact
All children understand the importance of PSHE, 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. Monitoring of the PSHE teaching and learning by the curriculum leader shows that teachers and pupils have a clear understanding of all aspects of the curriculum.
Class books show broad coverage of the PSHE curriculum and conversations with pupils show that children have a clear understanding of vocabulary, knowledge and skills taught.
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. By the time children leave our school, personal, social and health education (PSHE) enables our learners to become healthy, independent and responsible members of 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 curriculum allows pupils to learn about rights and responsibilities and appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society. Our children have a sense of self-efficacy by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community. Children continue to show respect, kindness, honesty, determination, curiosity, dignity and integrity towards themselves and others throughout their future lives.