Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE) and Relationships and Sex and Health Education (RSE) Curriculum
Intent: What is our intention?
Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE) and Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSE) curriculum aims to enable our children to become healthy, safe, independent, responsible members of society who demonstrate respect and tolerance and who are prepared to face and manage the challenges and opportunities of an ever-changing modern Britain. Relationships and sex education is learning about the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up.
We believe it is essential that children are provided with age-appropriate information to assist them in making sensible choices and developing respect for themselves and others as they progress through the school. It is part of our safeguarding offer and it is essential that our children understand RSE so that they can help keep themselves safe now and in later life.
It helps pupils to achieve their academic potential, and leave school equipped with skills they will need for later life. PSHE and RSE contribute to schools' statutory duties outlined in the Education Act 2002 and the Academies Act 2020 to provide a balanced and broadly-based curriculum and is essential to Ofsted judgements in relation to personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and safeguarding.
The relationships and health aspects of PSHE education (RSE) became compulsory in all schools from 2020. At Litton Church of England Primary School, PSHE & RSE is firmly based on the needs of our pupils and the community. This helps to ensure pupils get the learning they need when they need it; that it is age appropriate, accessible, relevant and meaningful to their lives. PSHE & RSE is an integral part of our ethos and is developed through a whole school approach.
Our PSHE and RSE curriculum is enriched in a variety of ways such as internet safety week, mental health week and anti-bullying week. We also teach values such as kindness, respect, courage, resilience through Collective Worship and our daily lives and these are repeated within our school values. There are links between other subjects and PSHE/RSE. For example, termly Collective Worships around Safeguarding; computing lessons on online safety and healthy lifestyle are taught in through Design Technology and PE.
Implementation: How will we deliver the curriculum?
Personal Social Health Education (PSHE) including Relationships Sex Education (RSE) is at the heart of our school ethos and runs throughout all that we do. Pupils are taught regularly timetabled PSHE / RSE lessons by a member of staff with whom the pupils are familiar. Staff follow our tailor-made whole school scheme to plan their lessons using the PSHE Association Guidance whilst ensuring the Statutory RSE curriculum is taught. The Curriculum is split into 6 themes and is taught as a spiral curriculum so topics are re-visited in more depth to match the maturity of the pupils: -Communities -Family -Friendships –Mental Wellbeing – Online Safety – Physical Wellbeing. Lessons are adapted to meet the needs of each individual class / pupils and to deal with issues as they arise. Lessons are delivered in a way that ensures pupils feel safe and encourages participation by using a variety of teaching approaches with opportunities to develop critical thinking and relationship skills. Pupil voice is used to ensure lessons meet the needs of our pupils. Assemblies, themed days, visits and visitors are used to support the teaching and are not used in place of it. We work in partnership with parents informing them about what their children are learning and when required, providing guidance towards resources that can be used at home.
Impact: What difference is the curriculum making to our pupils?
We are proud of the PSHE / RSE work that we deliver at Litton Church of England Primary School. The evidence being seen through the well-rounded, confident, tolerant and independent pupils that leave us at the end of Year 6. The pupils’ attitude, behaviour and demeanour around school, within lessons, at playtimes’ and out in the community demonstrates the respect, tolerance and high aspirations that our pupils have of themselves and each other. Pupils leave us ready for their next step into Secondary school and are armed with skills, knowledge and understanding that they can take forward into adulthood. Our pupils leave us prepared for life in an ever-changing modern Britain. They have the tools they need to succeed, keep themselves safe and thrive. We measure impact by lesson observations and pupil voice
Derbyshire SMILERS Programme
As a school we are following Derbyshire County Council's SMILERS campaign. Smilers is an acronym to help us remember the things we can do to improve our own mental health.
Positive mental health is an essential part of children’s overall health—has a complex interactive relationship with their physical health and their ability to succeed in school, at work, and in society. Both physical and mental health affect how we think, feel, and act on the inside and outside. Mental health is important throughout childhood—from prenatal considerations through transitions to adulthood.