Personal, Social, Health Education

Please click HERE to see an overview of what PSHE is taught in each year group.

Please click HERE to see the Parent Consultation Document

Subject Intent 

As Key Stages 1 and 2 pupils move through the primary phase, Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education offers both explicit and implicit learning opportunities and experiences which reflect pupils’ increasing independence, physical and social awareness. The PSHE Curriculum builds on the Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) skills that pupils start to acquire during the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) which leads to the development of increasingly effective relationships, greater personal responsibility and a heightened understanding of how to manage personal safety, including online. Our PSHE Curriculum helps pupils to manage the physical and emotional changes at puberty, introduces them to global matters and enables them to make an active contribution to their communities and the wider world.

Our intent is to deliver a PSHE Curriculum which is accessible to all, and that will maximise the outcomes for every child, so that they know more, remember more and understand more. Using our PSHE Programme to equip children with a sound understanding of risk and with the knowledge and skills necessary to make safe and informed decisions. 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. 

Our PSHE Programme of learning and wider curriculum will enable children to meet the End of Key Stage Statements as set out in the Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education Guidance 2019.

Our PSHE Programme is an integral part of our whole school PSHE Education provision and is designed to meet the needs of all pupils. Learning activities will allow opportunities for discussion and debate, providing opportunities for children to develop their skills, knowledge,  understanding and attitudes.

Our ever-expanding wider provision of PSHE promotes opportunities to link British Values and Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural (SMSC) responsibilities. Along with our broad and balanced curriculum, there are overlaps with other subjects, for example Computing (E-safety), Science (recycling), PE (leading healthy active lives). Our Learning Calendar complements key events throughout the year such as; Anti-Bullying Week, Black History Month, International Women’s Day, Language Day, and Children's Mental Health Week.

At Whitehill Primary School we have decided to follow the JIGSAW approach to teaching PSHE, which includes everything needed for us to cover the PSHE Curriculum. Whitehill is an incredibly diverse community with relative deprivation. We have children from families where social and emotional support is hugely variable.

JIGSAW aims to provide pupils with the knowledge, understanding, attitudes, values and skills they need in order to reach their potential as individuals and within the community. Pupils are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities and experiences across and beyond the curriculum, contributing fully to the life of their school and communities. In doing so they learn to recognise their own worth, work well with others and become increasingly responsible for their own learning. They reflect on their experiences and understand how they are developing personally and socially, tackling many of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up.

They learn to understand and respect our common humanity; diversity and differences so that they can go on to form the effective, fulfilling relationships that are an essential part of life and learning.

Aims & Expectations 

Through our discreet weekly lessons as well as a wider cross curricular approach to teaching PSHE, children will learn:

• how to keep themselves safe, physically and emotionally resulting in the acquisition of knowledge and skills, which enables children to access the wider curriculum. 
• about rights and responsibilities and to appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society. 
• about and develop a sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community. 
• about relationships and keeping health as is stipulated in the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and  in line with the terms set out in statutory guidance

Our PSHE curriculum and wider provision will ensure that children will be equipped to support their decision making in regards to their wellbeing, health and relationships.

Children will start their journey with us treating each other with kindness and respect. Our embedded whole school vision to nurture children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development supports them to foster good relationships between all in line with the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. Our approach allows children to build upon their understanding of British Values in an age appropriate way, in order for them to become positive citizens in a forever changing community and ultimately preparing them for life and work in the modern world.

By the end of each key stage, children will have had the opportunities to meet the end of key stage statements in line with the statutory guidance outlined in the Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education. Ultimately, our overarching aims and objectives in supporting our children to become healthy and responsible members of society, enables pupils to develop the ability to collaborate, build upon their emotional security, improve concentration due to a focus on their wellbeing as well as ensuring children are self-reliant with an understanding of self-care and nutrition. We aim for children to end their journey moving onto the next stage of their education with self-confidence and a high sense of self-worth.

Inclusion & Equal Opportunities 

The needs of each young person and our wider community is key for inclusion and equal opportunities. Using a range of national and local data such as: Public Health England, the NHS we will create a bespoke curriculum to meet every child’s needs and ensure inclusion for every pupil. By creating a safe space for discussion and debate, we offer great learning opportunities for all children to access. Our teaching is culturally responsive and inclusive for all. We use picture books to explore a range of issues within PSHE as it is vital for children to see themselves represented within stories - stories with diverse main characters and families helps to support pupils’ feelings on inclusion. All manner of factors are examined to ensure that lessons are accessible to all students;  classroom organisation, teaching materials,  differentiation and support if available. Teacher assessment is used to make sure that there is sufficient challenge and support where needed.

Parental Involvement & Wider Community Links 

Children will have enhanced knowledge and understanding through our quality links with our multicultural community. Through real life experience, our carefully selected external visitors will promote the teaching of different aspects of our PSHE Curriculum. 

Parents will have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from some or all of sex education delivered as part of statutory RSE. Also, parents will be involved in identifying the needs of our children through surveys and discussion with class teachers. This will identify what needs to be addressed with our children and within our PSHE Curriculum.

Resourcing, Health & Safety Considerations 

The children learn about keeping safe and conversely about risks that every day life can present.  The PSHE Curriculum is presented in a way that communicates and provides a safe forum in which students can consider the ramifications of choices on health, wellbeing and happiness. Over time, our students become increasingly astute when assessing life’s potential dangers and hazards. 

Monitoring 

Our strong curriculum will build on the knowledge pupils have previously acquired, including in other subjects. In PSHE, assessment is ongoing. It is used to inform teachers with their planning, lesson activities and differentiation. PSHE is monitored throughout all year groups using a variety of strategies such as lesson observations, book looks, staff questionnaires and pupil interviews.