PSHE RSHE

PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) Policy 

(including

Relationships and Health Education

and our position on Sex Education)

Context and Vision

All schools must provide a curriculum that is broadly based, balanced and meets the needs of all pupils. Under section 78 of the Education Act 2002 and the Academies Act 2010, a PSHE 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.

At Blackpool CE Primary School we aim to create a happy, purposeful and supportive environment where children are enabled to become successful learners, develop their full potential and achieve the highest educational standards. Our school motto supports our children to do their best in order to Aspire, Flourish and Achieve in all aspects of their lives. Our whole-school vision statement reflects a passionate commitment to learning and recognition of the uniqueness of individual learners. It is driven by our desire to offer the best possible education for our pupils in partnership with parents, the Church and the local community. Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE), Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) and all areas of Personal Development are central to the school’s ethos, supporting children in their development, and underpinning learning in the classroom, school, and in the wider community.

Our aim is that our PSHE/RSHE curriculum equips children with the knowledge, understanding, skills and strategies required to live confident, healthy, safe, responsible and fulfilled lives. It encourages them to be independent and supports them in making positive choices and effective transitions in order to be confident and responsible citizens. A critical component of PSHE and RSHE  education is providing opportunities for children to reflect on and clarify their own values and attitudes, and explore the range of values and attitudes they encounter now and in the future, which will help them to be good citizens. PSHE and RSHE are key components in all six of our curriculum threads (see school website) and therefore we aim to have them included in all aspects of school life such as assemblies, playtimes and wider community. We embrace the many additional opportunities to explore this area of the curriculum outside of the discrete lessons that link with other areas of learning and school life.

A key area of importance at our school is to equip our children with the emotional literacy that will enable them to communicate their thoughts, emotions and feelings with confidence. There will be a focus on using vocabulary associated with subject knowledge and emotions, as well as creating a supportive and trusting environment for our children to express their thoughts and feelings freely through our oracy strategies.  

We believe that it is important that we tailor these areas of the curriculum to our locality, context and wider society. This means that what we deliver is relevant to the lives of the children at Blackpool and therefore impacts them as they move on to secondary school and beyond.

PSHE

At Blackpool C of E Primary School, we teach Personal, Social, Health Education as a whole-school approach, from EYFS to Year 6, to underpin children’s development as people and because we believe that this also supports their learning capacity.

We follow the Jigsaw Programme, which offers us a comprehensive, carefully thought-through Scheme of Work which brings consistency and progression to our children’s learning in this vital curriculum area.

The overview of the programme is outlined for each Key Stage below. The school website has links to more detailed planning for each year group.

Early Years

PSHE will be taught both discretely and embedded within continuous provision opportunities and regular circle time and discussions and through class stories. Students are introduced to early concepts and skills such as:

• Understanding feelings
• Building relationships with friends and family
• Healthy choices with food and exercise

Key Stage 1

The progression of knowledge, understanding and skills is provided through weekly/fortnightly discrete PSHE lessons as well as assemblies, collective worship, community visits and playtimes. The key themes identified and covered in Key Stage 1 are:

• Belonging, friendships and family.
• Setting goals and identifying successes
• Similarities and differences 
• Feeling special and safe
• Keeping myself healthy

In the Summer Term, the RSHE program is taught to the discrete year groups to ensure the children are gaining an age-appropriate knowledge and understanding.

Key Stage 2

Students continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of PSHE and further enhance their personal, social and health skills. The children build on what they have learnt in Key Stage 1 by revisiting previous concepts in greater detail or learning new concepts. This is all with the aim of equipping children with the relevant skills to lead healthy, safe, productive and responsible lives. As in Key Stage 1, PSHE/SMSC will be taught weekly/fortnightly as well as being included in whole school, house assemblies, class assemblies and extra-curricular opportunities. The key themes covered include:

• Similarities and differences between ourselves, families and cultures. 
• Rules, rights and responsibilities as a member of society
• Making healthy choices (food, exercise, drugs and alcohol, self and body image)
• Building a sense of self-identity and self-esteem
• Setting personal goals and how to get there

In Unit 3, our PSHE/SMSC program has an emphasis on transition and coping with change. This was identified by the children in Unit 3 as a key theme that they would like to cover in preparation for their move to secondary school. This fits in with our overall vision of creating a PSHE/SMSC curriculum that has a continuing impact on the children throughout their later lives. 

In the Summer Term, the RSHE program is taught to the discrete year groups to ensure the children are gaining an age-appropriate knowledge and understanding.

The teaching and learning in all year groups using the Jigsaw Scheme of Work supports the “Personal Development” and  “Behaviour and Attitude” aspects required under the Ofsted Inspection Framework, as well as significantly contributing to the school’s Safeguarding and Equality Duties, the Government’s British Values agenda and the SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social, Cultural) development opportunities provided for our children.

Below is our full policy for PSHE and RHSE, as well as some supportive documents for parents to explain our policy and approach for teaching PSHE/RHSE (including sex education).

This is what our children say about PSHE in our school...

' I like the Jigsaw chimes and meditation. It helps me to calm and relax before a lesson so that I am ready to learn.' Year 5

'I think PSHE is really important because it helps me to learn how to be healthy and happy. I like learning about how to think about how I feel and how to let people know if I need any help with my emotions.' Year 6

'PSHE lessons always help me to think about how to treat other people and how to be a kind person.' Year 2

'I liked my lessons about how to keep safe on the internet because we use it all the time. I even told my big brother how to stay safe when he plays games.' Year 4

'I think that PSHE lessons help to respect people who are different to me and we always think about our Christian Values in our lessons.' Year 3