Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education
What We Intend To Do
“You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.”
– Winnie the Pooh, honey-lover
As a school, we have a responsibility to nurture children in their development during their time with us and in preparation for later life. Sherborne C of E Primary School is committed to ensuring that all children receive a comprehensive PSHE curriculum that builds upon knowledge, skills and understanding. Our delivery of PSHE will:
• Be comprehensive
• Be age appropriate
• Be adaptable to the needs of the pupils
• Promote health and well-being
• Nurture the growth of the pupils as they journey through our school
We aim to:
• ensure that our children develop a love of learning through our PSHE curriculum by creating an environment in which all children feel safe and respected
• nurture positive mental health and to ensure there are strategies in place to support both children and adults should someone express concerns about their poor mental health
• encourage individuality and independence by nurturing a culture of tolerance and by celebrating diversity through PSHE as well through wider school life
• help give children the best chance of enjoying school and reaching a sense of fulfilment and excellence by placing wellbeing at the heart of our PSHE curriculum
• nurture healthy relationships both through our PSHE curriculum and through the promotion of our school values (trust, courage, respect, forgiveness, thankfulness and friendship).
• provide a well-balanced, structured and challenging curriculum, which embraces our Christian values, so that each child can fulfil their potential; spiritually, morally, socially, culturally and academically
• respond to the needs of the children, recognising that the needs of one cohort may vary hugely from year to year
How We Teach PSHE
Promoting PSHE across the school
Opportunities for PSHE development should be taken across all areas of school life. Some examples include:
• Through exploring our school values (trust, courage, respect, forgiveness, thankfulness, friendship)
• The Gloucestershire Life Bus
• Through visits from community figures, such as police and fire brigade
• Through Internet Safety training, including In the Net for year 4 pupils
• Through use of our School Council and Eco Council
• By holding our annual charity event: The Big Breakfast
• By holding our annual Mental Wellness Day (started 2019)
• Through visits from a Family Support Worker and other interventions
• By allowing Golden Time and other rewards
• By running inclusive after school clubs
• By striving to developing a pupil awareness of the 5 ways to wellbeing and how to act on each element using practical skills, such as box breathing, exercising for wellness and acts of kindness.
Teachers will use the Pink Curriculum planning tool to ensure good coverage of the following areas of learning:
Health and wellbeing
This area will support pupils in developing risk management; knowing how to keep themselves safe at home and out and about; what to do and who to ask for help; the dangers and risks involved of drugs (and medicines) and smoking. It will also help pupils to understand personal change and responsibility; giving the children the tools to understand and manage their feelings; creating a sense of what makes us unique and understanding differences; personal hygiene; growing up – changes to our bodies.
Living in the wider world
Through this area, teachers will aim to equip children with the skills to grow into responsible citizens within and outside of the school setting. Within this area of the curriculum, teachers are expected to teach about equality and diversity at an age appropriate level. This includes teaching children about citizenship and the British Values. It is also another opportunity to teach children about Internet safety, the influence of the media and money management. To further promote this learning, at the start of the school year, each class will discuss and create together a set of rules for the classroom, based on the values held by the school. Also, as a school we welcome links with our wider community including:
• St Mary Magdalene Church (including led collective worships)
• Visitors for assemblies
• Wider school events, such as our Big Breakfast, Sherborne 10k and May Merry
• Our Erasmus+ links with partner schools across Europe
• Links with local sporting groups, sports competitions and festivals
• A strong relationship with parents
• A nurtured respect for the local area, including the National Trust Estate
Healthy relationships
This area will explore relationships within families, pupils’ peers and others within society. Pupils should be taught to develop an understanding of the dynamics of healthy relationships; how to make and maintain friendships; what responsibilities different people have and who to trust. They should also learn about kindness and anti-bullying, exploring what bullying is and how to respond to it; how to be a good friend and to understand differences and similarities. Through these themes, teachers are expected to encourage children to develop respect for themselves, those in their own lives and in the wider world.
Teacher’s Choice
Teachers may also leave some sessions free to plan their own sessions in direct response to the needs of the children, for example in response to a bereavement, a national crisis or difficulties within the class. If these sessions are not needed, teachers should then use these sessions to revisit and further explore areas previously covered.
Resilience, Sleep and Mindfulness
To develop wellbeing, and in response to our pupil’s needs, we provide focus lessons each year aimed at developing resilience, understanding the importance of sleep and practising mindfulness.
Within planning, sessions should also be set aside each large term to teach children about resilience, sleep and mindfulness.
• Autumn term: Make me a Superhero (developing resilience)
• Spring term: Counting Sleep (the importance of sleep and rest)
• Summer term: Focused for Learning (mindfulness)
Relationships and Sex Education
Please see our separate RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) Policy which is currently under consultation with parents and governors.
How We Know Children Are Learning Well
The successful approach to the teaching of PSHE at Sherborne results in an engaging, high quality PSHE education. It ensures progress, retention of knowledge and provides children with the foundations for understanding the world that they can take with them once they complete their primary education. We provide experiences that encourage children to be thoughtful, kind, considerate, respectful, curious and knowledgeable about the things that will keep them safe and healthy. Children value their PSHE work and are able to discuss their learning confidently
The impact of teaching and learning PSHE is shown through thoughful individuals who model our school values and are confident to discuss matters of concern or matters of interest to them.
We recognise and assess how successfully the school's aims are met through every day monitoring carried out by class teachers and teaching assistants. This is done through observation, marking and feedback, discussions with the children and information gleaned from online platforms.
The PSHE subject leader will monitor standards through lesson observations, pupil conferences and planning audits.
Three times a year (Autumn Term, Spring Term, Summer Term), teachers make formal judgements of the children's attainment and progress in PSHE. This is submitted to the subject leader for review and discussed with the the Headteacher. During this meeting, any support needed is identified and action plans are amended.