PSHE
curriculum intent statement
PSHE is a school subject through which pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to keep themselves healthy and safe, and prepare for life and work in modern Britain. Evidence shows that well-delivered PSHE programmes have an impact on both academic and non-academic outcomes for pupils.
Working with the PSHE Association and developing our curriculum around the statutory guidelines outlined in the Education Act 2002 and the Academies Act 2010, our PSHE curriculum aims to provide a balanced and broad curriculum in relation to personal development, behaviour, welfare and safeguarding as well as every day real life issues that the children may experience. The relationships and health aspects of PSHE is compulsory in every school.
Our spiral curriculum focuses on developing skills and attributes such as resilience, self-esteem, risk-management, team work and critical thinking in the context of learning grouped into three core themes: health and well-being, relationships and living in the wider world.
Further information on our PSHE curriculum breakdown can be found on the overview document on the PSHE curriculum page.
assessment
Assessing in PSHE is as central to effective teaching and learning in PSHE education as it is in any other subject. Personal attributes, which are essential to PSHE education, are one of the hardest aspects of learning to assess. Children themselves will be able to judge whether they feel more confident, or have a firmer sense of their own beliefs and opinions than they did before a particular series of lessons. Personal reflections in PSHE education lessons are important, making sure children have time and space within the lessons to reflect on this, either privately or through discussion, is an important part of the assessment process. Assessing learning in PSHE education must therefore use a combination of teacher assessment and pupil self- and peer assessment.
Teachers may incorporate assessment for learning and opportunities for pupils to reflect on what the learning means for their own lives. This might include planning key questions, questions for private reflection, opportunities for feedback and identifying next steps or seeing an improvement in the children’s every day interactions with each other.
subject overview
Below is the overview and the progression of the Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum which starts in Year 1 all the way up until Year 6.
KEY STAGE ONE (YEAR 1 OR YEAR 2)
My special people
This lesson focuses on early learning about healthy, happy relationships, which is later built on in
key stage 2. This lesson is based on a story, Grandfather and I by Helen E. Buckley, (an alternative story can be used if preferred). Pupils explore the ways the characters in the story care for each other and what makes them special. In addition, pupils think about the special people in their own lives, friendship, family and what it means to care for each other.
Growing up: the human life cycle
This lesson introduces the concept of the human life cycle. Pupils begin to understand how we grow and change as we get older. The lesson focuses on young children growing and changing (puberty is not mentioned until KS2). Pupils compare the differences between a baby and a child - what they look like and what they can do. The focus is on becoming independent; how we look after ourselves and each other as we grow, and some of the feelings that accompany the process of growing up.
Everybody’s body
Pupils may have been using a variety of different words to name the male and female genitalia/sex parts, but this lesson directly teaches the correct terminology. It is important for younger pupils to know how to name their body parts correctly as this contributes to safeguarding—helping them to take care of their bodies and keep themselves safe. This is built on later in key stage 2, when pupils learn about puberty and the changes when growing from children to adults. It is suggested that this lesson is taught within the context of other learning about similarities and differences (e.g. growing and changing, people and animals). This lesson also begins to address the issue of gender stereotypes.
KEY STAGE TWO (YEAR 3 and YEAR 4)
What makes a good friend?
This lesson builds on pupils’ learning from key stage one about special people and extends their learning about their close networks and friendships. The focus is on the qualities of being a good friend and the importance of friendship in all our lives. This lesson will help to develop pupils’ understanding of positive, healthy relationships, and is written at a level appropriate for pupils in year 3 or 4. This concept is re-visited in upper key stage two.
Falling out with friends
This lesson follows on from the previous lesson - What makes a good friend? Sometimes, even good friends have disagreements or ‘fall out’ – it is important that pupils learn that there are ways to manage this if it happens to them. Pupils should understand that a quarrel does not always mean the end of a friendship and that there are things they can do that might help to mend or strengthen their friendship. To further develop their understanding, pupils explore strategies they can use to try to solve problems that can arise in friendships and to seek help if they need it.
KEY STAGE TWO (YEAR 4 and YEAR 5)
PUBERTY LESSONS
Time to change
The first lesson focuses on some of the external changes that happen to the body.
Menstruation and wet dreams
The second lesson focuses in more detail on some of the external and internal changes that happen to the human body.
Physical hygiene
This lesson helps pupils to recognise the importance of personal hygiene during puberty, and to consider some of the questions young people may have about the physical changes at puberty.
Emotions and feelings
This lesson focuses in more detail on some of the emotional changes that may take place during puberty and outlines some of the changes that may occur in friendships and other relationships. It teaches pupils where and how to get help and support.
KEY STAGE TWO (YEAR 6)
Puberty: re-cap and review
This lesson has been designed to consolidate pupils’ previous learning about puberty and is specifically aimed at year 6 pupils. Pupils should have already learned about puberty in year 4 or year 5, but this lesson gives them the opportunity to recap and review their understanding of puberty, before introducing lessons on how babies are made. It will also allow pupils to revisit key vocabulary used in later lessons.
Puberty: change and becoming independent
This lesson extends pupils’ thinking about puberty and the concept of change throughout our lives. It explores in more detail, some of the feelings associated with change. It helps pupils to consider changes that might occur alongside puberty, including moving to secondary school and the new roles and responsibilities that this might bring.
Positive, healthy relationships
Increasing pupils’ understanding of what is meant by a positive, healthy and loving relationship is an important part of safeguarding their health and wellbeing. This lesson looks at different kinds of relationships, and the values, expectations and responsibilities within healthy, positive relationships.
The lesson also explores some ways that changing relationships can be managed—ensuring behaviour is respectful, even when things do change.
How babies are made
By year 6, it is likely that pupils will have some idea about how babies are made through sexual intercourse. Although it is possible they may have some misconceptions, very few pupils will still believe myths or make-believe stories. Having an understanding of what is meant by sex is an important foundation for the RSE they will receive at secondary school. This lesson emphasises that having sexual intercourse or the decision to have a baby is something for when they are much older. It also emphasises the importance of consent in this context. The lesson enables pupils to reflect on the values and responsibilities within healthy adult relationships and is therefore set clearly within RSE— as part of the wider PSHE education curriculum.
