PSHE and RSE

Our Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE) Programme promotes the spiritual, cultural, mental and physical development of all our pupils.  Through the school ethos and weekly, discrete lessons we prepare our children for opportunities, responsibilities and experiences that they may come across throughout their lives.  We believe that children, of all year groups, should be enabled to develop knowledge and understanding, skills and attitudes, and values relating to growth and change, personal safety and relationships within the context of family life, so they are equipped for their lives now, through puberty, adolescence and adulthood.  We aim to educate our children so they are prepared to contribute as citizens in Modern Britain. 

Adhering to the Department of Education’s recommendations, we use the Twinkl Associations programme of study as the foundation of our curriculum, which reflects the needs of our pupils, in consultation with parents, staff and children. Relationships and Sex Education is taught as part of our PSHE curriculum. Part of our programme, in Year 5 and Year 6, is supported by an outside provider, that parents may opt to remove their child from.

Why do we teach what we teach?

We have designed our PSHE curriculum so that our learners:

• Develop themselves intellectually, morally, socially and spiritually
• Acquire the skills, knowledge and attributes they need to keep themselves physically and emotionally healthy and safe
• Flourish regardless of background, ability or additional needs, to become the very best version of themselves they can possibly be
• Possess a strong understanding of the diverse world around them and are supported in playing a positive role in contributing to an ever-changing society.
• Acquire the curiosity and confidence to question, challenge and reflect

How do we teach PSHE at our school?

• PSHE is taught effectively through a sequenced, spiral programme that builds on prior learning as children progress through school. Children build on key knowledge, language and meanings in order to understand PSHE and use themes across the wider curriculum.
• Like any other school curriculum subject, PSHE needs regular curriculum time, therefore, it is taught through weekly lessons that follow the statutory curriculum, alongside the flexibility when occasions arise that teachers feel it necessary to teach PSHE because of an issue arising in their own class.
• We use the Twinkl Life PSHE programme, which integrates and sequences RSHE and non-statutory content effectively, by key stage, into a coherent PSHE programme tailored to our school.

Learning opportunities for each key stage are taught across three core themes:

• Health and wellbeing
• Relationships
• Living in the Wider World 

Below is an overview of what is taught in each term:

• Children will become healthy and responsible members of society, equipped with the knowledge and skills to make the right choices in society, alongside demonstrating and applying the British Values of Democracy, Tolerance, Mutual Respect, Rule of Law and Liberty.
• Learning is not confined to the classroom, PSHE themes are covered within weekly assemblies, planned themes across the school, class discussions; so that as a school we can respond to and handle any local and/or national issues when and if required.  

How does each core theme progress?

Over a child's academic career the three core themes progress.  This ensures that as a child matures the key knowledge, skill and attitude taught is built upon and matched to what they are ready to learn.  An overview of the documents can be found below:

• Health and wellbeing
• Relationships
• Living in the Wider World

What is the impact and how do we know?

The impact of the PSHE curriculum, at Minworth Junior and Infant School, can be seen through:

• Our children becoming healthy and responsible members of society, equipped with the knowledge and skills to make the right choices in society.
• Our children demonstrating and applying the British Values of Democracy, Tolerance, Mutual Respect, Rule of Law and Liberty.
• Our children displaying a healthy and positive outlook towards school and their learning and have developed the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to succeed at school and in the wider world.
• Our children having developed the vocabulary and confidence needed to clearly articulate their thoughts and feelings in a climate of openness, trust and respect, and know when and how they can seek the support of others.
• Our children applying their understanding of society to their everyday interactions, from the classroom to the wider community of which they are a part of.
• Our children possessing the skills to evaluate and understand their own wellbeing needs, practise self-care and contribute positively to the wellbeing of those around them.