PHSE

Intent

Our PSHE and citizenship curriculum is essential in contributing to a positive school ethos.

Our children are encouraged to be gentle, kind and helpful in line with our Golden Rules, as well as to respect others and the world in which we live. They are also praised for working hard and persevering and encouraged to set goals and have aspirations for themselves. We make sure the children have opportunities to develop their communication and social skills by working collaboratively, as well as to become responsible and independent learners. We aim for them to think about themselves positively, develop their self-esteem and confidence. Children are also taught to value a healthy lifestyle and take care of their mental health and wellbeing.

Sex Education is incorporated into the wider topic of Health Education. The National Curriculum for Science requires us to teach children about the main stages of the human life cycle, including reproduction. Any questions asked by the children during Sex Education will be answered sensitively and at a level appropriate to the individual's maturity. We notify parents in advance that the teaching will take place, with an overview of what will be taught and an invitation to see the teaching materials in advance, if desired. Parents have the right to withdraw their child from the sex education part of the teaching, but not where the sex education is taught as part of the science National Curriculum.

To ensure our children leave school prepared for life in modern Britain, we promote the important British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. We ensure that all our children have a voice that is listened to, and demonstrate how democracy works by actively promoting the democratic processes of the school council whose members are voted for by the children.

Implementation

We use the Jigsaw scheme to deliver our PSHE curriculum.

Year 1 and 2:

Being Me in My World: identify hopes and fears and know who to ask for help; listen to others, work cooperatively and contribute ideas; and help make the class a fair and safe place.
Celebrating Difference: learn about stereotypes; understand that sometimes bullying is about difference and say how someone who is being bullied feels; recognise what is right and wrong and learn when to stand up for themselves or others; know some ways to make new friends; say some ways they are different to their friends and know that these differences make them special and unique.
Dreams and goals: choose a realistic goal and think about how to achieve it; persevere and identify their strengths as a learner; understand that working with others can help them learn and solve problems; feel proud of their successes when working cooperatively.
Healthy Me: know what they need to keep their body healthy; know what makes them feel relaxed and what makes them feel stressed; know how medicines work and the importance of using them safely; sort foods into food groups and know which foods their body needs to keep healthy.
Relationships: identify the members of their family and the relationships they have with them and the importance of sharing and cooperating; accept that everyone’s family is different and most people value their family; keep safe exploring physical contact; resolve conflicts with friends positively; understand secrets and trust; and express appreciation for people.
Changing Me: recognise cycles of life in nature; understand the natural process of growing from young to old, recognising how they have changed since they were a baby; recognise the physical differences between boys and girls, using the correct names for parts of the body, appreciating that some parts of my body are private; learn to be assertive and look forward to moving into the next year group.

Year 3 and 4:

Being Me in my World: identify positive things about themselves and their achievements; face new challenges positively, making responsible choices; know my attitudes and actions make a difference to the class team; take on a role in a group and contribute; understand how democracy works through the school council; understand that their actions affect themselves and others; understand how groups come together to make decisions; understand how democracy and having a voice benefits the school community.
Celebrating Difference: understand that sometimes they might make assumptions based on what people look like and learn to question this; know that bullying can be hard to spot and what to do if they think it is happening; understand what is special about themselves and value the ways in which they are unique; understand that our first impressions of someone can change when we get to know them.
Dreams and Goals: tell someone about their hopes and dreams; understand how disappointment can feel and how to cope with it; to be resilient and have a positive attitude; know how to work out the steps to take to achieve a goal; enjoy being part of a group challenge and share in the success of a group.
Healthy Me: understand how exercise affects my body and know why my heart and lungs are important; recognise how different friendship groups are formed and how I fit into them; recognise the changing dynamics in a group; understand the facts about smoking and alcohol and their effects on health and some of the reasons some people start to smoke or drink alcohol; identify their knowledge and attitude towards drugs; know that some household substances can be harmful; know how to act assertively to resist pressure.
Relationships: know how it feels to belong to a web of different relationships and identify what they contribute to them; identify someone I love and express why they are special to them; know how most people feel when they lose someone or something they love; remember people even though we no longer see them; express their own opinions about animal rights; understand how people feel when they lose a special pet; know how to show love and appreciation to the people and animals who are special to me.
Changing Me: understand that some of their personal characteristics come from their birth parents and this happens because they are made from the joining of an egg and sperm; learn that having a baby is a personal choice and know the parts of the male and female bodies that are necessary for making a baby; understand how babies grow and develop in the mother’s uterus; understand what a baby needs to live and grow; describe how boys’ and girls’ bodies change so they are able to have babies when they are adults; have strategies to help them cope with physical and emotional changes experience during puberty; identify changes that are out of their control and learn to accept them and manage them positively; recognise stereotypical ideas they might have about parenting and family roles

Year 5 and 6:

Being Me in My World: identify their goals for the year and know how to express their worries about future; understand their own needs and compare these with children in different communities; understand their rights and responsibilities; understand that their actions affect other locally and globally; care about other people’s feelings and empathise with them; understand how an individual’s behaviour can impact a group; understand how democracy and having a voice benefits the school community.
Celebrating Difference: understand there are different perceptions about what normal means; understand how having a disability could affect someone’s life; give examples of people with disabilities who lead amazing lives; understand that cultural differences sometimes cause conflict and understand what racism is; respect their own and other people’s cultures; understand that rumour-spreading and name-calling can be bullying behaviours; explain the ways a person or group can have power over another; know some reasons why people use bullying behaviours.
Dreams and Goals: know their own strengths and set realistic goals; work out the steps they need to take to reach their goal and how to motivate themselves; understand that they will need money to achieve some of their dreams; identify problems in the world that concern them and work with others to improve things; recognise their own achievements
Healthy Me: know the impact of food on the body and be motivated to give their body the best combination of food for their physical and emotional health; understand how the media and celebrity culture promotes certain body types and how this may lead to body image pressures; know about different types of drugs and their uses and their effects on the body; find ways to be happy and cope with situations in life without using drugs; evaluate when alcohol is being used responsibly, anti-socially or misused; know how to get help in emergency situations and know basic first aid; know how to look after their mental health and wellbeing; know and use different strategies to manage stress and pressure.
Relationships: identify the most significant people in my life; use some strategies to manage feelings of loss and help others; understand the different stages of grief and there are different types of loss; recognise when people are trying to gain power or control; demonstrate ways they can stand up for themselves and their friends; negotiate and compromise within friendship groups, resolving conflict; understand that technology can be used to gain power or control; use technology positively and safely to communicate with their friends and family; understand what having a boyfriend or girlfriend might mean.
Changing Me: have awareness of their own self-image and develop their self-esteem; explain how boys’ and girls’ bodies change through puberty, including menstruation; understand the importance of looking after themselves physically and emotionally; understand that sexual intercourse can lead to conception and that sometimes people need IVF to help them make a baby; describe how a baby develops from conception and during pregnancy and how it is born; understand how being attracted to someone changes the nature of the relationship; know how to prepare themselves mentally for the transition to secondary school.

Impact

Children move on to secondary school having developed in confidence and resilience, and with high aspirations for themselves. They will have improved their respect for others and the world in which they live. They will have developed their social skills and their ability to empathise with others. They will also have a greater understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe.

To see our Progression Grid for PSHE, click here.