Intention

What are we trying to achieve?

Here, at St. Benedict’s Primary School our vision for our PSHE curriculum is to deliver a curriculum which is accessible to all children enabling them to become healthy both emotionally and physically, independent and responsible members of society. We encourage our children to play a positive role in contributing to the life of the school and the wider community. In doing so; we help develop their sense of self-worth. It encourages them to be enterprising and supports them in making effective transitions, positive learning and career choices, and in achieving economic wellbeing. A critical component of PSHE education is providing opportunities for children to reflect on and clarify their own values and attitudes, and explore the complex and sometimes conflicting range of values and attitudes they encounter now and in the future. As part of a whole-school approach, PSHE education develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society. PSHE education also makes a significant contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development, their behaviour and safety, and to their emotional wellbeing.

SMSC and FBV

Our whole school curriculum intent with SMSC and British Values is to provide pupils with the opportunity to learn about themselves, others and the world around them so that they can begin to develop and reflect on their own beliefs and opinions and gain an informed perspective of the wider world. Through acceptance and engagement with the British values of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs; pupils will develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain. This will include understanding the difference between right and wrong, understanding there are consequences for our actions, learning to accept and respect the viewpoints of others, how to be an active member of our school as well as our wider community, the role of parliament and its history and the way in which it and other historical and cultural events have shaped our own heritage.
 

RHSE

The programme of study for RHSE aims to provide pupils with a rich, broad and cohesive curriculum which will enable pupils to engage with meaningful learning experiences and prepare them to become global citizens. It aims to develop knowledge, critical thinking skills and positive attitude towards themselves and others. Pupils will engage in opportunities to apply the knowledge and skills learned throughout their school life and beyond. The programme of study places strong emphasis on the personal development and mental well-being of pupils as we believe they are just as important as the academic subjects taught in schools. It also aims to provide pupils with opportunities to engage in a range of activities that will not only enrich their lives, but equip them with skills for life. Furthermore, it aims to prepare pupils for life both in modern British society and the global community, by fostering positive attitudes and qualities that enables them to become confident, caring, respectful and responsible citizens. This will complement pupils’ understanding of their own rights in our Rights Respecting Schools (Article 28/29 UNCRC).

The following articles underline our Aims;

Article 3

"The best interests of the child must be a top priority in all our actions."

Article 29 

"Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures and the environment."
 

Rationale

The aims of Personal, Social and Health Education are to enable children to:

• Be rights respecting citizens who have respect for themselves and for others;
• Develop self-confidence and self-esteem to make informed choices regarding personal and social issues;
• Explore opportunities, clarify and if necessary challenge, their own and others’ values, attitudes, beliefs and responsibilities.
• Be independent and responsible members of the school community;
• Acquire skills and strategies they need in order to live a healthy, safe, fulfilling, responsible and balanced lives.

Rights Respecting

St Benedict’s Primary School is a ‘Rights Respecting’ School and therefore our philosophy is underpinned by the values and principles of the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). All staff and children are responsible for creating model citizens. We believe that by understanding their own rights, children will learn to respect and value the rights of others. Children learn about rights through the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

The whole school community learns about the UNCRC. Each year group learns about the UNCRC and displays are explicitly linked to the UNCRC. All members of the school community are encouraged to be ambassadors for children’s rights. Parents and the wider community are included in our work as a Rights Respecting School. Pupils are encouraged to identify themselves as Global Citizens and given opportunities to develop their knowledge and awareness of how they can have a positive impact on the world, now and in the future.

Opportunities to teach safeguarding

This may include covering relevant issues through Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education (formerly known as Sex and Relationship Education), tutorials (in colleges) and/or where delivered, through Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education. The Government has made regulations which will make the subjects of Relationships Education (for all primary pupils) and Relationships and Sex Education (for all secondary pupils) and Health Education (for all pupils in state-funded schools) mandatory from September 2020.
 

Implementation

How do we organise this?

Our curriculum design uses a range of teaching and learning styles. We place an emphasis on active learning by including the children in discussions, investigations and problem solving activities. We encourage the children to take part in a range of practical activities that promote active citizenship, such as fundraising, the planning of school special events such as an assembly, or involvement in an activity to help other individuals or groups less fortunate than themselves. Assemblies link in with an Imaginative Learning Project to showcase children’s learning through a range of Curriculum subjects.

We run a School Council, a Rights Respecting Steering Group and Eco Committee to give pupils a voice and democratic role in how our school operates. The school has a consistent approach through our ‘Rights Respecting’ programme. At the beginning of the school year, children are involved in developing their classroom charter. Charters are drawn up in consultation between children and adults and identify the rights that are most relevant to that situation together with the ways in which adults and children will act in order to ensure that these rights are respected.

“Creating a charter is a way of making the rights of the child real and meaningful to children. The process of developing the class charter can serve to unite the class. It develops a sense of ownership of the classroom and learning. Once developed the charter becomes a point of reference for the class and once signed by both teacher and students it signifies a shared activity and acts as the ‘social glue’ which binds everyone together.”

PSHE links across the Curriculum through a theme or Imaginative Learning Project and can also be taught through RE Units.
 

Wider Curriculum

Rights Respecting Values are taught and celebrated every half term allowing children to focus on key aspects of PSHE. This gives children the opportunity to develop associated language in relation to a character trait and also prepares them for the wider society. Our children are constant collaborators with teaching staff in making suggestions and decisions about our school. We also fundraise for charities such as Children in Need.
 

Extra-Curricular activities

We offer a range of after-school and lunchtime clubs are ran to enable children the opportunity to belong to a range of wider social groups; to develop new skills, their self-esteem and to develop good relationships with others.
 

Displays across school

PSHE, Rights Respecting Charters and values are displayed throughout the school to reinforce the PSHE curriculum enabling children to make associations.
 

Thrive assessments

In the Thrive approach we use a developmental model to help us understand how we develop socially and emotionally from birth to adulthood. This model gives us a framework for understanding what healthy child development looks like in terms of behaviour and learning and clarifies what the role of adults should be in facilitating a child’s development at each of the different stages. In addition, the model gives us a lens through which to look at and interpret children’s behaviour, enabling us to identify the particular developmental needs being signalled by their behaviour and to choose appropriate, targeted interventions designed to meet those needs.
 

PSHE in the Early Years Foundation Stage (PSED)

PSED forms an integral part of teaching and learning across the EYFS and is recognised as one of the building blocks of success in life. It supports children’s development by helping them to interact effectively and develop positive attitudes towards themselves and others. It is broken down into three key elements- self-confidence and self-awareness, managing feelings and behaviour and making relationships.
 

PSHE in Key Stage One and Key Stage Two

At St Benedict’s Primary School, PSHE is delivered across KS1 and KS2. PSHE forms part of the school curriculum policy to provide a broad and balanced education to all children. Through our PSHE teaching we provide learning opportunities that enable all pupils to make progress. We do this by setting suitable learning targets and responding to each child’s different needs. We continue to show the importance of teaching PSHE issues to our pupils through our Cornerstones Curriculum. The impact of PSHE is monitored and evaluated every half term, connected samples are collected and work scrutiny and pupil and teacher voice is inspected to ensure the provision of PSHE. During Key Stage 1 children learn about themselves as developing individuals and as members of their communities, building on their own experiences and on the early learning goals for personal, social and emotional development. During key stage 2 pupils learn about themselves as growing and changing individuals with their own experiences and ideas, and as members of their communities. Some of the skills they should accomplish by the end of Key Stage 1 and 2 are: developing confidence and responsibility and making the most of their abilities, preparing to play an active role as citizens, develop a healthy, safer lifestyle, developing relationships and respecting differences between people.
 

SMSC

All curriculum areas have a contribution to make to the child’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development it is embedded within the curriculum and is taught discretely though our cornerstones curriculum. Children are taught to treat all people as unique and valuable individuals and showing respect for pupils and their families. Pupils learn to differentiate between right and wrong in as far as their actions affect other people. They are encouraged to value themselves and others. Children are provided opportunities to celebrate pupils’ work and achievements.

All curriculum areas use illustrations and examples drawn from as wide range of cultural contexts as possible.

Development in SMSC takes place across all curriculum areas, within activities that encourage pupils to recognise the spiritual dimension of their learning, reflect on the significance of what they are learning, and to recognise any challenges that there may be to their own attitude and lifestyle. Teachers use creative strategies and challenging questions to engage pupils in their learning and relate it to their own experiences. Assemblies are planned with a SMSC focus across the year.

FBV

All aspects of Fundamental British values are embedded within all areas of the curriculum.

Democracy: Children have the opportunity to have their voices heard in school. Pupil Voice is accessed readily during class work and is evidenced in classroom displays and whole school displays. School Councillors are elected democratically, voting in each class at the beginning of each year.

Rule of Law: The importance of laws, whether they be those in class, the school or the country are reinforced in school regularly through the SMSC whole school curriculum overview and whole school assembly. Across the school there are clear expectations of behaviour with class charters and whole school charters created by the pupils. We arrange visitors to speak with the children such as the Police.

Individual Liberty: Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make personal choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school, we educate boundaries for children to make choices safely. Children are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advised how to exercise these safely, for example through E-safety. Children have the freedom of choice in respect of extra-curricular clubs that they can get involved in, whether they are before or after school.

Tolerance and respect: This is achieved through enhancing children's understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity through our Curriculum. Assemblies’ are planned termly to recognise key dates within different faiths and cultures such as Ramadan and Holi. Assemblies are followed up and supported by learning in SMSC and RE. Members of different faiths are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within our school.
 

RHSE

RHSE is taught implicitly but is also embedded in other areas of the curriculum and day -to-day life of the school. Children are taught by familiar adults which they have a good rapport with, in order to facilitate constructive supportive discussions around sensitive topics. Staff are trained to respond to the needs of the individual child and support children. Our high expectations of behaviour, interpersonal relationships, respect and tolerance of others reflect the British Values upheld in both our community and the wider world. Through our rigorous and progressive curriculum, children develop key skills and are prepared for the wider world beyond primary school, a world in which they can keep themselves safe and healthy and thrive with the support of the positive relationships they forge with those around them.
 

Impact

How do we know it is successful?

Our school values and inclusion of safeguarding within our curriculum is vital as first and foremost, we want our children to be safe and happy so that they can excel in all aspects of school life. Our PSHE curriculum provides them with a chance to reflect and learn about these crucial elements.

Our children and staff value well-being, mental health and good citizenship. Through our curriculum, we believe that we prepare children for the next stage in their education as well as preparing them, during this vital stage of their life, for the adult world.


SMSC and FBV

Children are enabled to develop 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. They will apply their understanding of society to their everyday interactions, from the classroom to the wider community of which they are a part. This approach supports the active development of a school culture that prioritises physical and mental health and wellbeing, providing children with skills to evaluate and understand their own wellbeing needs, practise self-care and contribute positively to the wellbeing of those around them. SMSC and FBV has an impact on the whole child, including their academic development and progress, by mitigating any social and emotional barriers to learning and building confidence and self-esteem. Evidence suggests that successful SMSC and FBV education also helps disadvantaged and vulnerable children achieve to a greater extent by raising aspirations and empowering them with skills to overcome barriers they face. Is integrated approach teaching SMSC and FBV will positively impact wellbeing and safeguarding. This can ensure that all children are able to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to succeed at school and in the wider world.

RHSE

The impact of our curriculum offer will be that the standards of attainment across the school will meet or exceed those which are expected of our children nationally. We continuously assess the implementation and impact of our RHSE curriculum in order to achieve the highest outcomes possible across all year groups and ensure we provide the support that is necessary for all children to have a good understanding of the complexities of relationships and sexual matters and a secure knowledge and skills base to navigate their way through these, now and in the future. Through our RHSE curriculum, we believe we can enhance children’s education and help them to become confident individuals who have positive body awareness, an in-depth knowledge of how to keep themselves safe and healthy and who will, through respect, tolerance and understanding, forge and maintain positive relationships with a diverse range of family and friendship groups.

PSHE Policy
PSHE Progression

Knowledge Organisers 
Reception
Being me in my world
Celebrating Difference
Dreams and Goals

Year 1
Being me in my world
Celebrating Difference
Dreams and Goals

Year 2
Being me in my world
Celebrating Difference
Dreams and Goals

Year 3
Being me in my world
Celebrating Difference
Dreams and Goals

Year 4
Being me in my world
Celebrating Difference
Dreams and Goals

Year 5
Being me in my world
Celebrating Difference
Dreams and Goals

Year 6
Being me in my world
Celebrating Difference
Dreams and Goals
 

Votes for Schools