PSHE & RSE
Our Approach to PSHE and SRE
Rationale
At Bredgar Church of England Primary School, we consider PSHE to be a vital and necessary part of all children’s education that enables them to better understand themselves, each other and the world around them. PSHE is not just another subject to be taught, rather it provides all children with an equal opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge they need to thrive and flourish now and in the future. We are helping to plant in them lifelong aspirations, goals and values that will help them to grow into kind and compassionate members of the wider community.
Our Scheme of Work
Our PSHE programme reflects the needs of our children and builds upon the statutory content outlined by the Department for Education. It draws upon the guidance of the PSHE Association Programme of Study, as well as resources from the Kapow Primary Scheme of Work in order to cultivate a sound understanding of risk as well as developing the knowledge and skills necessary to make safe and informed decisions. In addition, we call upon the Church of England endorsed, Winter Project Program of Study, to provide specific Relationship and Sex Education.
Teaching and Learning in PSHE
PSHE will be taught both incidentally, as and when a specific need arises, and explicitly in order to ensure that specific knowledge and skills develop in the following key areas: Relationships, Health and Wellbeing and Living in the Wider World. Key themes around family, friendship, physical and mental health, personal safety, citizenship, and economic wellbeing are explored across each Key Stage on a two-year cycle. RSE units are taught in year groups in the latter terms of each year and an additional theme of identity is considered in Year 6 as part of preparation for Secondary.
PSHE is woven throughout our curriculum, with opportunities to explore, develop and deepen the children’s understanding of themselves, others and the wider world across all subjects. In addition, weekly timetabling ensures that PSHE is treated with same level of relevance as other core subjects. Teachers also take advantage of opportunities for incidental PSHE in response to pupil voice, need and moments of spiritual connection.
As with other subjects, specific PSHE lessons will follow the school’s agreed pedagogy for teaching and learning, using the five-part format of: Review, Teach, Practise, Appy and Reflect. However, unlike other core subjects, there will not be specific books for PSHE, instead examples of knowledge and skills will be evident throughout other subject books; teacher questioning and comments [both verbal and written]; on displays and through discussions with children. Teachers may choose to keep a file of examples of children’s thoughts and responses.
Feedback will be given at the point of learning and will primarily be verbal, however Teachers may on occasion use a written question as a means to provide an opportunity to deepen thinking and provide an additional challenge.
Approach to PSHE in EYFS
In Reception, PSHE is covered within the Personal Social and Emotional Development (PSED) area of the Early Years curriculum. We consider children’s PSED as vital for the cultivation of healthy and happy lives, as well as being fundamental for their cognitive development. Supporting their personal development are the important attachments that shape their social world. Strong, warm and nurturing relationships with adults enable children to learn how to understand their own feelings and those of others. Our children are supported to manage emotions, develop a positive sense of self, set themselves simple goals, have confidence in their own abilities, to persist and wait for what they want and direct attention as necessary. Through adult modelling and guidance, they learn how to look after their bodies, including healthy eating, and manage personal needs independently. Through guided interaction with other children, they learn how to make good friendships, co-operate and resolve conflicts peaceably. These attributes will provide a secure foundation from which they can achieve at school and in later life. Our children are expected to achieve all aspects of the three Early Learning Goals within PSED – Self-regulation, Managing-self and Building Relationships – in order to be assessed as having reached a Good Level of Development (GLD) at the end of EYFS.
PSED is the thread that weaves through each term’s Topics and activities for learning. It can be seen to grow throughout the year through high quality interactions in modelled Child Initiated time, daily group discussions, sharing circles and specific PSED times. It is recorded on the online platform, Tapestry.
Assessment
Assessment will be based upon observation, questioning, discussions and tasks during specific PSHE lessons as well as across the curriculum in subjects, such as Science, RSE, P.E and R.E, and will be measured against the outcomes provided by the Kapow Scheme of Work, supported by the PSHE Association Key Outcomes document. Data will be reported termly via Insight. In addition, well-being surveys may also be carried out throughout the year to further support Teacher assessment.
Relationships Education
What does the DfE statutory guidance on Relationships Education expect children to know by the time they leave primary school?
Relationships Education in primary schools will cover ‘Families and people who care for me’, ‘Caring friendships’, ‘Respectful relationships’, ‘Online relationships’, and ‘Being safe’.
The expected outcomes for each of these elements can be found further in the long term planning.
The relationship education at Bredgar is taught through the Winter Project.
Health Education
What does the DfE statutory guidance on Health Education expect children to know by the time they leave primary school?
Health Education in primary schools will cover ‘Mental wellbeing’, ‘Internet safety and harms’, Physical health and fitness’, Healthy eating’, ‘Drugs, alcohol and tobacco’, ‘Health and prevention’, ‘Basic First Aid’, ‘Changing adolescent body’.
The expected outcomes for each of these elements can be found further on in the long term planning.
Sex Education
The DfE Guidance 2019 (p.23) recommends that all primary schools ‘have a sex education programme tailored to the age and the physical and emotional maturity of the pupils.
However, ‘Sex Education is not compulsory in primary schools’. (p. 23)
Schools are to determine the content of sex education at primary school. Sex education ‘should ensure that both boys and girls are prepared for the changes that adolescence brings and – drawing on knowledge of the human life cycle set out in the national curriculum for science - how a baby is conceived and born’.
At Bredgar Primary School, we believe children should understand the facts about human reproduction before they leave primary school so can lead confident, healthy, independent lives and to become informed, active and responsible citizens.
We define Sex Education as ‘a lifelong learning process of acquiring information, developing skills and forming positive beliefs and attitudes about sex, sexuality, relationships and feelings (Sex Education Forum, 1999)’
We intend to teach this through both Science and PSHE. When reproduction is taught in Science it is compulsory for children in which case parents can’t withdraw their child/ren from this area of the curriculum. When Sex Education is taught as part of PSHE, parents have the right to withdraw.
Parents’ right to request their child be excused from Sex Education
“Parents have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from some or all of sex education delivered as part of statutory Relationships and Sex Education” DfE Guidance p.17
The school will inform parents of this right by Arbor communication ahead of the unit.
“Parents have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from some or all of sex education delivered as part of statutory Relationships and Sex Education” DfE Guidance p. 17
