PSHE

PSHE

At Firs Primary School we see Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) as being at the centre of all that we do.

 

More information can be found here

 

Intent

The intent of our PSHE curriculum is:

• To equip pupils with a sound understanding of what risk is. Then to use their knowledge and skills necessary to make safe and informed decisions.
• To ensure that our curriculum is accessible to all which encourages our children to have a positive and successful role in society as children and adults in the future.
• To ensure pupils have a strong knowledge of the world around them where they are able to confront many of the social and cultural issues that surround them.
• To develop their understanding of fundamental British values by increasing their acceptance and appreciation of diversity, celebrating what we have in common and promoting respect for the different protected characteristics as defined in law.
• To develop oracy skills, debate and expression of opinions through discussion. Children will develop their resilience, confidence and independence, which will help them keep physically and mentally healthy at each stage of their education.

Implementation

• PSHE in our school is taught using a flexible scheme called SCARF. This allows staff to differentiate where appropriate for all needs and it is specific SEND curriculum allows for more personalised teaching where necessary. SCARF supports schools in meeting the requirements of the National Curriculum and particularly in relation to safeguarding. SCARF gives teaching staff high quality planning and resources which our teachers adapt to their classes needs. This includes key vocabulary and questioning. Children are taught a variety of topics through SCARF such as road safety, hygiene, first aid and nutrition.
• In some classes you will see Philosophy for children in our teaching. Philosophy for Children (P4C) is a type of approach to learning and teaching which boosts children’s thinking and communication skills. P4C encourages children to ask and answer questions that are difficult to answer and learn from each other through discussion. It can be used across the curriculum, in every subject, and with all ages and abilities.
• Spiritual journal also incorporates the questioning skills used in P4C where the children discuss the “Picture News” of the week. This allows the children to learn and share their opinions about current issues.
• The topics in the nursery and reception are the same enabling the children to build on prior learning and building the foundations from topics in year 1 to year 6. This is to consolidate the children learning and develop on previous learning. This also helps our children who have different starting points at the school.
• Lots of the time, PSHE is taught through cross curricular links, assemblies and collective worship (often the theme for collective worship identifies, promotes and celebrates one of the school’s values), other school events (residential visits, enrichment, special activities planned to allow the children to work together under different circumstances), and School Council, which provide links with parents and members of the outside community. It is taught as and when it is needed during lessons. The different lessons from the SCARF scheme can be delivered either as a whole class discussion, drama activities or individual pieces of work. These will then be recorded in the children’s topic book or the whole class topic book.
• We hope to focus on achievement for the children through our ‘Gold Book’ assembly which celebrates a variety of personal achievements in and outside school, with particular focus to our ‘Firsy Values’ and academia. By offering a curriculum which is tailored to individual needs, we hope to see that all children, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds and with SEND have the chance to succeed.

Sex and Relationship Education

• SCARF is also mapped to the new DfE guidance for Relationships Education and Health Education, The PSHE Association’s Programmes of Study Learning Opportunities, the National Curriculum, Curriculum for Excellence and Ofsted’s requirements.
• We believe that sex education, like other areas of the curriculum, should be matched to the maturity of the children, this is why we teach ‘growing and changing’ in the summer term.
• As parents, you are in the best position to help your child to cope with physical, emotional and moral aspects of growing up. In school, teachers will try to deal factually, honestly and clearly with children’s questions whenever they arise. Our school policy, as agreed by the Governing Body, reflects the Local Authority’s recommendation for primary schools. We feel that sex education is best covered within the ‘Personal & Social Health Education’ areas of the curriculum taking place in school, so that it can be introduced in the context of family life, with caring relationships and respect for others emphasised.
• We recognise that parents have a right to withdraw their child from all or part of the school’s sex education programme, which covers issues outside the National Curriculum. Parents will always be informed beforehand of lesson content, which goes beyond National Curriculum requirements, and will be given an opportunity to view material before it is presented to the children.
• Where a parent wishes to exclude their child from sex education lessons, a letter requesting this should be sent to the Headteacher, indicating their reasons for the request.

 

More information about P4C can be found here

More information about SCARF can be found here