Personal Social Health & Emotional (PSHE) & Relationship & Sex Education (RSE)

National Curriculum

The National Curriculum states that all schools must provide a curriculum that is broadly based, balanced and meets the needs of all pupils. It must also: - Promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, and - Prepare pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. The National Curriculum Framework (2013) states specifically that ‘all schools should make provision for PSHE, drawing on good practice.’

Overall school aims for Personal, Social and Health Education

Our approach to PSHE consists of a comprehensive and developmental programme of teaching and learning, which is delivered in the context of a Healthy School where the health and wellbeing of pupils and of the whole school community are actively promoted. Our PSHE programme (SCARF) has a positive influence on the ethos, learning and relationships throughout the school. It is central to our values and to achieving our school’s stated aims and objectives. Our PSHE programme helps pupils to develop the knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes they need to live confident, healthy, independent lives now and in the future, as individuals, parents/carers, workers and members of society. It is embedded within the wider learning offered by the school to ensure that pupils experience positive relationships with adults and with each other and feel valued, and that those who are most vulnerable are identified and supported. Pupils are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities and experiences across and beyond the curriculum, contributing fully to the life of our school and community.

The overarching aim for PSHE education is to provide pupils with:

• accurate and relevant knowledge
• opportunities to turn that knowledge into personal understanding
• opportunities to explore, clarify and if necessary challenge, their own and others’ values, attitudes, beliefs, rights and responsibilities
• the skills, language and strategies they need in order to live healthy, safe, fulfilling, responsible and balanced lives

Within this, the school aims to develop pupils’ understanding of:

• identity, including personal qualities, attitudes, skills, attributes and achievements and what influences these
• relationships, including different types and in different settings
• a healthy lifestyle, including physically, emotionally and socially
• a balanced lifestyle, including within relationships, work-life, exercise and rest, spending and saving and diet
• risk, including identification, assessment and how to manage risk rather than simply the avoidance of risk for self and others
• safety, including behaviour and strategies to employ in different settings
• diversity and equality, in all its forms
• rights, including the notion of universal human rights, responsibilities including fairness and justice and consent in different contexts
• change and resilience, the skills, strategies and ‘inner resources’ we can draw on when faced with challenging change or circumstance
• power in a variety of contexts including persuasion, bullying, negotiation and ‘win-win’ outcomes
• career, including enterprise, employability and economic understanding

Overall school aims for SRE

Our approach to SRE consists of a comprehensive and developmental programme of teaching and learning, which is delivered in the context of a Healthy School where the health and wellbeing of pupils and the whole school community are actively promoted.  SRE programme has a positive influence on the ethos, learning and relationships throughout the school. It is central to our values and to achieving our school’s stated aims and objectives. Our SRE programme helps pupils to develop the knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes they need to live confident, healthy, independent lives now and in the future.

 Through the provision outlined in this policy, the school’s overall aims of SRE are to teach and develop the following three main elements:

Attitudes and values:

• learn the importance of values and individual conscience and moral considerations
• learn the value of family life, marriage, and stable and loving relationships for the nurture of children
• learn the value of respect, love and care
• explore, consider and understand moral dilemmas
• develop critical thinking as part of decision-making

Personal and social skills:

• learn to manage emotions and relationships confidently and sensitively
• develop self-respect and empathy for others
• learn to make choices based on an understanding of difference and with an absence of prejudice
• develop an appreciation of the consequences of choices made
• manage conflict
• learn how to recognise and avoid exploitation and abuse

Knowledge and understanding:

• learn and understand physical development at appropriate stages
• understand human sexuality, reproduction, sexual health, emotions and relationships
• learn about contraception and the range of local and national sexual health advice, contraception and support services
• learn the reasons for delaying sexual activity, and the benefits to be gained from such delay, including the avoidance of unplanned pregnancy

In addition to this, we also aim to:

• raise pupils’ self-esteem and confidence
• develop communication and assertiveness skills that can help them stay true to their values if challenged by others, their peers or what they see in the media
• teach pupils to be accepting of the different beliefs, cultures, religions, sexual orientations, physical and mental abilities, backgrounds and values of those around them
• support pupils to lead a healthy and safe lifestyle, teaching them to care for, and respect, their bodies
• provide pupils with the right tools to enable them to seek information or support, should they need it
• teach pupils about consent and their right to say no, in an age appropriate manner
• to teach lessons that are sensitive to a range of views, values and beliefs
• ensure that staff teaching SRE remain neutral in their delivery whilst ensuring that pupils always have access to the learning they need to stay safe, healthy and understand their rights as individuals

The aim of SRE is NOT to:

• encourage pupils to become sexually active at a young age
• promote a particular sexual orientation
• sexualise children

Below is some parental information together with the program of study for our PSHE and RSE Curriculum