Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

PSHE Intent, Implementation, and Impact Statement

Intent

At Longney Church of England Primary Academy, Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) enables our children to become healthy, independent and responsible members of society and is an embedded part of our broad and balanced curriculum. It aims to help them understand how they are developing personally and socially, and tackles many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up.

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development is at the heart of our school ethos. British Values are promoted through the overarching aims and objectives of PSHE by supporting our children to become healthy and responsible members of society, as well as preparing them for life and work in modern Britain.

At Longney, we recognise the importance of PSHE and the role it plays in helping our pupils grow into healthy, independent, and responsible individuals who are prepared for life and work. Our curriculum builds upon the children’s first stages of development in EYFS through progressive and sequenced topics, which revolve around three key themes: relationships, health and wellbeing and living in the wider world. Within the study of PSHE, our children develop the knowledge, skills, and attributes they need to manage their lives, now and in the future.

The quality PSHE which is taught and embedded in our ethos ensures children are given wide perspectives on the diverse society that we live in today. Pupils develop fully as:

  • individuals as they focus on their own personal development; believing in themselves, building resilience, developing habits to help them to lead a healthy life;
  • members of families and social communities; understanding how to relate to others and adopt teamwork skills;
  • members of economic communities; developing their awareness of the part that they play and how to live responsibly.

It is essential that we teach PSHE to provide the link between pupils’ health and wellbeing, and their academic progress. We know that focusing on promoting positive behaviour, mental health, wellbeing, resilience, and achievement will impact their whole education.

 

Implementation

We believe that PSHE plays a vital part of primary education and is therefore timetabled to be taught across the school at the beginning of every week, to place it at the forefront of our curriculum. There are also occasions where teachers may feel it necessary to teach PSHE as a result of an issue that has arisen in their own class. Many objectives from the curriculum will also be covered as an important part of school or class worship, where children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural curiosity is stimulated, challenged and nurtured. The distribution of the lessons complements key campaigns throughout the year, such as National Anti-bullying Week and Safer Internet Week.

Teachers follow a Primary Scheme of Work called SCARF – Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience, Friendship (Coram Life Education). SCARF’s lesson plans and resources help to promote positive behaviour, mental health, wellbeing, resilience and achievement. There is a proven link between pupils’ health and wellbeing, and their academic progress. Crucial skills developed through PSHE are critical in ensuring that children are effective learners and SCARF provides a whole-school approach to building these essential foundations.

SCARF lesson plans are organised around the PSHE Association’s Programmes of Study, which include three core themes of Health and Wellbeing; Relationships; and, Living in the Wider World. These themes have been broken down into six main areas for termly coverage, and are ordered as follows:

Me and My Relationships

Valuing Difference

Keeping Myself Safe

Rights and Responsibilities

Being my Best

Growing and Changing

Our school’s values provide a culture which contributes towards the pastoral development of our children. Therefore, our teaching approach places great emphasis upon collaboration and cooperation: group work is a key element of all classrooms, enabling our pupils to achieve success together. Beyond this, pupils are encouraged to show leadership in their community through School Council.

At Longney, our PSHE curriculum demonstrates appropriate subject knowledge, skills and understanding to fulfil the statutory duties of the Relationships and Health Education (RHE).

 

Impact

Children will demonstrate and apply the British Values of Democracy, Tolerance, Mutual respect, Rule of law and Liberty.

Children will demonstrate a healthy outlook towards school – attendance will be at least in-line with national averages and behaviour will be good.

Participation in extra-curricular activity both in school and beyond is encouraged and celebrated.

Children will become healthy and responsible members of society.

Children will volunteer both within the school through litter picking, classroom jobs, and playground leaders, and within the community through choir concerts within local care homes and supporting the local foodbank, for example.

Children will achieve age related expectations across the wider curriculum.

Children will be well prepared for their journey preparing them for life and work in modern Britain.