PSHE
“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” - Nelson Mandela
Subject Leader: Nicola Brooks
Link Governor: Anna Edwards
PSHE is an integral part of the curriculum at Christchurch and we aim to teach the children how to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills that they need to face life's challenges and to make the most of their opportunities. We aim to ensure a comfortable atmosphere where the children can ask questions to deepen their understanding.
We want our children to be confident, well-rounded individuals with positive mental health and wellbeing. They will recognise the importance of being part of God’s family and appreciate the importance of helping others and caring for the world around them. Their actions will reflect our School Values and they will show resilience and determination to flourish as individuals. Through their willingness to care and help others, they will establish positive relationships and will be role models for their peers. Our aim is for all our children to be proud of their heritage and be exemplary ‘young citizens’ through their understanding of their British Values and respect for all cultures, races and beliefs.
Our PSHE curriculum has been built with the aim to support the development of the ‘whole child’, by helping them to understand how they are developing personally and socially as well as promoting their social, mental and physical development. Children will be able to develop the ability to tackle the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up. Through our discreet lessons as well as a wider cross curricular approach to teaching PSHE, children are taught how to keep themselves safe, physically and emotionally resulting in the acquisition of knowledge and skills, which enables children to access the wider curriculum. We provide our children with opportunities for them to learn about rights and responsibilities and appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society. Our children are encouraged to develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community. Our school vision supports them in fostering good relationships between all in line with the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.
What Children Learn
PSHE is taught weekly and is planned by following a scheme of work by Partnership for Children. We also use resources from Christopher Winters which provides a spiral curriculum for Sex Education and Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs Education from Reception to Year 6. Our pastoral mentor also supports staff with the discussion of more challenging topics. The distribution of lessons also allows us to teach about key campaigns, for example Anti-Bullying Week. By the end of each key stage, children will have had the opportunities to meet the end of key stage statements in line with the statutory guidance outlined in the Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education. PSHE is made accessible for all children due to its multi-sensory approach. The children are able to earn through a combination of drama, videos, discussions and visits from specialists. In every year group, we remind and teach the children who they can talk to and who they can ask for support.
Nursery
The Nursery is the children’s first insight into school life where they will begin to learn the school rules and how to negotiate playing alongside others. The Nursery children will spend lots of time talking about their feelings and learning what their bodies may do in response to certain feelings, for example when I am happy I smile. The children will spend lots of time learning to become more independent and be taught key skills such as handwashing and putting on their coats independently.
Reception
In Reception, the children will build on some of the key skills learnt in Early Years. They will continue to learn about what is wrong and right and begin to explore different emotions that may appear. Children will also learn about how to be a caring friend which also includes understanding of how all families are different and celebrating that we all have differences, especially those who may have a disability.
Children will also learn about staying safe at home and basic road safety as well as being taught about staying healthy and keeping our bodies clean.
Year 1
In Year 1, the emotions learnt in Reception are built on to understand the differences between each emotion and we also use our ‘Zones of Regulation’ to help us identify and deal with these. The children also look at developing their communication, especially their listening skills which will help them in dealing with friendship issues. They will also recap different families which is touched upon in Reception.
Children will also learn about keeping their teeth healthy as well as looking at staying healthy through the use of medicines and how the NHS help us. They will also discuss how children grow and change over time.
Year 2
In Year 2, the children will develop their skills of finding solutions to problems as well as how to deal with bullying. They will also begin to look at change and loss and how they are a part of life and how to adapt and cope with these new situations. The children will also explore the differences between Males and Females and learn the names of the appropriate body parts.
Children will also learn about different risks and how to avoid them. They will also learn about how to stay safe in the sun and also about allergies, using a scheme called Allergy Adventures. This will help them to understand about different allergies and what may cause them.
Year 3
In Year 3, the children develop a lot on what they have learned in KS1. They will look again into emotions and coping strategies to help them understand them and feel better. They will also learn about communication and in particular, speaking in a difficult situation, especially in relation to friendships. They will continue to develop their understanding of respect, especially looking at personal space and physical contact.
Children will also learn about smoking and the physical effects that it has. They will also look at the importance of sleep and the benefits of having a good night's sleep.
Year 4
In Year 4, the children will continue to develop their knowledge on who they can ask for help as well as developing the strategies they learnt in Year 2 about change and loss. It also allows the children to deal with disappointment and celebrate ‘togetherness’. The children will move onto looking at respectful relationships and what they would be like as well as the human life cycle, basic puberty knowledge and how puberty is linked to reproduction.
Children will also look at the effects of alcohol and develop their learning from KS1 on allergies.
Year 5
In Year 5, the children will expand their knowledge on everything they have learnt so far by exploring them in a deeper and more mature manner. They will also have the opportunity to look at legal and illegal drugs and learn about the effects. They will explore peer pressure and who they can ask for help, linking again to prior learning.
Year 6
The Year 5 curriculum is developed further in Year 6 by the children being able to explore how to stay healthy through the use of First Aid and immunisations/vaccinations.