PSHE & RSE

At St Lawrence Primary School we strongly believe that PSHE education helps our pupils to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage many of the critical opportunities, challenges and responsibilities they will face as they grow up and in adulthood. We aim to promote healthy, independent and responsible members of society. We believe that PSHE is taught and learnt best when it is relevant to the children. It is embedded across the entire curriculum, for example: learning about apartheid in History lessons in year 5, role playing different families in the year R home corner and discussing disability through 'The Christmasaurus' by Tom Fletcher in Year 3 Reading lessons. We are also responsive to the children’s needs and address issues as they arise.

We use discrete PSHE lessons to address the appropriate needs of the children, We are members of the PSHE Association and use their plans as the backbone of our own planning. Our programme of study is divided into 3 core themes: Relationships, Living in the Wider World and Health and Wellbeing. Our Collective Worship programme allows time to reflect on and discuss global issues such as Holocaust Memorial week, Black History Month and the issue of Climate Change. We also use class Collective Worship times to discuss and practise self-compassion. In Early Years we focus heavily on the children’s Personal, Social and Emotional Development, particularly in the Autumn term. This ensures that they feel happy, safe and ready to learn.

As a school, we also address PSHE through educational visits, community events and fundraising activities. As a UNICEF Rights Respecting School, we believe it is important to explore issues which affect us all as global citizens.

RSE
Relationships and sex education is learning about the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up, relationships, sex, human sexuality and sexual health. Some aspects are taught through the science curriculum and others are taught as part of PSHE. A comprehensive programme of RSE provides accurate information about the body, reproduction, sex, and sexual health. It also gives children and young people essential skills for building positive, enjoyable, respectful and non-exploitative relationships and staying safe both on and offline.
 
At St Lawrence Primary School we believe high quality RSE helps create safe school communities in which pupils can grow, learn, and develop positive, healthy behaviour for life. By teaching pupils to stay safe and healthy and by building self-esteem, resilience and empathy, an effective PSHE programme can tackle barriers to learning, raise aspirations, and improve the life chances for all our children.