Intent

At St Lawrence CE Primary School, PSHE is an integral part of our school life. We believe that the personal, emotional and social development of all pupils is paramount. We provide a high-quality, broad and balanced PSHE curriculum. We aim to adapt and modify the PSHE curriculum to tailor it to individual cohorts’ needs. We use our Wellbeing lessons to help our children have high aspirations, a belief in themselves and an understanding of who they are and what the world they live in is like.  Lessons will develop pupils’ knowledge, skills and attributes so that they can make informed decisions about their safety, wellbeing, health and relationships, both now and in their future. Lessons provide opportunities for critical thinking and resilience so that pupils make sound decisions when facing risks, challenges or new or more complex situations.

Implementation

At St Lawrence CE Primary School, teachers use the PSHE Association question-based model to guide their lessons, but also take account of the context of their individual children when teaching and adapt their lessons as appropriate. The programme of study for KS1 and KS2 is split into 3 core themes: Living in the Wider World, Health and Well-being and Relationships (covering statutory Relationships Education guidance). These themes have been used to craft a Wellbeing programme of study for Early Years as well. Themes are revisited twice per year to allow for links to be made across different topics within themes. Pupils are taught using a range of strategies, including opportunities to ‘pre-empt’ situations they may find themselves in, in the future, to enable them to assess risk and plan actions in a safe environment. Pupils are given details of people and organisations that can help them, such as Childline.  In order to develop confident, active and informed citizens, talk is placed at the heart of PSHE lessons with pupils appropriately sharing their opinions and reflections during whole class debates and discussions. Opportunities for PSHE -linked visits and visitors are built into our curriculum to enrich children’s learning. These include First Aid Training for KS1 and KS2, visits from the Fire Service and Water Safety sessions. Cross curricular links are made where it is appropriate and beneficial to do so, such as e-safety in Computing and Healthy Eating in Science. Throughout the school, children are taught relationships and health education in line with the Curriculum and the Science Programme of Study. Pupils in upper KS2 are also taught additional, age-appropriate sex education, guided by the Teaching SRE resource.

Impact

In Wellbeing, pupils are formatively assessed every lesson, through observations and discussion. Pupils who require further support with emotional development may be given ELSA or TALA time, delivered by a trained member of staff. In the EYFS profile assessment, children are assessed against ELGs for Self-Regulation, Managing Self and Building Relationships. This is reported to parents in end of year reports.

At St Lawrence, pupils will become confident, informed, active and responsible citizens. They will understand and respect diversity and difference. They will understand their own physical and mental wellbeing and will know how to ask for help and support if they need it. Pupils will be able to reflect on their experiences and understand how they are developing personally and socially, tackling many of the spiritual, moral, social and culture issues that are part of growing up. They will be resilient and independent in solving problems that they can tackle on their own. They will be able to approach change and transition positively and be equipped with strategies to help themselves at times of change.