PSHE & RSE

What is PSHE Education?

PSHE Education (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) is a planned programme of learning through which children and young people acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to successfully manage their lives – now and in the future. As part of a whole-school approach, PSHE Education develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society.

What do schools have to teach in PSHE Education?

According to the National Curriculum, every school needs to have a broad and balanced curriculum that:

• promotes the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school;

• prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life;

• promotes British values.

From September 2020, primary schools in England also teach Relationships and Health Education as compulsory subjects and the Department for Education strongly recommends this should also include age-appropriate Sex Education.

Schools also have statutory responsibilities to safeguard their pupils (Keeping Children Safe in Education, DfE, 2019) and to uphold the Equality Act (2010).

What is RSE?

RSE stands for Relationships & Sex Education. From September 2020, Relationships and Health Education became compulsory in all primary schools in England. For primary aged children this includes curriculum content under two headings:

Relationships Education

Relationships Education is designed to help children to have positive and safe relationships with family, friends and online.  

All primary schools are required, by the government, to teach Relationships Education and parents cannot withdraw children from this section of the curriculum.  The areas this section of the curriculum cover are:

Families and people who care for me 

  • Caring Friendships
  • Respectful Relationships
  • Online Relationships
  • Being Safe

Health Education

Health Education will help children to make good decisions about their health and wellbeing and enable them to know how to seek support if any health issues arise for themselves or others. The areas it will cover are: 

  • Mental wellbeing
  • Internet Safety and Harms
  • Physical Health and Fitness
  • Health Eating
  • Drugs, alcohol and tobacco
  • Health and prevention
  • Basic First Aid
  • The Changing Adolescent Body

The DfE guidance clearly states the statutory requirements, i.e. what children MUST be taught by the end of primary school. 

Health Education includes learning about ‘the changing adolescent body’ to equip children to understand and cope with puberty. The National Curriculum for science (also a compulsory subject), includes learning the correct names for the main external body parts, learning about the human body as it grows from birth to old age and reproduction in some plants and animals (which could include human beings). 

Relationships education, health education and science are compulsory subjects and parents/carers do NOT have the right to withdraw their children from these subjects. 

Sex Education

Sex Education is designed to help children to: 

  • understand and respect their bodies
  • develop positive and healthy relationships appropriate to their age and development
  • have positive self-esteem and body image
  • become empowered to be safe and safeguarded.

The DfE recommends, ‘that all primary schools should have a sex education programme tailored to the age and the physical and emotional maturity of the pupils.’  At Harvills Hawthorn, this is taught through our 1decision PSHE programme.

How do we teach PSHE & RSE at Harvills Hawthorn Primary School?

At Harvills Hawthorn, we use the 1decision scheme of work to support teaching and learning in PSHE and RSE. We follow this programme from Year 1 through to Year 6. Lessons are taught weekly and are adapted to suit the needs of our children. 

Why have we chosen to use this scheme at Harvills Hawthorn?

Through our use of 1decision, we provide the children with the opportunity to explore the consequences of choices that are made and develop their knowledge around making informed and positive choices in their lives.  

Each unit provides the class with a video scenario where they can take control of the story and decide the ending. Not only do they get to decide the choices that are made by characters, they also get to see the consequences that could be faced if a different path was taken. This allows our children to confidently discuss and articulate the impacts that their decisions and the decisions of others may have in life. 

The Programme is spilt into 9 units:

  • Keeping/Staying Safe
  • Keeping and Staying Healthy
  • Feelings and Emotions
  • Computer Safety
  • Growing and Changing
  • Being Responsible
  • The Working World
  • A World without Judgements
  • Fire Safety (Key Stage 1) and First Aid (Key Stage 2)

If you’d like to learn more about 1Decision, please use this link to access the parent and care zone: 

https://www.1decision.co.uk/resources/parent-carer-zone#document-library 

PSED in Early Years 

Children’s personal, social and emotional development (PSED) is crucial for children to lead healthy and happy lives and is fundamental to their cognitive development. 

Underpinning their personal development are the important attachments that shape their social world. Strong, warm and supportive relationships with adults enable children to learn how to understand their own feelings and those of others. Children are supported to manage emotions, develop a positive sense of self, set themselves simple goals, have confidence in their own abilities, to persist and wait for what they want and direct attention as necessary. 

Through adult modelling and guidance, they will learn how to look after their bodies, including healthy eating, and manage personal needs independently. 

Through supported interaction with other children, they learn how to make good friendships, co-operate and resolve conflicts peaceably. These attributes will provide a secure platform from which children can achieve at school and in later life.

Through books, resources, group activities and planned activities led we aim to:
 ● Inspire our children to try new things and accept new challenges.
 ● Provide our children with a sense of the wider community.
 ● To teach our children  that we are unique but can have similarities and  differences with others and to promote and celebrate these.
 ● Encourage our children to be independent and confident in self-care.
 ● Promote healthy choices.
 ● Teach our children the importance of identifying risks and managing them appropriately and safely.
 ● Provide our children with the skills they need to become skillful communicators.