PSHE & RSE

Intent

PSHE and RSE education is intended to enable our children to become independent, confident, healthy and responsible members of our diverse society. At Sandilands, we provide a broad, balanced, stimulating and creative curriculum which is tailored to meet the unique context of our school and families. At the heart of this we encourage a respect for and understanding of the universal rights of the child alongside the Sandilands values of Respect, Perseverance, Collaboration and Respect.

At Sandilands, we aim to develop a positive sense of self-worth and a deep understanding of the needs of others. Through PSHE we promote the development of the whole child by working towards the moral, cultural, mental, physical and spiritual development of each child.

We aim to develop key character skills, including decision-making, informed risk-taking, good communication and self-regulation strategies. We encourage the exploration of and respect for values held by different cultures and groups within the local community. We encourage honesty and respect in all relationships and nurture sensitivity to the needs and feelings of others.

We aim to enable children to develop a deepening knowledge of their health and wellbeing, including their mental and physical health. We aim to equip children with information, skills and values to understand and to be able to cope with the physical and emotional changes that occur during puberty. The information provided will be relevant and appropriate to the age and maturity of the pupils.

The subject of PSHE demands that we regularly reflect on our current health priorities, current affairs, societal changes and young people’s interests, it is ever-evolving therefore we will continue to update and add additional content as we move forward. We will always keep our stakeholders informed when there is updated content via half termly knowledge organisers, which show lesson coverage and vocabulary that will be taught.

Implementation

We follow an adapted programme of study developed by Manchester Healthy Schools which follows the Department of Education’s updated Statutory RSE and Health Education Guidance as well incorporating recommended content from the PSHE Association. This scheme provides resources but there are times when resources are adapted or are used from a variety of sources to achieve our PSHE objectives for the children, these will be age appropriate.

• This curriculum  has been designed with flexibility in mind; therefore, our Core curriculum overview and main body of lessons cater for one hour of discrete PSHE a fortnight. We consider this to be the minimum time that we should commit to PSHE provision.  This approach allows lessons to be extended for deeper learning to take place and/or include additional lessons which we feel meet the needs of our pupils.

 These are summarised and taught from Autumn 2 onwards in five ‘core themes’:

As previously stated, PSHE aims to develop the whole child. Knowledge and understanding is only one part of this process. For us to create well-rounded, thriving individuals and members of society it is important we develop their skills and strategies too. The following list shows essential life-skills we highlight throughout our curriculum,

NB: Building resilience is a key theme and an implicit feature throughout all the taught areas and therefore not mentioned discreetly.

Additionally, these ‘soft skills’ form the basis of a child’s wider development and experience. The ability to recognise and develop good relationships, the reinforcement of positive mental and physical health, understanding how their body will change and grow, the development of respect and tolerance for all, an understanding of society and the role of the individual in a community – these are the skills that will equip our children for life.

Within Autumn 1 the focus of PSHE is based on the Zones of Regulation.  The rationale behind The Zones of Regulation is to help individuals, develop greater emotional awareness and self-regulation skills. The approach is based on the understanding that emotions and behaviours are closely connected to how individuals process and respond to internal and external stimuli. By categorising emotions into distinct zones, the framework helps people recognise and label their feelings, which is the first step in managing them effectively.

It emphasises that all emotions are valid but need to be understood in terms of their impact on behavior and decision-making. By teaching individuals to recognise which zone they are in, the framework encourages them to use coping strategies to regulate their emotions, stay calm, and make more appropriate choices in different situations. This ultimately supports emotional well-being, better social interactions, and improved self-control. This curriculum is revisited throughout the year and used daily to support children in their emotional regulation. 

• Some content of PSHE is included in other parts of our curriculum such as in assemblies, whole school events, science, computing, RE and PE.
• Activities will be provided as group, class or school events and initiatives e.g. community projects, assemblies for parents and carers and celebration assemblies.
• At play times and lunch times, opportunities exist for playing cooperatively and providing support including playground buddies and prefects.
• The children are involved when visitors come into school e.g prefects.
• In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), PSHE is taught through Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) objectives set out in the EYFS statutory framework.

Teachers are trained to respond in an appropriate manner if pupils ask questions outside the scope of our scheme of work, so children don’t seek answers online. This is regardless of staff’s personal beliefs and attitudes. All members of staff are supported by the PSHE co-ordinator and members of SLT if they require support.

Impact

The impact of PSHE education at Sandilands is designed to prepare our children for later life and adulthood; enabling a child to understand and face the challenges, complexities and questions that arise in a diverse world.

We assess children’s work in PSHE by making informal judgements as we observe them during each PSHE lesson. We have clear expectations of what the pupils will know, understand and be able to do at the end of each academic year. At the end of the topic, children complete an assessment to show progression e.g. quizzes which are adapted where needed.

The PSHE floor-books show learning over time and these books move with the cohort from year to year. These demonstrate what the expected end of year outcomes are in PSHE for each year group. At Sandilands, we recognise the importance of the child’s voice: the PSHE and RSE co-ordinator talks to pupils to find out what they are learning and how they respond to PSHE and RSE.

The skills that children at Sandilands will develop will include, but are not limited to:

• Know and understand what constitutes a healthy lifestyle
• Be aware of safety issues, including online
• Understand what makes for good relationships with others
• Have respect for others regardless of race, gender and mental and physical disability
• Be independent and responsible members of the school community
• Be positive and active members of a democratic society
• Develop self-confidence and self-esteem and to make informed choices regarding personal and social issues
• Develop good relationships with other members of the school and wider community

RSE Policy

PSHE Policy

PSHE iMatter Curriculum Overview

Nursery PSHE/RSE Medium Term Plan

Reception PHSE/RSE Medium Term Plan 

Y1 Sample RSE Lesson

Y5 Sample RSE Lesson

RSE Knowledge organisers Summer 2

Y1

Y2 

Y3

Y4

Y5

Y6