Personal, Social and Health Education
'Pupils have a strong sense of right and wrong and they use this to monitor their own and others’ behaviour. Pupils in Year 4 spoke enthusiastically about helping the children in the Reception classes to walk quietly to and from assembly and around the school.'
OFSTED 2019
PSHE
Philosophy
Philosophy for children is an exciting new area that we are developing. It is designed to improve thinking skills in children of all ages, which in turn will help them to grow in their understanding of themselves, others and their world. Sessions are fun and usually begin with a warm up game and then a stimulus is introduced which leads to a question being chosen by the children and discussed. Final thoughts let the children reflect on what has been shared and think about how their own view point might have been expanded or even changed.
Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural learning
We are always trying to provide opportunities to promote the SMSC development of pupils. This will happen in everyday lessons and as we work and play as part of a community. We love to hear about achievements and reflections pupils have made; celebrations or traditions they have been involved with. Explicit opportunities, such as assemblies, outside visits, special occasions, guests, as well as links with other schools, countries and continents are welcomed. Please come and share your ideas and your cultural heritage with us!
P4C
PSHE
Vision
Excellence achieved through care, creativity and challenge.
Intent
Our curriculum design ensures all pupils have equal access to knowledge and skills to understand and manage themselves, develop and maintain healthy relationships, keep themselves safe and be prepared for life as useful citizens in an ever-changing world. We understand that pupils who understand themselves, their physical and mental health alongside healthy relationships, can achieve better academic and personal success.
Implementation
Our PSHE curriculum fulfils the National Curriculum statutory guidance and uses the Cambridgeshire PSHE scheme as a starting point. PSHE stands for Personal, Social and Health Education. It covers Citizenship and some Economic Education. It has three strands: Health and Wellbeing, Living in the Wider World and Healthy Relationships. Sex Education is a narrow and discrete strand within Healthy Relationships Education, for Year 6.
It is usually class teachers who plan and deliver lessons to children they know well, modelling skills and using the high quality, carefully chosen resources available. PSHE has many cross-curricular links that enhance learning and offer opportunities to put in to practise skills and attitudes learned.
An emphasis on regular teaching about healthy relationships-maintaining, restoring and developing, is an area we feel is particularly important for us. Many of our pupils come from family settings that are fluid, sometimes unstable and often challenging. Due to high CP/CIN/DA, we have to teach our children what healthy relationships are. To that end, we also take time to develop good emotional literacy.
A typical lesson will have a clear learning intention linked to success criteria and appropriate learning experiences. It will show an understanding of pupils’ existing knowledge and proficiency level and build on this with deepening vocabulary, knowledge and skills. Knowledge organisers for the year, highlight key learning and prior learning. PSHE offers time for reflection, questions and application. Formal records of lessons are not always necessary, but we do aim to record when relevant and through a variety of different means and encourage pupils to talk about their learning.
Impact
Well-taught PSHE will help pupils achieve their academic potential and flourish as individuals within a world of rapid changes. Assessment for learning is continuous, beginning with retrieval practice, use of Key Performance Indicators, self-assessment and attitudes. Making connections to the real world, showing resilience and self-care are key indicators.
Our ultimate aim is that children achieve their full academic potential by the end of formal education, alongside a positive understanding of themselves as unique beings, being able keep themselves healthy and safe, build, maintain and develop healthy, respectful relationships, undertake different responsibilities successfully and be equipped with the skills needed for the next stage of their lives and education.
Enhancements
Pupils have opportunities to develop as capable citizens through opportunities in school including assemblies, personal goal setting, representation in clubs and teams, group work, holding responsibilities, trips and the House System. The House System provides opportunities for collaborative work, pastoral care, competition and building of peer relationships, mentoring and a sense of belonging.
PSHE Progression
RSE
Vision
Excellence achieved through care, creativity and challenge.
Intent
RSE combines elements of Relationships Education (e.g., learning about families, personal safety and emotional wellbeing) with aspects of Health Education (e.g., learning about the spread of illnesses and the changing adolescent body). Our RSE curriculum design ensures all pupils have age-appropriate access to knowledge and skills linked to Healthy Relationships and in Year 6, Sex Education. It explores risks, choices, rights, responsibilities and attitudes.
Following guidance from the DfE, we define Sex Education as learning about ‘how a (human) baby is conceived and born’. This extends the learning about sexual reproduction in ‘some plants and animals’ required through the Science National Curriculum. It also complements the statutory requirement to teach about puberty as part of Science. Understanding changes that occur at puberty, leads to a better understanding of Sex Education.
Implementation
We use the Cambridgeshire Primary Personal Development Programme, which has detailed teaching notes, ideas for activities and photocopiable resources: resources build on knowledge and development of attitudes and support the aims of the National Curriculum for PSHE.
A teacher, who knows the needs and natures of the children, will deliver RSE, through engaging lessons including sorting, discussion and thinking through scenarios. In Sex Education, there is a certain amount of knowledge, which has to be imparted and for this we use a quality script. We acknowledge that sensitive and complex issues will arise, as pupils will naturally ask questions. When spontaneous discussion arises, vigilant staff will manage these questions in a way that reflects the stated school aims and limits knowledge to our curriculum content.
Vocabulary progression is mapped carefully; building on vocabulary used in our Nursery, with the recent addition of terms that will be newer to pupils, including harassment, coercion and protected characteristics. Information about content of lessons is available to parents/carers in the termly Home/School Booklets and on the school website-this includes an invitation to talk to staff if they have questions about the curriculum content or would like to view teaching materials. In addition, parents/carers of Y5 and Y6 pupils receive notification regarding the teaching of puberty and sexual reproduction. After consultation with the Head Teacher, parents/carers have the right to withdraw their child from Sex Education. Knowledge organisers give a clear plan for learning, including prior knowledge.
An emphasis on regular teaching about healthy relationships-maintaining, restoring and developing, is an area we feel is particularly important for us. Many of our pupils come from family settings which are fluid, sometimes unstable and often challenging. Due to high CP/CIN/DA, we have to teach our children what healthy relationships are. To that end, we also take time to develop good emotional literacy.
Impact
The impact of RSE will be to see pupils prepared and able to manage themselves well, using essential skills for building and maintaining positive, enjoyable, respectful and non-exploitative relationships.
Enhancement
Alongside PSHE designated lessons, other curriculum areas and enrichment activities can enable further development of skills and attitudes eg work with Peer Mediation, or special days to celebrate Families and Friends.
P4C
Vision
Excellence achieved through care, creativity and challenge.
Intent
Our curriculum design ensures pupils have the opportunity to become more critical and reflective thinkers and learners. They will develop their verbal skills: to form questions, consider careful use of vocabulary and become confident speakers who can develop views on different matters.
Implementation
P4C is a philosophical approach to learning and teaching that enables pupils to share thinking with others and develop deeper thinking for themselves. P4C will encourage better thinking and also encourage better verbal reasoning. The collaborative element means it is useful as an inclusive activity, not dependent on written outcomes.
Starting with a commonplace idea, or ‘concept’, children learn to use philosophical skills to listen to ideas, follow a line of thought, offer personal or imaginative ideas, question and extend their own knowledge and understanding of the chosen concept.
P4C is an integral part of our themes. As part of our ‘’Big Bang’ days, P4C questions challenge pupils to critically share knowledge, beginning with what they know or remember, offer justifications, showcase experiences and challenge assumptions. Vocabulary development is mapped for progression. P4C is a tool that provides effective thinking skills for other curriculum areas across the school, linking to metacognition: an individual’s ability to plan, monitor, evaluate and make changes to their own learning behaviours. These skills are proven methods to help children achieve their educational potential.
The purple strands were chosen to equip pupils to take part in an exploration of an idea. They are: enquiry skills, questioning skills and talking skills. Alongside the purple threads, is a continuous development of P4C skills. These 4 ‘C’s are interwoven: Caring-about the concept in hand, Collaboration-working together in a non-judgemental way, Critical-being ready to justify, challenge or call out assumptions, and creative-really thinking outside of the box. There are many resources available for staff, to ensure high quality teaching. Staff model thinking methods including retrieval and making connections.
Impact
Assessment for learning is embedded within each session. The quality of thinking can be seen through improved questioning skills and the move from simple vocabulary to nuanced. Pupils become more critical and reflect on what they learn and concepts they encounter. In a knowledge-rich curriculum, there are plenty of concepts that need unpacking. Big social issues of the day can be significantly addressed by P4C. There are many ways to record learning and development of good thinking and speaking attitudes.
Enhancements
Enrichment opportunities to enhance lessons include application to own behaviour and attitudes, ‘Big Bang’ questions, Home Learning, assemblies and trips.
Knowledge Organisers are available here: www.kingshedgesprimary.org.uk/learning/knowledge-organisers
