PSHE and RSE
Curriculum Design at St. Wilfrid’s Church of England Primary Academy
Curriculum Area: PSHE and RSE
PSHE and RSE Primary Leaders: Mrs. Crawford and Mrs. Prentki
Intent
Our PSHE curriculum aims to inspire, engage and challenge all learners, equipping them with the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to navigate the opportunities and challenges of growing up and adult life. We want every child at St Wilfrid’s to develop the confidence and vocabulary to express their thoughts, feelings, needs and aspirations, while developing a strong understanding of their own identity, self-worth and wellbeing.
Our curriculum prepares children to become healthy, happy, independent and responsible members of a diverse society. Through carefully planned learning, we support them to develop positive relationships, make informed and safe choices, understand and manage their emotions, and recognise the importance of respect, kindness, equality and inclusion. Children are encouraged to understand and celebrate diversity, appreciate difference and recognise the contribution that every individual can make to their family, school, community and wider society.
At St Wilfrid’s, we recognise that PSHE plays an important role in preparing children for life beyond the classroom. Our bespoke curriculum provides opportunities to explore the social, moral, cultural and personal issues that are part of growing up, while developing resilience, empathy, self-awareness and a positive sense of purpose. We aim for our children to leave St Wilfrid’s with the knowledge, confidence and aspirations to make positive choices, build fulfilling relationships and contribute positively to the world around them.
Implementation
Our PSHE curriculum is inclusive and supports the delivery of our broad and balanced curriculum. The PSHE learning objectives are taught based on the three core themes: 'Relationships', 'Health and Wellbeing' and 'Living in the Wider World'.
At St Wilfrid’s, we have shaped our own curriculum to ensure our children have opportunities to understand and respect our common humanity, diversity and differences, so that they can go on to form effective, fulfilling relationships that are an essential part of life and learning. PSHE is taught discretely and within the wider curriculum. The statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum is effectively delivered by teaching staff and external agencies (HH Kids) within PSHE lessons, alongside other subjects including Science, PE and Religious Education. Our wider curriculum is further enriched through our weekly Celebration and Aspirations Worship. Celebration Worship provides an opportunity to recognise and share the achievements, talents, interests and personal successes of our current children, promoting self-esteem, confidence and a sense of belonging. Alongside this, our St Wilfrid’s Spotlights feature former pupils who return to share their career journeys, experiences and current jobs with our children. These authentic and relatable role models broaden children's understanding of the diverse range of pathways and opportunities available to them, while encouraging them to develop aspirations for their own futures and recognise how the skills, qualities and values developed at school can support them throughout their lives and future careers. Themed days and weeks are planned in areas such as online safety and mental wellbeing to enhance our curriculum offer and provide meaningful opportunities for children to apply their learning in real-life contexts.
A series of stimulating PSHE lessons are planned to enhance our children’s knowledge, understanding and vocabulary within each unit. As a school, we use the PSHE Association’s Programme of Study, objectives and supporting resources to ensure that our curriculum is comprehensive, progressive and meets statutory requirements. However, lessons are carefully planned and adapted by our teachers to create a bespoke St Wilfrid’s PSHE curriculum that reflects the needs, interests and experiences of our children and our school community. This allows learning to be relevant, meaningful and responsive to the children we teach. Lessons include a wide range of activities and realistic experiences across and beyond the curriculum, contributing fully to the life of the school and the wider community. Our children take ownership of their understanding of each lesson by reflecting on and expressing their ideas using appropriate, rich vocabulary.
We use a variety of resources and approaches to support the effective delivery of our curriculum across each phase. In EYFS, children’s learning is captured in floor books, providing a shared record of discussions, activities, experiences and children’s responses. Reception also uses the Think Equal programme, a structured social and emotional learning programme for children aged 3–6. Through carefully selected narrative picture books and accompanying activities, Think Equal develops key skills and dispositions including empathy, self-awareness, emotional literacy, resilience, kindness, relationship-building, inclusion and celebration of diversity.
In Key Stage 1, children’s PSHE learning is recorded through a combination of floor books and individual exercise books, allowing teachers to capture both collaborative learning and children’s individual reflections and responses. We aim to deliver a spiral curriculum, allowing children to revisit and consolidate their knowledge, understanding and language associated with relationships, emotions and health. In Key Stage 2, children record their PSHE learning in individual exercise books, enabling them to reflect on their learning, articulate their ideas and demonstrate the development of their knowledge and vocabulary over time. Units of work are based on the three core themes of ‘Relationships’, ‘Health and Wellbeing’ and ‘Living in the Wider World’, with learning carefully sequenced to build on prior knowledge and prepare children for the next stage of their development.
Our curriculum has been designed to include opportunities to link Fundamental British Values and Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development, to prepare our children for life in Modern Britain. The protected characteristics are deliberately planned and taught through our PSHE curriculum, enabling children to develop an age-appropriate understanding of equality, diversity, identity, respect and fairness. Through carefully planned lessons, discussions, stories and real-life contexts, children explore and celebrate differences, recognise the importance of treating everyone with dignity and respect, and develop an understanding of how discrimination and prejudice can affect individuals and communities. The children learn key vocabulary and develop a deep knowledge within the PSHE curriculum that can be applied across the wider curriculum. In doing so, they reflect on their own experiences and understand how they are developing personally and socially, tackling many of the issues that are part of growing up as they develop into reflective, respectful and responsible citizens.
Impact
Our well-planned PSHE curriculum ensures that children develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to lead healthy, safe, happy and fulfilling lives. Children develop a strong understanding of relationships, health and wellbeing, and their role within the wider world, using appropriate vocabulary to articulate their thoughts, feelings, ideas and experiences. Through regular opportunities to reflect, discuss and apply their learning, children become increasingly confident in making informed choices, managing emotions, building positive relationships and recognising the importance of respect, kindness, equality and inclusion.
Children develop an age-appropriate understanding of diversity, difference and the protected characteristics and recognise the importance of treating others fairly and with dignity. They understand that everyone is unique and can contribute positively to their school, local and wider community. The impact of our PSHE curriculum is evident in children's confidence to express their views, listen respectfully to others, celebrate differences and respond positively to challenges and new experiences.
Our Celebration and Aspirations Worship and St Wilfrid’s Spotlights further support children in recognising their own achievements, valuing the achievements of others and developing aspirations for their future. Children are able to see relatable examples of different career pathways and understand that their individual strengths, interests and qualities can contribute to their future success. Through our bespoke curriculum, children are prepared not only for the next stage of their education but for life as reflective, respectful, responsible and active members of society.
Recommended Websites:
BBC Bitesize PSHE
Health for Kids
Topmarks
