Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) is taught throughout the curriculum and embodied within the vision and values of the school on a day-to-day basis. It builds on work across the curriculum that enables children to learn more about themselves as developing individuals and as members of their own community. In our schools, we are aware that PSHE includes aspects of school life that are not confined to the classroom. This subject will cover topics such as: keeping safe, friendships, emotions, health and well-being, awareness of other cultures, drugs and alcohol and relationships and sex. All of these topics are taught to the children’s age and maturity and will be adapted to suit the needs of each class.
We use 'Jigsaw: the Mindful Approach to PSHE'. Jigsaw is a comprehensive, structured programme designed for children aged 3 to 16. It promotes self-respect, empathy and resilience whilst supporting mental health and wellbeing. It prepares pupils for life's challenges and transitions and fosters respect for diversity and British values.
Alongside 'Jigsaw', for the teaching of RSE, we use the award-winning Shropshire 'Respect Yourself' programme to deliver Relationships & Sex Education. This programme is aiming to achieve lifelong learning about physical, moral and emotional development. We explore understanding the importance of stable and loving relationships, respect, love and care. Relationships and Sex Education can make a significant contribution to the development of the personal skills needed by pupils if they are to establish and maintain healthy relationships. This framework also enables children and young people to make responsible and informed decisions about their health and wellbeing.
The main delivery of RSE is through PSHE, but some aspects will, in addition, be addressed through other subjects such as Science, PE and RE. To provide a planned, age-appropriate scheme of work, designed to respond to pupils' questions and capitalise on the fascination and interest that children have about their own growth and development and to offer reassurance that such changes are normal and natural.
In planning and presenting our RSE programme, we provide the opportunity for pupils to express themselves within a trusted and safe environment, following agreed ground rules. We want to reassure children of their value and self-worth including aspects of dignity, self- respect and self-restraint, help them to have a responsible attitude towards personal relationships including mutual respect and care and to develop sensitivity towards the needs of others, provide knowledge of loving relationships and human reproductive process.
We aim to inform children on matters of personal hygiene and related health issues, encourage exploration of values and moral issues, taking into account physical and moral risks associated with certain behaviour, educate against discrimination and prejudice and help prepare children to make informed choices about relationships.
We offer a planned and age appropriate scheme of work, devised to meet the following aims and objectives:
Our scheme of work aims to:
- Provide a forum in which sensitive discussions can take place
- Prepare pupils for puberty, and give them an understanding of sexual development and the
- importance of health and hygiene
- Raise and promote positive self esteem
- Help pupils develop their skills and confidence in making decisions, communication, assertiveness, self-expression, respect for self and others
- Help pupils communicate and understand their feelings and emotions
- Provide pupils with skills necessary to keep themselves happy and safe
- Prepare pupils for the physical and emotional changes of growing up
- Offer opportunity for pupils to develop and clarify their attitudes and values
- Counteract myths and misinformation
- Create a positive culture around issues within relationships
- Challenge media stereotypes, oppression and prejudice and promote equal opportunities
- Explain the meaning of words in a sensible and factual way, using correct names for body parts and functions
- Provide reassurance that change is part of the lifecycle and help pupils accept variations in rates of growth and give support in adjusting to these changes.
- Develop the confidence to seek help, support and advice
- Teach pupils the correct vocabulary to describe themselves and their bodies
- Support pupils for RSE in an ever-changing digital world.
Content:
We are aware that the issues and concerns facing pupils change and our programme needs to be flexible and responsive. We take advice and are updated on a regular basis by Shropshire Public Health Curriculum Advisor on local contextual safeguarding issues, national trends and data.
The Shropshire Respect Yourself: Eat Better, Move More, RSE programme is a spiral curriculum starting a year 1 to year 11. There are age appropriate lessons and resources for each year group and key stage. The RSE element of the curriculum is taught within the context of health and wellbeing and our emotional and mental health curriculum.
The emphasis is upon teaching children to understand and respect themselves, others and their bodies as part of healthy lifestyle approach. The RSE topic has three sections: Choices and Challenges, Changes and Care and Commitment. In year 5 & 6 there is a greater emphasis on the changes that occur in puberty. Year 6 uses the Shropshire RSE Transition Programme
Pupils are taught about relationships and encouraged to discuss issues. We teach the parts of the body and their functions and how we change as we grow up. We use the correct terminology. We encourage children to ask for help, providing reassurance that change is part of life’s cycle.
Home/School Partnership:
We believe that parents have the primary role in delivering relationship and sex education. We aim to provide a programme as part of our home school partnership, ensuring all pupils receive high quality provision in line with national good practice recommendations, statutory and legal requirements related to Equality and Safeguarding.
It is hoped that the school curriculum and the ethos of the school complements and enhances home teaching and values, giving due regard to the value of family life, loving and stable relationships.
Children are exposed to information and messages from T.V, Internet, film, music videos, books and magazines. They are influenced by family and friends and significant adults. Part of our role is to ensure that children are able to understand and interpret the information they receive.
We provide parents with opportunities to discuss the school’s policy and practice. Parents will be informed about the timing of delivery and offered an opportunity to look at resources, discuss the policy and ask questions.
The Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and Health Education regulations 2019 (made under sections 34 and 35 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017) confirms the 1996 Education Act, that parents have the right to withdraw their child from part, or all of the sex education programme that does not form part of the national science or health education curriculum. There is no parental right of withdrawal from the science, relationship or health education curriculum, which includes understanding the changing adolescent body.