Personal, Social and Health Education policy
Christian values
The specific Christian Values of Love, Respect and Courage underpin, and are intrinsic to the ethos and belief of Saint James CoE Primary School.
Our vision
At Saint James we accept challenges, take risks and work to make to make positive change in ourselves and our community.
Focusing on building resilience and compassionate relationships allows everyone to flourish.
Using our Christian values to guide us, we develop skills to navigate rough seas and transform our world.
Be strong and courageous and do it.
1 Chronicles 28:20
Rationale
At Saint James Church of England Primary School, Personal, Social and Health Education includes all aspects of Health and Citizenship. It is an entitlement for all pupils and a suggested framework is published in The National Curriculum Handbook for Primary School Teachers in England 2000. Compulsory since September 2020, this curriculum area is designed to help give pupils the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to lead confident, healthy, independent lives and to become informed, active and responsible citizens.
(Articles 3, 6, 12, 14, 24, 28, 29 -- from UNICEF's Children's Rights)
At Saint James Church of England Primary School this means that all our pupils are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities and experiences across and beyond the curriculum, and therefore contributing fully to the life of the school and the wider community.
In doing so, every pupil learns to develop their sense of self-worth, their collaborative and co-operative skills in working well with others and become increasingly responsible for their own learning. They reflect on their experiences and learn to understand how they are developing personally and socially, tackling many of the spiritual, moral, social, and cultural issues that are part of growing up.
We teach them how society is organised and governed. We ensure that they experience the process of democracy in school through the school council, and we teach them about rights, respect and responsibilities.
They learn 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.
Aims
At Saint James Church of England Primary School we aim to give all our pupils opportunities to:
- Take and share responsibility.
- Feel positive about themselves.
- Make real choices and decisions.
- Know and understand what constitutes a healthy lifestyle.
- Be aware of safety issues.
- Have respect for others.
- Understand how their actions have consequences for themselves and others.
- Develop relationships through work and play.
- Ask for help.
- Develop self-confidence and self-esteem.
- Be positive and active members of a democratic society.
- Prepare for change.
We do this because we believe in the fundamental value of these experiences.
Guidelines
At Saint James Church of England Primary School we follow the Hampshire County Council guidelines for teaching PSHE which is based on the QCA framework for PSHE and Citizenship. Ongoing provision for supporting PSHE is maintained throughout all aspects of school life and supported through a sequence of themes, which are delivered through our PSHE programme SCARF.
There are eight areas of the PSHE SCARF programme which are taught in each year group. These themes include: Special People, Healthy Lifestyles, Keeping Safe, Growing and Changing, Relationships, Feelings and Emotions, Valuing Differences, and Rules, Rights and Responsibilities. At least two themes are taught each term over the course of the academic year.
The generic curriculum
We believe that many of the skills and attitudes that we wish to develop through PSHE are also taught and demonstrated throughout the day at Saint James Church of England Primary School. Pupils will have opportunities to develop their understanding of these issues through:
- school ethos
- school Christian values of Love, Respect and Courage
- Healthy Schools Partnership
- assemblies
- school trips
- extra-curricular activities such as after school clubs
- classroom and playground rules
- our school council, known as the Christian Values Team
- charity work
- peer working
- responsibilities such as: librarians, buddies, peer mentors, prefects, including Head Boy and Head Girl
- working collaboratively as a school towards Transform our World initiatives
PSHE and its relationship to other subjects
Most aspects of the PSE framework will be taught and linked with other subjects, such as, Science, Geography, Religious Education, Drugs Education, Sex and Relationships Education, English and Physical Education.
Teaching and learning approaches
To ensure all pupils receive opportunities to participate and develop their skills, a variety of teaching strategies are used, including:
- Discussion and debate
- Circle-time
- Drama / role play
- Co-operative group work
- Quiet reflection
- Independent learning
- Problem solving
- Games
- Directed teaching of skills/knowledge from a variety of sources including; class teacher, videos, books (fiction/non-fiction), outside agencies.
Outside agencies may be involved in the planning and teaching of Personal, Social and Health Education and they will work within our school policy.
Concern and confidentiality
PSHE covers some issues that can be sensitive or controversial. Teachers will answer children’s questions honestly and sensitively and, if necessary, in a one-to-one situation. Teachers cannot offer confidentiality and if a child’s question or statement causes concern, the teacher must explain that they need to involve someone else to help resolve the situation. The teacher must then follow the child protection procedures.
Links with other policies
This policy links to our school policies on: Sex and Relationships Education (SRE Policy), Drugs Education and Dealing with drug-related incidents (Drugs Education Policy), Behaviour, Teaching and Learning, Equal Opportunities, Religious Education, Worship, Science, Health and Safety, Visitors, Physical Education and Child Protection.
Assessment, recording and reporting
At the end of each academic year an end of year report is sent to parents that includes details of their child's personal and social qualities.
Monitoring
PSHE will be monitored in a variety of ways, these may include: displays, work sampling, discussions with teachers and pupils.
Conclusion
The following groups were involved with the development of this policy: teachers, SENco, support staff, parents and governors.