PSHE

Overview

By teaching PSHE at East Dene Primary School we are covering a wide range of topics to support children’s personal, social and emotional development.

By teaching this in line with the statutory guidance around this subject it means our students will learn about topics which include health and wellbeing, relationships, living in the wider world, and economic wellbeing. For example, lessons may cover healthy eating, managing emotions, bullying, online safety, diversity and equality and careers. It also provides a framework for developing essential life skills and knowledge that will support children’s overall growth and success in life

PSHE at our school helps children build self-confidence, resilience, independence, and respect for others. It allows them to explore issues that affect their own and others’ lives which all link to our school values of Respect, Resilience, Empathy, Responsibility, Kindness and Friendship.

PSHE at East Dene Primary takes an active approach with group discussions, problem-solving, role play and more to engage students. It aims to provide a safe space for children to discuss potentially sensitive topics and ask questions without judgement.

By doing so the skills and attributes developed in PSHE lessons equip children to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society.

In summary, PSHE is a vital part of the children at East Dene Primary Schools education that nurtures the children’s holistic development and wellbeing. Its whole-child approach prepares them for life’s opportunities and challenges.

School Council

The School Council allows for children from across school to develop an understanding of British Values and democracy. The School council meet regularly with Mrs Kay so they can discuss ideas for school and also any issues that the class representative needs to raise. School Council members then feedback any news to their class. Each year classes vote for new representatives through their own class voting system. Throughout the year the School Council members support different projects in school such as providing food hampers at the Harvest which are taken to our Local Church or also visiting our local care home.

View our curriculum overview here

Intent, Implementation, Impact

Intent

At East Dene Primary School we intend our PSHE curriculum to support our pupils in helping them to gain the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage the critical opportunities, challenges and responsibilities they will face growing up. We want to empower pupils to be safe, responsible and respectful citizens who make positive contributions to society. Our pupils will develop essential life-long learning around health, relationships, finance and living in the wider world. We believe our pupils should explore issues that impact their lives and others’ lives in a safe space and to give pupils the vocabulary and confidence to talk openly about emotions, relationships and lifestyle choices. We also want to promote equality, diversity, inclusion and acceptance within the school community and beyond.

We believe that as a school PSHE can open many doors to opportunities in the wider world for our children and understand how important this is for their future.

Implementation

At East Dene Primary we will be ensuring we deliver a high-quality PSHE curriculum with many opportunities for pupils to take part in activities and experience to help them grow into confident young people.

This means PSHE at East Dene Primary School allows our children to develop an understanding of how themselves and others play a key role in being part of a unique and diverse community. They learn about social, moral, cultural and spiritual aspects of life running alongside our school values. These include Respect, Resilience, Friendship, Empathy, Kindness and Responsibility. Children at East Dene Primary School are provided with many opportunities to develop their personal skills and how to become a positive role model who can contribute to school life and the wider community.

We ensure children can access a well thought out PSHE curriculum through the delivery of the Jigsaw programme. This programme allows us to ensure key learning in delivered at an appropriate level and is adapted where needed to ensure all pupils can gain an understanding of PSHE.

This is also supplemented through regular Spotlight Days over the course of the year which allows us to ensure we are promoting the Protected Characteristics within school and also specialist visitors into school such as Road Safety Officers and Online Safety experts.

Impact

By teaching a well thought out PSHE curriculum it will allow us to have a profound positive impact on the lives of our children in the following ways:

• It teaches essential life skills like managing emotions, setting goals, making safe choices and developing healthy relationships. These are the building blocks for success.
• Children gain greater self-awareness, empathy, and respect for others. This allows them to collaborate better and appreciate diversity.
• They build confidence and resilience to deal with life’s challenges in a healthy way, like resisting peer pressure.
• Children are able to safely explore complex social issues like inequality, bullying, stereotyping, and environment. This shapes their worldview and morality.
• PSHE equips children to stay safe online with skills like critical thinking, digital literacy, and avoiding manipulation.
• It teaches children how to speak up if they feel unsafe and report any abuse or exploitation. This is vital for safeguarding.
• Skills like teamwork, communication, creativity and problem-solving developed in PSHE prepare children for the world of work.
• Learning about health enables children to make positive lifestyle choices that benefit their physical and mental wellbeing..

All these things empower our children with the attributes and abilities to thrive as well-rounded individuals. It will play a preventative role in tackling societal issues that could affect their lives. The long-term impact is generations equipped to build strong communities and relationships.

Cultural Capital

At East Dene Primary School, we believe that running alongside all subjects enrichment will help to foster the children’s knowledge and understanding of subject areas. This means that we regularly organise days to promote PSHE and always try to give the children ‘real life’ experiences wherever possible for example a trip to the Fire Station when learning about ‘Fire’. Throughout the year we will give our children opportunities to meet visitors in school who will help to build upon their knowledge around bullying or online safety. Our older children will also take visits to places like Crowden were they can build upon personal skills such as resilience, team building and kindness.

Progress Model

Progression of Language

Progression of Terminology

Knowledge

School Values

At East Dene Primary we have six values across school. These include Respect, Friendship, Resilience, Responsibility, Empathy and Kindness. Not only promoting these values through every day teach there are varying initiatives across school to encourage children to develop these values. One of the initiatives is the chance for children to earn their six badges of East Dene. Children each have a chart with the school values on and any child who has demonstrated all six values by the end of the year is entered into a prize raffle.

We also have our Kindness Tree where each term a child from each class is selected for an act of Kindness they have completed and their name is places upon the Kindness Tree. At the end of the year any child whose name is on the Kindness Tree has chance to win a special prize. This runs alongside our celebration of random acts of Kindness which we complete annually. Some of these include visiting the local care home, washing the dishes for the cook, raising money for our chosen charity.

Spotlight Days

Over the course of the year, we hold a ‘Spotlight Day’. These are based around the themes of PSHE to allow children to have a specific focus for the day and children can have time to explore the theme in depth. The themes that are being covered this year are One brain, One body (mental health), Reach out (friendship/ antibullying), Together we can stay safe online (E Safety), 999 what’s your emergency? (First Aid), We are family (Relationships). Parents are informed of the themes for these days so they can encourage this learning to continue at home.

Whole School Celebrations

Over the course of the year we raise awareness of different issues arising based around PSHE. Some of the these are Anti Bullying week, E safety Day or any special celebrations that occur in the school year such as VE Day, the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Research Around the Curriculum

At East Dene we pride ourselves on our curriculum being researched based. Here are some key research findings on the importance and impact of PSHE are:

• A large-scale study by the University of Hertfordshire found that students who received PSHE lessons had better psychological wellbeing and adaptation to school. They were more motivated, had higher self-esteem and lower emotional difficulties.
• A 2020 Ofsted report highlighted that quality PSHE provision contributes to positive school culture and enables students to be confident, resilient and independent.
• According to a 2017 DfE report, PSHE builds character and helps students know how to be responsible, respectful and active citizens. Over 80% of students surveyed said it helped them understand how to manage challenges like exams, bullying and transitions.
• The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues found that well-implemented PSHE cultivates core virtues like integrity, compassion, gratitude, courage and humility. This shapes children’s character and moral development.
• A Cambridge Primary Review Trust study showed PSHE is vital for safeguarding students. It helps them recognise and report harm, abuse, grooming and exploitation.
• Ofsted’s reviews show quality PSHE provision is a vital part of outstanding schools. It contributes to students’ safety, welfare, academic achievement, personal development and future success.

Extensive research demonstrates PSHE provides diverse benefits spanning academic, social, emotional, moral and character development for primary school students.

Concepts

At East Dene Primary School we follow the Jigsaw Scheme of work to support our work around PSHE. The key concepts within the Jigsaw PSHE scheme are:

• Being Me in My World – Focuses on understanding one’s place in the class, school and global community as well as devising learning charters.
• Celebrating Difference – Explores diversity, respect for others and bullying.
• Dreams and Goals – Sets goals and aspirations for the future and understands how to overcome challenges.
• Healthy Me – Covers physical and mental health, lifestyle choices, managing stress and puberty.
• Relationships – Nurtures healthy relationships and positive communication with others. Discusses families, friendships and online relationships.
• Changing Me – Explores transition and coping with change. Covers reproduction, human development and age-appropriate sex education.

Each concept builds on the last to create a spiral curriculum. Social and emotional skills like self-reflection, empathy, teamwork and critical thinking are reinforced across each concept.

Jigsaw also emphasizes mindfulness and student voice.

End Points

Protected Characteristics

Promoting the Protected Characteristics at East Dene

We work to ensure our children understand that:

There are no outsiders at East Dene Primary School

Everyone is different

We celebrate our differences

We are equal in our differences

The Equality Act became law in 2010. It covers everyone in Britain and protects people from discrimination, harassment and victimisation. Everyone in Britain is protected. This is because the Equality Act protects people against discrimination because of the protected characteristics that we all have. Under the Equality Act, there are nine Protected Characteristics:

1. Age
2. Disability
3. Gender reassignment
4. Race
5. Religion or belief
6. Marriage or civil partnership
7. Sex
8. Sexual orientation
9. Pregnancy or maternity

At East Dene, we actively promote these in our curriculum and work to embed them into our ethos.

Under the Equality Act you are protected from discrimination:

• When you are in the workplace
• When you use public services like healthcare (for example, visiting your doctor or local hospital) or education (for example, at your school or college)
• When you use businesses and other organisations that provide services and goods (like shops, restaurants, and cinemas)
• When you use transport
• When you join a club or association (for example, your local rugby club)
• When you have contact with public bodies like your local council or government departments.

Embedding the Protected Characteristics at East Dene

Useful Websites

Visits

At East Dene we organise visits or visitors into school which have a PSHE focus. Some of these include children visiting crucial crew to help with life skills, the fire brigade coming into school to discuss fire safety and our local PCSO speaking regularly about how to keep safe when out and about. We have experts in their field of working coming to support our children such Ann Foxley Johnson to support our children with friendships and Anti Bullying or Tim Pinto so children understand about online safety.

How Parents/Carers Can Help

How Parents/Carers Can Help

Personal, Social and Health Education is such an important subject to talk to your children about. It will allow them to understand how to become a responsible and respectful young adult as well as giving them the life skills to help them in the future.

Ways you can help

• Talk to your children about they are feeling whether this during exciting or difficult times.
• Try to name different feelings to help them to understand how they might be feeling and explain that ALL feelings are ok.
• Discuss how to keep yourself safe including road safety, the dangers in drugs and alcohol and the use of household items.
• Talk about medicines and how these can make us better but also the need for using them safely.
• Talk to your children about what being a good friend means and help them to understand what bullying.
• Discuss what a healthy relationship means and about how people can have different families.
• Explain how it is important that we have rules in place for both school, home and the community
• Explain to them about their own body and how this will change as they get older.
• Talk about how to look after themselves both physically and mentally
• Discuss the value of money and the importance of this.
• Explain about different cultures, religions and sexualities with your children.
• Encourage your children to have a healthy diet and explain why each food is important.
• Ensure your child is using the internet safely and responsibly and explain the importance of this.