PSHE

Intent

Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PHSE) at Wentworth Primary School is guided by the National Curriculum and the guidance for Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education published in 2019. Our PSHE provision supports the school’s aims of developing confident citizens and successful learners who are creative, resourceful and able to identify and solve problems. Our intention is to ensure that by the end of the children’s time with us, they will have experienced a broad and balanced PHSE curriculum that is accessible to all, and will leave us as well-rounded individuals with open minds.

We subscribe to Coram Life Education’s SCARF programme (which stands for Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience and Friendship). The SOW provides a whole-school approach which encourages children to build upon these essential ‘SCARF’ foundations, which are crucial for them to achieve their best, academically and socially. Our curriculum also enables coverage of the British Values by helping children to clarify values and beliefs, develop an individual identity and respect the freedom of others to express their identity. Through the teaching of PSHE, we endeavour to support our children to develop the knowledge, skills, and attributes they need to manage their lives in a diverse society, now and in the future. Furthermore, both within and outside of our PSHE scheme of work, we also aim to encourage children to develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community.

Implementation

Our PSHE scheme of work is SCARF – Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience, Friendship (Coram Life Education). Developed by teachers and centred on a values-based and ‘Growth Mindset’ approach, SCARF’s lesson plans and resources help to promote positive behaviour, mental health, wellbeing, resilience and achievement.

SCARF lesson plans are organised around the PSHE Association’s Programmes of Study and Learning Opportunities, which includes three core themes of Health and Wellbeing; Relationships; and, Living in the Wider World. Our curriculum builds upon the children’s first stages of development in EYFS, through progressive and sequenced themes. These themes are broken down into six main areas:

Me and My Relationships: includes content on feelings, emotions, conflict resolution and friendships;
Valuing Difference: a focus on respectful relationships and British values;
Keeping Myself Safe: looking at keeping ourselves healthy and safe
Rights and Responsibilities: learning about money, living the wider world and the environment;
Being My Best: developing skills in keeping healthy, developing a growth mindset (resilience), goal-setting & achievement;
Growing & Changing: finding out about the human body, the changes that take place from birth to old age and being safe.

Our PSHE teaching is delivered in a fully inclusive and safe environment, fostering a sense of belonging for all children. The six thematic units are taught in a spiral curriculum that revisits each theme approximately every two years. This enables children to recall and build upon prior learning, exploring the underlying principles of our PSHE education regularly and at depth, whilst being appropriate for the age and stage of the child. Lessons are designed for delivery in a creative manner, using many approaches, such as role play, class discussions, art work, small group work and games.

Most lessons are recorded in the class PSHE ‘Floorbook’, which shows a journey and a celebration of learning through the thematic units taught. Summative assessment is undertaken using the Wentworth Foundation Subject Assessment sheets which are completed at the end of each term, allowing progress to be recorded and tracked.

In addition to dedicated PSHE lessons, many other curriculum subjects make a link to PSHE, British Values and SMSC (spiritual, moral, social and cultural development) and the language is used consistently by all staff. British Values and SMSC displays throughout the school also reinforce the PSHE curriculum, further enabling children to make links. Additionally, pupils are encouraged to show leadership in their community through the school council, eco team and representing their class as a citizen of the term.

Impact

All Pupils

Wentworth’s PSHE scheme of work provides children with an effective curriculum to support their health and wellbeing. Children are enabled to develop empathy; develop listening and discussion/debating skills; identify, evaluate and manage risk while developing critical thinking skills, assess and evaluate arguments; and understand and challenge concepts such as certainty; being able to separate fact from opinion and understand influence, persuasion and manipulation – particularly in relation to the influence of social media. The SCARF SOW supports the development of our school culture, which prioritises physical and mental health and wellbeing, providing children with skills to evaluate and understand their own wellbeing needs, practise self-care and contribute positively to the wellbeing of those around them.

An effective PSHE education can have a positive impact on the whole child, including their academic development, by mitigating any social and emotional barriers to learning and building confidence and self-esteem.

Research suggests that effective PSHE education can also help disadvantaged and vulnerable children achieve to a greater extent by raising aspirations and empowering them with skills to overcome barriers that they may face.

SEND

Evidence suggests that effective PSHE education also helps children with special educational needs to achieve to a greater extent by raising aspirations and empowering them with skills to overcome barriers that they may face.

The Wentworth PSHE curriculum positively impacts on whole school wellbeing, safeguarding and SMSC outcomes. This can ensure that ALL children are able to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to succeed at school and in the wider world.