PSHCE
Intent
The PSHCE Association states “PSHE education gives pupils the knowledge, skills, and attributes they need to keep themselves healthy and safe and to prepare them for life and work in modern Britain.” When taught well, PSHCE education helps pupils to achieve their academic potential, and leave school equipped with skills they will need throughout later life.
The PSHCE curriculum at Gilberdyke is driven by our key values: Rights & Responsibilities; Being Resilient; Aspiration; Positive Relationships and Respect. Our whole school approach to PSHCE education, viewed as an integral component of Personal Development, incorporates planned visits and visitors, as well as our daily behavioural practice and culture as part of a shared vision. It promotes a sense of belonging and community, valuing every individual and their contributions. Children across the school cover the same units at the same time, allowing whole-school learning themes, whilst building knowledge sequentially through the school year.
Our curriculum holds our children at its heart, and its vision at Gilberdyke helps children at all points to understand and value how they fit into and contribute to the world, preparing them well for its broad and culturally-rich entirety. The curriculum aims to expose pupils at Gilberdyke to the diversities of their world which are nor represented widely in their local context. The pedagogical design of the PSHCE curriculum means that it is a discussion and debate led subject, enabling pupils to feel safe to question, respectfully challenge and discuss content very regularly in a culture of classroom safety. With a strong emphasis on emotional literacy, building resilience and nurturing mental and physical health, our curriculum equips pupils with skills for life and an understanding of themselves personally and emotionally, as well as those around them so that they are ready for their next stage and life beyond Gilberdyke. It encourages mindfulness and allows pupils to advance their emotional awareness, concentration and focus.
The primary aims of the PSHCE curriculum are:
- To allow children to navigate and have an awareness of the world and people around them.
- To give our children the skills to keep themselves safe and healthy.
- To give our children a wider emotional awareness of their feelings and the feelings of others.
Implementation
Our PSHCE curriculum offers a comprehensive Programme for Primary PSHE including statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education, in a spiral, progressive and fully planned scheme of work, giving children relevant learning experiences to help them navigate their world and to develop positive relationships with themselves and others. It is taught in a discrete lesson weekly but spans across all aspects of daily life in our school, being revisited through assemblies, other subject curriculums eg. reading, and everyday practice in line with our restorative approach and everyday culture.
The curriculum consists of six half-term units of work each containing six lessons:
- Autumn Term 1: Being Me in My World – linked to Aspiration & Independence
- Autumn Term 2: Celebrating Difference (including anti-bullying) – linked to Broadening Minds & Independence
- Spring Term 1: Dreams and Goals linked to Aspiration & Self-Assurance
- Spring Term 2: Healthy Me – linked to Independence & Self-Assurance
- Summer Term 1: Relationships – linked to Broadening Minds & Self Assurance
- Summer Term 2: Changing Me (including Relationships & Sex Education) – linked to Independence & Self-Assurance
The various teaching and learning activities are engaging and mindful of different learning styles and the need for adaptation. PSHCE in Early Years (EYFS) is aligned to the National Early Years Framework (England). Teachers have the freedom to plan with detail and attention to their individual children and cohort needs. Learners can be scaffolded, and any individual needs can be supported where necessary.
Impact
In evaluating how well pupils have developed as a result of PSHCE education at Gilberdyke, we acknowledge that the true impact will become apparent later on in their lives. By the time pupils leave our school, they have a sound knowledge and understanding of themselves as people as well as those around them. As well as being able to recall key knowledge on topics like health and reproduction, they are confident to discuss and debate a broad range of themes, demonstrating readiness for their next stage at secondary school.
- Children at Gilberdyke Primary School overwhelmingly enjoy PSHCE and feel safe to contribute and share their thoughts and feelings.
- Children will develop problem solving-skills across a wide range of practical, emotional and relational contexts.
- Children will have an awareness and understanding of the world and people around them.
