PSHE Statement of Intent

At St Gregory's we believe that PSHE education equips children to live healthy, safe, productive, capable, responsible and balanced lives. It encourages them to be enterprising and supports them in making effective transitions, positive learning and career choices and in achieving economic wellbeing. A critical component of PSHE education is providing opportunities for children and young people to reflect on and clarify their own values and attitudes and explore the complex and sometimes conflicting range of values and attitudes they encounter now and in the future. 

Our aims in PSHE and PD are:

• developing responsible, respectful and active citizens who are able to play their part and become actively involved in public life as adults
• promoting an inclusive environment that meets the needs of all pupils, irrespective of age, disability, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation
• developing and deepening pupils’ understanding of the fundamental British values of democracy, individual liberty, the rule of law and mutual respect and tolerance
• promoting equality of opportunity so that all pupils can thrive together, understanding that difference is a positive, not a negative, and that individual characteristics make people unique

As a Catholic school, we teach  our PSHE curriculum using the Catholic resource Ten Ten but also use mainstream resources from 'Kapow' to ensure we cover all key aspects required, particularly  surrounding the teaching of the Protected Characteristics.
 
PSHE education contributes to personal development by helping children to build their confidence, resilience and self-esteem, and to identify and manage risk, make informed choices and understand what influences their decisions. We want them to recognise, accept and shape their identities, to understand and accommodate difference and change, to manage emotions and to communicate constructively in a variety of settings. We aim for children to develop an understanding of themselves, empathy and the ability to work with others will help pupils to form and maintain good relationships, develop the essential skills for future employability and better enjoy and manage their lives.  

We aim for our PHSE curriculum to offer children:

• accurate, balanced and relevant knowledge 

• opportunities to turn that knowledge into personal understanding  

• opportunities to explore, clarify and if necessary challenge, their own and others’ values, attitudes, beliefs, rights and responsibilities 

• the skills, language and strategies they need in order to live healthy, safe, fulfilling, responsible and balanced lives

• opportunities to develop positive personal attributes such as resilience, self-confidence, self-esteem, and empathy. 

• As a Catholic School, we also include within our PSHE curriculum  resources from 'Ten Ten', as approved by the bishops of England and Wales. 

Implementation

In Reception, PSHE education is entwined throughout the whole curriculum and supports the prime area; Personal, Social and Emotional Development. It is taught through topics that are covered and during child-initiated learning. Embedding learning in this way ensures that it is relevant and meaningful to the children, which enables them to make links with the learning in their own lives.

In years 1-6, PSHE education is taught during personal development weeks that start every large term. and also across the year. This allows children to transition back into school after extended time away. Teaching PSHE education in this way brings health and wellbeing to the forefront of children’s minds and allows time for bonding with teachers and peers as the new term begins. Cross-curricular links are made to PSHE education throughout the year, this can happen in extra curricular clubs, on the playground and in other lessons. 

Areas of Study include: 

• Families and Relationships

• Health and Wellbeing

• Safety

• Changing Body

• Identity

• Citizenship

The Protected Characteristics

All primary and secondary schools, whether state-funded or independent, should be able to demonstrate that no form of discrimination is tolerated and that pupils show respect for those who share the protected characteristics. we understand the importance of this and that it is not simply a case of pointing to a general policy of encouraging respect for all people. Schools are not required to teach about all the protected characteristics in every year group and we ensure this is spread across the curriculum to allow revisiting and reinforcing. 

Impact

By teaching pupils to stay safe and healthy, and by building self-esteem, resilience and empathy, an effective PSHE programme can tackle barriers to learning, raise aspirations, and improve the life chances of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils. The skills and attributes developed through PSHE education are also shown to increase academic attainment and attendance rates, particularly among pupils eligible for free school meals, as well as improve employability and boost social mobility. By the time they leave our academy, personal, social and health education (PSHE) enables our learners to become healthy, independent and responsible members of a society. It helps them understand how they are developing personally and socially, and tackles many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up. Our curriculum allows pupils to learn about rights and responsibilities and appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society. Our children are encouraged to develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community.

Click here for our news article about support mental health.