PSHCE
Intent
Our PSHCE curriculum will develop our children’s personal and social skills to enable them to be happy, healthy, active citizens making a positive contribution to the world around them. Through learning about themselves children develop self-awareness and confidence, making the most of their abilities. They begin to understand the impact of their actions on others. They learn to respect the differences between people. They learn how to keep themselves healthy and safe, both physically and emotionally. Understanding of their local context and relevant issues to them is key. Children leave Puss Bank prepared for their next stage in learning and the adult world beyond.
Design
- Building on prior learning and knowledge
- Philosophical enquiry and debate
- Giving children opportunity to consider local, national and global issues
- Incorporate local issues explicitly- e.g. Drug Education and Mental Health issues
- Allow flexibility to incorporate relevant issues as they arise – personally, in school, in the community or wider - in an age appropriate way
Implementation
School use the PSHE Association Scheme of work as a framework for their teaching. The scheme is designed with progression of key concepts and knowledge, including vocabulary. A progression overview grid and vocabulary lists from EYFS to Year 6 enable all teachers to be able to support teachers in making explicit links to prior knowledge and learning. The scheme is reviewed each year by the subject leader, through consultation with class teachers to ensure it meets the current local issues for our children.
PSHCE is taught through a combination of discrete sessions and by making relevant links to other aspects of curriculum work and daily support of our children’s personal development. Our approach to delivery is to promote discussion and debate. This allows them to develop their own understanding of issues in the world around them alongside key skills of citizenship such as listening, taking turns, sharing ideas, compromising – reflecting the British Values of democracy, free speech, equality and tolerance. This may be through for example circle time, debate, Philosophy for Children and being aware of local, national and global issues and having to address them in addition to the planned progression.
Teachers are encouraged to engage the children in discussion of relevant issues/ topical issues as they arise – personally, in school, in the community or wider - in an age appropriate way to support them in developing their understanding of the world in which they live.
Some of the local issues that we must cover in our provision include:
Drugs education – our catchment area has a drug problem related to County Lines and older siblings are known drug mules or dealers.
SRE- Cheshire East has had previously high numbers of youth pregnancy or abortion and so providing a clear programme allows us to underpin the continuing SRE programme which is delivered by local high schools.
As a member of the local PSHCE cluster group and the Trust group for SRE we stay abreast of current local issues which can then be disseminated as appropriate if not previously planned for.
Themed weeks and events are used to extend children’s interests in local, national and global issues at a given time.
Impact
At Puss Bank School and Nursery, the impact of this will ensure that children not only acquire the appropriate age related knowledge linked to the PSHCE curriculum, but also skills which equip them to progress from their starting points, and within their everyday lives.
All children will have:
- A wider variety of communication skills linked to knowledge and understanding of the world around them in a local, national and global context.
- A richer vocabulary which will enable to articulate their understanding of taught concepts.
- High aspirations, which will see them through to further study, work and a successful adult life.