PSHE at Green End
and at our other Trust Schools
Intent
Our PSHE curriculum intent is to ensure that children are given age-appropriate knowledge and are supported in developing skills which allow them to make informed choices; leading to a healthy, safe and fulfilling lifestyle.
PSHE (personal, social, health education) is an extremely important part of a child’s learning. It is taught over 6 main themes. The themes are drugs education, relationships and sex education, e-safety, race education, gender education and mental health. Above all children are encouraged to form their own views on issues raised in PSHE, feel free to express them in a safe, non-judgmental environment, to know how to keep themselves safe and how to treat others with respect.
We hope that through their learning children will feel free to challenge stereotypes and be the change that they feel may be needed in our school, the community and even countrywide.
What do our children say about PSHE?
PSHE
PSHE is taught often using a circle as a method of delivery as it provides a structured, supportive and safe environment for the children to explore their thoughts, feelings and opinions.
We ensure that issues are discussed in a sensitive and child-centred way. The use of an ‘ask it’ basket in lots of sessions means that children can ask personal or sensitive questions in private to the teacher.
Our school takes a restorative approach to helping children manage behaviour choices and conflicts and enables children to explore the language they may need to help express their feelings and needs in restorative conversations. Classroom displays in each class give children prompts and cues about feelings.
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PSHE whilst taught as a discreet subject has many branches and links with other areas of the curriculum such as history and ICT.
We take part in a number of national initiatives such as Anti-Bullying week, children’s mental health week and safer internet day. This year, the theme of Anti-Bullying week was 'Make a noise about bullying'. The children learnt about the importance of speaking up and sharing any concerns with trusted adults. We teach the children that 'If it's not kind - call it out!'.
The theme for children's Mental Health Week was 'My voice matters'. In Nursery we used our voices to ask for resources we would like to use in our play. Children across school learnt about other children who have used their voices to create change and learnt about some key phrases to help them use their voices more.
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Gender Equality Unit
In this unit children look at issues of stereotyping and helps all children grow and develop in an equal world where anything is possible. The curriculum looks at a range of issues about choices for all genders. We revisit the theme of challenging bias.
Nursery challenging gender stereotypes
Race Equality Unit
Race equality, like gender, builds on an ethos of celebrating all our children at Green End regardless of skin colour, race, religion or culture. By firmly embedding the children’s pride in themselves and their own identity, we later enable the children to stand up for themselves and others who might experience racism. Year 2 created posters to promote the importance of 'Be an ally'; reinforcing our Trust thread of speaking up and being the change.
E-safety Unit
In a world dominated by online activity, this crucial area of PSHE helps the children to know how to stay safe. We teach the children to know who to go for help should problems arise and encourage them to speak out and get help with incidents such as cyberbullying. Children learn about keeping their personal information private and the risk from strangers on online platforms.
Relationships & Sex Education Unit (RSE)
RSE is a compulsory element of our curriculum, children are encouraged to explore their family relationships, friendships and a wider range of relationships that we all encounter. Children learn about healthy relationships and how to get help if they don’t feel right or go wrong. Children learn about how their bodies grow and change over time and how this can also affect our mood and feelings. They learn that this is all a healthy part of growing up. Parents are welcome to look at resources used in these lessons.
Well being unit - including Mental health
At Green End the children learn that our mental health is as important as our physical health and how the two are related. By learning emotional language the children know how to express how they are feeling. They learn techniques on how to regulate feelings and about who to talk to if their mental health is suffering.
As part of their English unit, 'Persuasive speech writing', Year 5 pupils wrote their own speeches about Mental Health and wellbeing. They used research to inform their speeches and in them, outlined clear ideas for further developing mental wellbeing support already used across our school. They gave their speeches with clear passion and commitment to improvement, to our Vice Chair of Trustees, Ariana Yakas, who will be sharing them with the governors at their next meeting.
Drugs Education Unit
Our drugs education unit explores a wide range of issues: keeping safe at home around medicines and chemicals, to later on looking at the effects of tobacco, alcohol and illegal drug use. The children can also explore issues of peer pressure around this theme.
In sorting activities Year 2 sorted medicines and non medicines whereas Year 6 were able to sort the difference between legal and illegal drugs.
Diversity within our School Community
We focus on the uniqueness of our individual pupils, their achievements and their contribution to their class community
Reception children answer the question “Are all countries the same?” They made posters for 3 important countries to their class and compared the different pictures and drawings!
