PSHE/RSHE
PSHE & RSHE Intent
At Walworth School we aim to ‘significantly improve the quality of all our children’s lives’ delivering a rich and varied curriculum that meets the requirements of the National curriculum whilst developing the key curriculum drivers we have identified:
- Emotional awareness
- Citizenship
- Independence
- Life experiences and Understanding
- Knowledge and Skills
Our curriculum drivers shape our curriculum breadth. They have been developed from an exploration of the backgrounds of our pupils, our beliefs about high-quality education and our values. They are used to ensure we give our pupils appropriate and ambitious curriculum opportunities. We therefore plan to offer them wide and varied opportunities to develop their cultural capital. Cultural capital gives our pupils the vital background knowledge required to be informed and thoughtful members of our community who understand and believe in British values. This has a direct impact on ensuring that our children are prepared for adulthood.
At Walworth School we believe that delivering a high quality PSHE, Citizenship, Relationship and Sex education curriculum is vital to support the development of the whole child, as well as protect and enhance their wellbeing. The curriculum is designed to prepare children for society, now and in the future through teaching children to how to stay safe and healthy, build and maintain successful relationships and become active citizens able to participate responsibly within the wider community.
As a SEMH school we strongly believe in the importance on focussing on the area of social, emotional aspects of learning, enabling children to develop their identity and self-esteem, which in turn builds confident members of society. The curriculum also teaches children through promoting strong and positive views and to see each and everybody’s values in society through topics such as British Values. Topics also support social, moral, spiritual and cultural development as well as covering essential safeguarding issues, developing their knowledge of when and how they can ask for help.
Our scheme aims to give children the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that they need to effectively navigate the complexities of life in the 21st Century. The curriculum covers key areas which will support children to make informed choices now and in the future around their health, safety, wellbeing, relationships, and financial matters and will support them in becoming confident individuals and active members of society.
The RSHE/PSHE scheme of work covers the Relationships and Health Education statutory guidance (as set out by the Department for Education), including the non-statutory sex education. The scheme also covers wider PSHE learning, in line with the requirement of the National curriculum (2014) that schools ‘should make provision for personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE).’
Children’s learning through our scheme will significantly contribute to their personal development as set out in the Ofsted Inspection Framework and promotes the four fundamental British values which reflect life in modern Britain: democracy; rule of law; respect and tolerance and individual liberty.
Within Walworth Primary we place positive mental health and wellbeing at the centre of school life. Our vision, “Listen, Learn and be Happy Together” highlights the importance we place on supporting every child’s emotional wellbeing so that they can be listened to and are happy and ready to learn.
PSHE & RSHE Implementation
At Walworth Primary our curriculum follows the Kapow Primary scheme of work which is in collaboration with the PSHE Association Programme of Study (referred to by DfE in all key documentation).
The scheme is a whole school approach that consists of five areas of learning:
- Families and relationships
- Health and wellbeing
- Safety and the changing body
- Citizenship
- Economic wellbeing
Each area is revisited every year to allow children to build on prior learning. The lessons also provide a progressive programme. The lessons are based upon the statutory requirements for Relationships and Health education, but where our lessons go beyond these requirements (primarily in the Citizenship and Economic wellbeing areas) they refer to the PSHE Association’s Programme of Study which is recommended by the DfE. Sex education has been included in line with the DfE recommendations and is covered in Year 6 of our scheme.
Our scheme supports the requirements of the Equality Act through direct teaching, for example learning about different families, the negative effect of stereotypes and celebrating differences, in addition to the inclusion of diverse teaching resources throughout the lessons. A range of teaching and learning activities are used and are based on good practice in teaching RSHE/PSHE education to ensure that all children can access learning and make progress.
All lessons include differentiation to stretch the most able learners and give additional support to those who need it. Many lessons, stories, scenarios, and video clips provide the opportunity for children to engage in real life and current topics in a safe and structured way.
Role-play activities are also included to help children play out scenarios that they may find themselves in. There are meaningful opportunities for cross-curricular learning, in particular with Computing for online safety and Science for growing, nutrition, teeth, diet and lifestyle.
Our scheme provides consistent messages throughout the age ranges including how and where to access help.
Assessment for learning opportunities are built into each lesson alongside opportunities for self-evaluation and reflection allowing teachers to evaluate and assess the progress of children. At the start of each lesson children’s existing knowledge and experience is discussed, then at the end opportunities to consolidate and reflect on learning are built in. Summative assessment tools for each unit allow progress to be recorded and tracked for each child.
PSHE & RSHE Impact
Our PSHE/RSHE and Citizenship curriculum ensures that children develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to succeed at school and in the wider world. A successful PSHE/RSHE education can have a positive impact on the whole child, including their academic development and progress, by helping to alleviate any social and emotional barriers to learning and building confidence and self-esteem, something our children at Walworth often find challenging. The whole school approach to PSHE and citizenship has a positive impact on wellbeing, safeguarding and SMSC outcomes.
Because learning is a change to long-term memory, it is impossible to see impact in the short term. We do, however, track progress over time to evaluate the impact of our practice. This means that we look at the practices taking place to determine whether they are appropriate, related to our goals and likely to produce results in the long run.
We use lesson observations to see if the pedagogical style (from direct instruction to discovery learning) matches our depth expectations.
Formative assessment is used to help teachers plan progression and meet the individual needs of children. Teachers also use an assessment tracking tool to help evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum. This relates to the Programme of Study for PSHE. This in conjunction with work samples and lesson observations will enable the subject lead to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of our curriculum.
- Children will develop the vocabulary and confidence needed to be able to communicate their thoughts and feelings.
- Children will know they can seek support of others and feel safe to do so.
- Children will have a greater understanding of society and apply this to their everyday interactions both at school and out in the wider community.
- Children will have the skills to evaluate and understand their own wellbeing, practise self-care and contribute positively to the wellbeing of those around them.
At Walworth we recognise that PSHE is threaded/embedded into everyday school life and aspects of PSHE will be evident throughout the formal and hidden curriculums.
