Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) is a subject in which children learn about themselves, other people, rights and responsibilities and relationships. It encompasses the following topics: Health and Wellbeing, Relationships, Living in the Wider World.
Physical Health and Mental Wellbeing
The aim of teaching pupils about physical health and mental wellbeing is to give them the information that they need to make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing. It will enable children to recognise what is normal and what is an issue in themselves and others and, when issues arise, know how to seek support as early as possible. Topics covered include: Mental wellbeing; Internet safety and harms; Physical health and fitness; Healthy eating; Drugs, alcohol and tobacco; Health and prevention; Basic first aid (from September 2020); Changing adolescent body. Our P.E. and Sport, Sports Enrichment programme, Design & Technology and Science curriculum support this.
In addition to this, we want out pupils to build resilience and to have the confidence to persevere, even when things may be challenging and to develop a deeper understanding of themselves, recognising how they learn best. Growth mindset and metacognition lessons are delivered to support this teaching.
Relationships Education
The focus in primary schools is on teaching the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships, with particular reference to friendships, family relationships, and relationships with other children and with adults. Topics covered include: Families and people who care for me; Caring friendships; Respectful relationships; Online relationships; Being safe.
Sex Education
Our sex education programme is tailored to the age and physical and emotional maturity of our pupils. It enables both boys and girls to be prepared for the changes that adolescence brings (puberty) and will draw on knowledge of the human life cycle set out in the national curriculum for science, to learn about how a baby is conceived. Our sex education programme has been agreed by our governing body, including our clergy representative, and parents of Y6 children will be invited in prior to the teaching of the programme to view the resources and ask any questions they may have.
Living in the wider world
The focus is on enabling children to recognise their place in the world: their home and school environment and the wider community. They will learn that people and other living things have needs and that they have responsibilities to meet them. They will examine ways of resolving differences by looking at alternatives, seeing and respecting others’ points of view, making decisions and explaining choices. Children will be encouraged to think about where money comes from and how it can be used. They will discuss the idea of spending and saving their money and begin to understand why it is important to keep belongings, including money, safe.
They will learn about what improves and harms their local, natural and built environments and about some of the ways people look after them.
Pupils will think about the lives of people living in other places, and people with different values and customs; why and how rules and laws that protect themselves and others are made and enforced, why different rules are needed in different situations and how to take part in making and changing rules.
Underpinning all this are the British Values themes: Tolerance, Respect, Democracy, Liberty, Responsibility and Rules of Law.
Our Community Cohesion programme and R.E. syllabus also contribute to this aspect of our PSHCE programme.
At St. John’s we aim to provide our pupils with an education which will allow them to achieve to the very best of their ability and go on to success in further education and careers. We also want our students to be safe and happy, be well-equipped for adulthood and be positive contributors to our society.
