PSHE Curriculum, Intent, Implementation, Impact Statement

We aim to create

Empowered, Global, Kind, Citizens

At St Chad’s our school motto, ‘Grow in love, Live in Peace’ reflects our vision for PSHE;

Intent

At St Chad’s Primary school, we recognise the importance of PSHE and the role it has in developing the God-given qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals. The intent of our PSHE curriculum is to deliver a curriculum which is accessible to all and one which will prepare our children for life outside of the classroom and help them build skills which will allow them to protect and keep themselves safe in the wider community. We strive to help pupils build their confidence, resilience, and self-esteem through developing:  

• an understanding of themselves and others
• positive relationships built on mutual respect
• a healthy and safe lifestyle

We provide our children with opportunities for them 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.

Through our teaching of PSHE we will make a significant contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. We place a strong emphasis on developing emotional literacy and nurturing pupils’ mental and physical health. In order to ensure that these aims are met we will deliver our PSHE sessions mainly using the ‘Scarf’ scheme of work produced by Coram Education.

We have tailored the Relationships & Sex Education (RSHE) aspect of our PSHE curriculum to reflect the context of a Christian understanding of human sexuality rooted in the wisdom and teaching of the Catholic Church. This also builds on links to our RE and Science curriculums, using ‘A Journey In Love’ to deliver RSHE lessons from Early Years to Year 6.

Implementation

At our schools we use SCARF (Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience, Friendship), a comprehensive scheme of work for PSHE, RSE and Wellbeing education. The SCARF scheme is mapped to the PSHE Association Programmes of Study to provide a whole-school approach to promoting behaviour, safety, achievement and wellbeing.

We follow the six suggested half termly units and adapt the scheme of work where necessary to meet the local circumstances of our school.

We have chosen SCARF as our PSHE resource because the lessons build upon children’s prior learning and the content is relevant and sensitive to the needs of the children. There is planned progression across the SCARF scheme of work, so that children are increasingly and appropriately challenged as they move through the school. Assessment is completed by the class teacher using the SCARF Assessment tools (the Pre and Post Unit of Assessment for each topic) to demonstrate progression of both skills and knowledge.

Our PSHE curriculum, using the SCARF programme, consists of 6 themed units that each child will be taught about throughout the year:

• Me and My Relationships: includes content on feelings, emotions, conflict resolution and friendships.

 • Valuing Difference: a focus on respectful relationships and British values.

 • Keeping Myself Safe: looking at keeping ourselves healthy and safe

 • Rights and Responsibilities: learning about money, living the wider world and the environment.

 • Being My Best: developing skills in keeping healthy, developing a growth mindset (resilience), goalsetting and achievement.

 • Growing and Changing: finding out about the human body, the changes that take place from birth to old age and being safe.

 Children are encouraged to engage in activities that promote an understanding of themselves as growing and changing individuals, and as members of a wider community, based on their own first-hand experiences. These activities also encourage pupils to understand how their choices and behaviours can affect others. They are encouraged to play and learn alongside – then collaboratively with – their peers. They may use their personal and social skills to develop or extend these activities. Children are also given the opportunity to make choices about their health and environment and are encouraged to develop a caring attitude towards others.

We also recognise and teach important PHSE lessons through key national campaigns – such as Mental Health Week, World Kindness Day, Anti-Bullying Week, Fairtrade Fortnight, Road Safety week and Safer Internet Day. We believe that PSHE plays a vital part of primary education and needs to be taught at least weekly; although there will also be opportunity to embed links across the curriculum and also safeguarding. This enables staff to ensure full coverage of the PSHE scheme of work. There are always occasions where staff may feel it necessary to teach PHSE as a result of an issue which has arisen in their own class.

Our high-quality teaching responds to the needs of each child. Teachers identify and address misconceptions early, through direct feedback during lessons. As needed, support is provided to children when they find particular topics more challenging. Each class also has a ‘Ask it basket’ or ‘Question box’ where children can ask about a topic that they are not comfortable discussing as a whole class. We are lucky to have a Family Support worker who organises drop-in sessions called “The listening ear” in which the children can share any concerns, whether they arise from lessons or elsewhere. Children’s work is recorded through PSHE displays in every class and in Year PSHE scrapbooks.

PSHE plays an important part in our school assemblies and Collective Worship where children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural curiosity is stimulated, challenged and nurtured.

Impact

Our school values and inclusion of safeguarding within our curriculum is vital as, first and foremost, we want our children to be safe and happy so that they can excel in all aspects of school life. Our PSHE curriculum provides them with a chance to reflect and learn about these crucial elements.  

Our children and staff value well-being, mental health and good citizenship. Through our curriculum, we believe that we prepare children for the next stage in their education as well as preparing them, during this vital stage of their life, for the adult world. Our pupils will also deepen their appreciation of their faith and fulfil their God-given talents.

At our school we seek to ensure that the PSHE that we teach improves the physical and social well-being of pupils. Through our PSHE education, we believe we can enhance children’s education and help them to become caring, respectful, aspirational and confident individuals. It will: -

 • Give pupils the knowledge and develop the self-esteem, confidence and self-awareness to make informed choices and decisions;

 • Encourage and support the development of social skills and social awareness;

• Enable pupils to make sense of their own personal and social experiences;

• Promote responsible attitudes towards the maintenance of good physical and mental health, supported by a safe and healthy lifestyle;

• Enable effective interpersonal relationships and develop a caring attitude towards others;

 • Encourage a caring attitude towards and responsibility for the environment;

 • Help our pupils understand and manage their feelings, build resilience and be independent, curious problem solvers;

• Ensure they understand how society works and the laws, rights and responsibilities involved.

September 2023