RELATIONSHIPS EDUCATION AND PSHE

At St John with St Mark C of E Primary School we intend to deliver our PSHE/Relationships Education programme by working in partnership with parents and the community to achieve the highest standards.

Vision

Our overarching vision is tailored to promote the school values of responsibility, respect, compassion and truth. We encourage our children to be resilient, respectful, independent learners, who are equipped for lifelong learning. We see Personal, Social and Health Education as being at the centre of all that we do and we are pleased to enhance our children’s learning experience with the addition of Relationships Education.  Through our curriculum, our school environment and our ethos, we promote pupils’ self-esteem and emotional well-being and help them to form and maintain worthwhile and satisfying relationships, based on respect for themselves and for others, at home, at school, at work and in the community. Our school vision, as a church school and the approach to teaching compliments the importance of how we embed PSHE and Relationships education within school life.

Intent

The DfE provides the following definition in its guidance:

‘It is lifelong learning about physical, moral and emotional development. It is about the understanding of the importance…for family life, of stable and loving relationships, respect, love and care.’

The aims within our new curriculum meet the needs of every individual child with respect for our diverse community. We want our children to gain a strong sense of self and identity. PSHE/Relationships education allows time in the curriculum to develop, explore and teach personal, social and healthy wellbeing, keeping our children physically and emotionally healthy and prepared for life in modern Britain. Throughout our curriculum, we provide opportunity to access learning aimed to support their lifestyle in the present and in the future. We aim to develop their knowledge in coping strategies, preparation of responsibilities, how their bodies will change and living in a respectful and mindful world.

Implementation

All teaching staff use a scheme of work called SCARF (Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience and Friendship), which builds on prior knowledge each year and allows children time to deepen understanding on different topics. We dedicate 1 day at the start of each half term to SCARF and continue to explore the theme through assemblies, discussion, lessons and circle times. In reference to our Overviews, we allow flexibility in the curriculum to explore subjects that may be relevant within school life at that time. Throughout our curriculum we provide enrichment opportunities to support our teaching and invite NSPCC and SCARF representatives to deliver sessions. Cross curricular links include science, RE and British Values. In Key Stage 1 children are taught to draw and label the human body and explain which parts of the body are linked to which sense. Children are taught to describe the importance of staying healthy, including healthy eating and exercise. In Key Stage 2 children are taught about reproduction of plants and animals and the life cycles of a mammal, amphibian or bird. They are also taught to describe the changes as humans develop to old age. Children are encouraged from EYFS to treat each other with mutual respect and about the similarities and differences between themselves and others, Challenging stereotypes such as, gender, cultural and racial stereotyping through stories. Our high expectations of behaviour, interpersonal relationships, respect and tolerance of others reflect the British Values upheld in both our community and the wider world. 

Impact

By the end of Year 6, we aim that our children have been equipped with the skills and knowledge to be successful citizens within our continuously developing world. We want our children to develop their personal skills and attributes, self-worth, esteem and emotional resilience. With these attributes, we can provide our children with the ability to seek support and guidance to ensure their safety, live respectfully within their communities and the wider world and create meaningful, positive and healthy relationships. We continuously assess the implementation and impact of our curriculum in order to achieve the highest outcomes possible across all year groups.

Please click here for our school policy and here for some Frequently Asked Questions. Our Overview document also provides additional information.