Chesham Bois CE School

PSHE

PSHE Intent

PSHE is not a statutory subject in the National Curriculum.  Our curriculum recognises the fundamental importance of PHSE to our school ethos.  The National Curriculum states; “every state funded school must offer a curriculum which; promotes SMSC, mental and physical development of children and prepares children for opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.”  Our curriculum not only delivers statutory obligations in drug education, financial education, Sex and Relationship Education and Health education, it also; underpins our commitment to the safeguarding of children, supports diversity and equality, promotes mental and physical well-being, gives children the ability to make informed choices (including online safety), promotes empathy and tolerance across the school and into the wider community. 

Our curriculum is further enhanced by the strength of our Christian values.  We recognise the children in our school have a range of family backgrounds and life experiences.  It is important that we build upon these experiences to provide understanding of the diversity in our country as a whole in terms of race, religion, relationships.  The intent is to develop tolerant, respectful young citizens, prepared for their lives beyond primary school. 

PSHE Implementation 

The planning for PSHE lessons at CBS is based upon plans designed by the PSHE Association to support planning a personalised and flexible, age-appropriate PSHE education scheme of work over the course of a school year. It enables us to develop our pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding based on the three core themes of the PSHE Association Programme of Study for PSHE education: health and well-being, relationships and living in the wider world.

The long term plans have been adapted from the PSHE Association long-term plan that covers all three core themes over three terms.  It takes into account progression and development of pupils’ understanding of the overarching concepts and development of essential skills. Topic areas are arranged into half-term ‘chunks’, which have been adapted to suit our planning requirements.  Content has been selected to ensure opportunities to explore the overarching concepts and to develop the essential skills and attributes set out in the Programme of Study, through a programme that is relevant and appropriate to the ethos of our school and the needs of our pupils. A spiral programme will revisit themes, gradually extending thinking, expanding knowledge and developing skills, rather than providing a series of ‘one-off’ topic.

The class teachers deliver a PSHE lesson each week; using a range of teaching strategies to engage the children including drama activities, role play, art, discussion, mind mapping, debate etc.    At appropriate times in the year, there are themed weeks e.g., UK Parliament Week, Anti-bullying / diversity week where the children focus for example on British Values and Relationships.  In addition to the usual lessons, children will have many opportunities for reflection including collective worship each day (either in class or in assembly), and key themes in line with school priorities will be explored through assemblies.  Our CARE culture will underline all the work completed within the PSHE curriculum.

The PSHE curriculum will be delivered using external resources where appropriate to help engage and inspire the children, but also to bring specialist knowledge; for example NSPCC, police, nurse, firefighters, young enterprise co-ordinators.

Teachers are offered the opportunity to build their own knowledge and understanding of PSHE and through CPD opportunities.  These are delivered by peers during staff meetings as well as with external providers.  These opportunities and resources provided should ensure staff feel confident delivering the curriculum. 

Children’s work and evidence of their progress is kept in our Big Books of Thought scrap books and additional evidence folders are kept by individual class teachers.  Relevant work can and should also be displayed in classrooms / wider school to engage the whole school community. 

Each year group completes a “community based project” every year, engaging with the school community and wider community too.  Examples of previous class community projects include; foodbank collections, fund raising for chosen charities (Lunch bowl, Chiltern Foodbank, Children in Need, Sports Relief), litter picks.

All pupils with SEND learn alongside their peers, having equity of access to our full curriculum.

The children from Year 1 to 6 are arranged into mixed age “Leaders Across the School” groups with the intent, implementation and impact decided by each group.  The groups are as follows:

School Council

Sports Leaders

Young Carers

Nurture Groups

Impact /intended outcomes

Children will develop positive and healthy relationships with their peers both now and in the future.

Children will be reflective, resilient and independent learners, ready for life beyond primary school.

Children will understand what is meant by a healthy lifestyle. 

Children will become thoughtful and respectful members of their community and hence active members of a democratic society, able to make informed choices regarding personal and social issues.

Children will understand the physical aspects involved in RSE at an age appropriate level.

Children will have respect for themselves and others.

Children will have positive body images.

Children will know how to and have the vocabulary to keep themselves safe physically, mentally and technologically.