PSHE
PSHE, Citizenship and Careers are given high priority within the curriculum at CCA. It is our intent, that within a modern, social culture, we will prepare children with the skills, knowledge and resilience required to be confident and responsible citizens. We will aim to nurture the development of personal aspirations and to recognise their goals and potentials in life. By providing a safe environment for children, we will also encourage children to take risks and not be afraid of failure or mistakes; instead, celebrating the learning they can take from these ‘setbacks’ and fostering a Growth Mind-set.
Our approach to teaching PSHE is based on a spiral curriculum (see Bruner 1960). This approach aims to consolidate prior learning and build on it over time. We believe this reflects and meets the personal development needs of our pupils. Learning is organised into a series of recurring themes, each lasting a half a term, which pupils experience every year. At each encounter, the level of demand increases and learning is progressively deepened. This approach avoids PSHE education becoming a string of ‘topics’ or disconnected ‘issues’.
Through the teaching and learning of PSHE we aim to provide a safe and supportive learning environment where children and young people can develop the confidence to ask questions, challenge the information they are offered, draw on their own experience, express their views and opinions and put what they have learned into practice in their own lives.
Children’s mental health is of paramount importance to us and we want children, parents and carers to know how to maintain good mental health and emotional well-being but also where and how to access appropriate help if required. Children will be taught specific mental health units in both key stages but mental health is referred to regularly throughout the curriculum e.g. in the Y5 Money Matters unit we discuss how attitudes to money can have effect mental health and wellbeing.
All children have equal access and inclusive rights to the curriculum. We promote the needs and interests of all pupils, irrespective of gender, culture, ability or disability. Teaching will take into account the age, ability, readiness, and cultural backgrounds of children and those with English as a second language, to ensure that all can fully access PSHE education provision. We promote diversity and inclusion will consider all pupils’ needs and we expect our pupils to consider others’ needs.
We will use PSHE education as a way to address diversity issues and to ensure equality for all. We recognise the right for all pupils to have access to PSHE education learning which meets their needs. As far as is appropriate, pupils with special educational needs will follow the same PSHE education programme as all other students. Careful consideration will be given concerning the level of differentiation needed, and in some cases the content or delivery will have to be adapted. Teachers and/or learning support assistants will work with individual pupils where required, and if appropriate. We will not exclude access to PSHE for any pupil.
PSHE Curriculum
The PSHE course is based on three ‘core themes’, these are:
- Health and wellbeing
- Relationships
- Living in the wider world
Within these themes there will be overlap and flexibility. In addition, the curriculum also provides opportunities for pupils to learn about British Values, SMSC, Citizenship, Careers and Enterprise.
Pupils in KS2 will have 2 hours of PSHE per fortnight. Pupils in KS3 have three hours of PSHE per fortnight.
The programme will be taught through a range of teaching methods, including circle time, role-play, discussion – whole class, small group, 1:1, presentations, puppet theatre, films, stories e.g. exploring behaviour of characters, creative activities, and pupil initiated activities.
It is important that pupils are helped to make connections between the learning they receive in PSHE education and their current and future ‘real life’ experiences. The skill of critical reflection is therefore at the heart of assessment for learning in PSHE education.
Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)
As a middle school academy we must provide relationships education to all KS2 pupils and relationships and sex education to KS3 pupils as per section 34 of the Children and Social work act 2017. We do not have to follow the National Curriculum but we are expected to offer all pupils a curriculum that is similar to the National Curriculum including requirements to teach science which would include the elements of sex education contained in the science curriculum.
In teaching RSE, we are required by our funding agreements to have regard to guidance issued by the secretary of state as outlined in section 403 of the Education Act 1996. At CCA we teach RSE as set out in this policy. The content of the Academy’s curriculum is based on the statutory guidance issued by the Department for Education in 2019 and responds to updates and additional guidance as and when applicable.
Before relationships and sex education lessons, parents will be contacted by letter. The letter will outline the main topics being taught and will invite parents to contact the school if they wish to discuss any aspect of this area of the curriculum. A range of teaching resources are used, supported by discussion and question and answer sessions.
Parent/Carers have the right to withdraw their children from the non-statutory/non-science components of sex education within RSE up to and until 3 terms before the child turns 16. Please see the school’s RSE policy, for more information and a copy of the request form.
Parents do not have the right to withdraw their children from KS2 relationships education.
In key stage 2, pupils will be taught:
Health and wellbeing
- what is meant by a healthy lifestyle
- how to maintain physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing
- how to manage risks to physical and emotional health and wellbeing
- ways of keeping physically and emotionally safe
- about managing change, including puberty, transition and loss
- how to make informed choices about health and wellbeing and to recognise sources of help with this
- how to respond in an emergency
- to identify different influences on health and wellbeing
Relationships
- how to develop and maintain a variety of healthy relationships, within a range of social/cultural contexts
- how to recognise and manage emotions within a range of relationships
- how to recognise risky or negative relationships including all forms of bullying and abuse
- how to respond to risky or negative relationships and ask for help
- how to respect equality and diversity in relationships.
Living in the wider world
- about respect for self and others and the importance of responsible behaviours and actions
- about rights and responsibilities as members of families, other groups and ultimately as citizens
- about different groups and communities
- to respect equality and to be a productive member of a diverse community
- about the importance of respecting and protecting the environment
- about where money comes from, keeping it safe and the importance of managing it effectively
- how money plays an important part in people’s lives
- a basic understanding of enterprise.
In key stage 3, pupils will be taught:
Health and wellbeing
- how to manage transition
- how to maintain physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing including sexual health
- about parenthood and the consequences of teenage pregnancy
- how to assess and manage risks to health and to stay, and keep others, safe
- how to identify and access help, advice and support
- how to make informed choices about health and wellbeing matters including drugs, alcohol and tobacco; maintaining a balanced diet; physical activity; emotional health and wellbeing and sexual health
- how to respond in an emergency including administering first aid
- the role and influence of the media on lifestyle.
Relationships
- how to develop and maintain a variety of healthy relationships within a range of social/cultural contexts and to develop parenting skills
- how to recognise and manage emotions within a range of relationships
- how to deal with risky or negative relationships including all forms of bullying (including the distinct challenges posed by online bullying) and abuse, sexual and other violence and online encounters
- about the concept of consent in a variety of contexts (including in sexual relationships)
- about managing loss including bereavement, separation and divorce
- to respect equality and be a productive member of a diverse community
- how to identify and access appropriate advice and support.
Living in the wider world
- about rights and responsibilities as members of diverse communities, as active citizens and participants in the local and national economy
- how to make informed choices and be enterprising and ambitious
- how to develop employability, team working and leadership skills and develop flexibility and resilience
- about the economic and business environment
- how personal financial choices can affect oneself and others and about rights and responsibilities as consumers.
Impact
As a result of our PSHE programme of learning, we want our children to be self- aware, have positive self-esteem and confidence, enabling them to:
- stay as healthy as possible
- keep themselves and others safe
- have worthwhile and fulfilling relationships
- respect the differences between people
- develop independence and responsibility
- play an active role as members of a democratic society
- make the most of their own abilities and those of others
- behave in a socially and morally acceptable way including towards authority and each other
- to become involved in the life of their community
- to know about democracy and how to be an active citizen
- to know about economic wellbeing.
We want our children to: -
- value the achievements they make, and the achievements of others
- make informed choices about dealing with risks and meeting challenges now and in the future.
- decide on values by which they want to live their lives.
- be resilient and be able to cope effectively with the challenges they face in their lives, both now and in the future.
Assessment
We will determine pupils’ prior knowledge/starting points through the completion of baseline assessments at the start of each unit. Baseline activities will vary for each unit and could include value continuums, mind maps, scenarios and/or questions. These activities are then revisited at the end of the unit in order to assess progress and evaluate the effectiveness of provision.
In addition to these baseline/end of unit assessments, we will use a range of assessments strategies in order to assess the effectiveness of teaching and the level of pupils’ understanding. These will include:
- End of unit application tasks, whereby pupils have to apply their learning to real life situations.
- Contributions to whole class and small group discussions and debates. Teachers will use this form of assessment on a regular basis and will use it to assess pupils’ understanding and challenge misconceptions. Targeted questioning techniques will be used to ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to contribute and demonstrate their understanding. This will also give teachers the opportunity to provide greater challenge to pupils who are already meeting or exceeding expectations.
- Other in class tools, such as paired tasks, small group tasks, presentations, role plays etc.
Teachers will use all work completed in pupil’s folders and pupil’s verbal contributions in lessons, to assess their learning and understanding. Teachers will give purposeful written feedback on key pieces of work within each unit and at the end of each unit. This will allow teachers to provide intervention and address any misconceptions or misunderstandings. This will also give teachers the opportunity to set challenge tasks for those pupils who are already meeting or exceeding the expected standard.
Whole school assessment points are calendared throughout the year. At each assessment point, teachers will use the data they have gathered to give each pupil a grade in line with the whole school grading system (G.R.E.A.T.). Teachers will use a range of evidence to support them in awarding grades, including classwork, verbal contributions during class discussions, contributions to group tasks, end of unit assessments and pupil progress trackers.
We are able to provide copies of some of the resources we use in lessons, dependent on copyright restrictions.