PSHE Curriculum Aims

At Anker Valley Primary Academy we aim to support all pupils to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to help them manage life and learning effectively, now and in the future. 

What is PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic education)?

PSHE education is a planned programme of learning through which children and young people acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to manage their lives, now and in the future. As part of a whole-school approach, PSHE education develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society.

What do schools have to teach in PSHE Education?

Every school needs to have a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils, prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life’ and promotes British values.

At Anker Valley Primary Academy, we strive to give all our children an enriched curriculum across each subject. We promote a nurturing learning environment in which each child is encouraged to develop their full potential and where their achievements and successes are celebrated and rewarded.  As a school, we believe that children are all individuals and therefore, we aim to encourage mutual respect, responsibility and foster self-esteem in a happy and caring atmosphere, whilst teaching and encouraging children to build their own resilience and to develop a steady growth mind-set. 

PSHE Education at Anker Valley Primary Academy

The teaching and learning of PSHE through the ‘You, Me and PSHE’ Scheme supports and upholds this vision. You, Me and PSHE is a clear and progressive curriculum that is divided into 7 strands that cover topics which are relevant to the lives that children live today and prepares them for the future.  

The PSHE curriculum is divided into the following 7 different strands:  

• Growing and Changing - Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) 
• Drug, alcohol and tobacco education  
• Physical health and wellbeing 
• Mental health and emotional wellbeing 
• Keeping safe and managing risk 
• Careers, financial capability & economic wellbeing 
• Identity, society and equality 

PSHE deals with the diverse beliefs, values and attitudes that individuals and societies hold. We want to help pupils to develop themselves, their understanding of the world, and their ability to communicate their feelings. PSHE helps children to acquire British values and attitudes, which are necessary if they are to make sense of their experiences within school and life itself.  PSHE education cannot exist in isolation, it is underpinned by our own school values of having high expectations, care, courtesy, determination, kindness and respect in everything that we do.    

Through PSHE, we believe we can enhance children’s education and help them become caring, respectful and confident individuals. We endeavour to help children learn about the importance of healthy, respectful relationships, focusing on family and friendships and teach the protected characteristics as set out in the Equality Act 2010.

The PSHE curriculum will also be woven into the wider learning offered by the academy to ensure that pupils experience positive relationships with adults and with each other and feel valued, and that those who are most vulnerable are identified and supported. Pupils will be encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities and experiences across and beyond the curriculum, contributing fully to the life of our school and community. 

 

What is Relationships and Health Education?

There are four main aims for teaching RHE within the context of Primary School PSHE (Personal, Social, Health Education):

• To enable young people to understand and respect their bodies, and be able to cope with the changes puberty brings, without fear or confusion
• To help young people develop positive and healthy relationships appropriate to their age, development etc. (respect for self and others)
• To support young people to have positive self-esteem and body image, and to understand the influences and pressures around them
• To empower them to be safe and safeguarded

What will my child actually be taught in Relationships and Health Education?

The You, Me and PSHE scheme also includes relationship and health education units of work aim to give children their entitlement to information about relationships, puberty and human reproduction, appropriate to their ages and stages of development. This work is treated in a matter-of-fact and sensitive manner to allay embarrassment and fear and helps children to cope with change, and to learn about families, friendships and healthy relationships.  Please note, at no point will a child be taught something that is inappropriate. Any questions asked outside the remit of that year group’s programme, would not be answered.

RHE is taught over a whole term in Y2, 4 and 6; each year group will be taught appropriate to their age and developmental stage.

Correct terminology for body parts is introduced to normalise biological vocabulary and to support safeguarding. These words are not used in isolation but always in conjunction, ensuring children know these are private parts of their bodies. 

Year Group Coverage for RHE units:

• EYFS Reception - Growing up: how we have changed since we were babies
• Year 2 - Boys’ and girls’ bodies; body parts
• Year 4 - Growing up and changing
• Year 6 - Healthy relationships and how a baby is made

Respecting privacy (which parts of the body are private and why this is) is reinforced across all year groups for safeguarding reasons.

Mrs Natalie Horlor is the Curriculum Lead at Anker Valley.