PSHE
Overarching concepts developed through the Programme of Study
- Identity (their personal qualities, attitudes, skills, attributes and achievements and what influences these; understanding and maintaining boundaries around their personal privacy, including online)
- Relationships (including different types and in different settings, including online)
- A healthy (including physically, emotionally and socially), balanced lifestyle (including within relationships, work-life, exercise and rest, spending and saving and lifestyle choices)
- Risk (identification, assessment and how to manage risk, rather than simply the avoidance of risk for self and others) and safety (including behaviour and strategies to employ in different settings, including online in an increasingly connected world, managing online financial harms, and understanding digital deception)
- Diversity and equality (in all its forms, with due regard to the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010)
- Rights (including the notion of universal human rights), responsibilities (including fairness and justice) and consent (in different contexts)
- Change (as something to be managed) and resilience (the skills, strategies and 'inner resources' we can draw on when faced with challenging change or circumstance)
- Power (how it is used and encountered in a variety of contexts including online; how it manifests through behaviours including bullying, persuasion, coercion and how it can be challenged or managed through negotiation and 'win-win' outcomes)
- Career (including enterprise, employability, career pathways, and economic understanding)
- Digital and AI Literacy (understanding different types of AI, including generative AI and chatbots, and the opportunities, rights, safety, and wellbeing risks associated with its use)
PSHE at St. Philip's is supported through cross curricular links with other subjects such as Science & Physical Education and underpinned by enrichment days and visitors into school. At St. Philip's PSHE is at the heart of our school and not seen as a stand alone subject, it heavily links with British Values, Spiritual, Moral, Social & Cultural (SMSC) Education and our wider school ethos.
At St. Philip's we aim to develops pupils’ spiritual development by giving children opportunities to reflect on themselves, their relationships and their place in the wider world through the core themes of health and wellbeing, relationships and living in the wider world. As pupils build self-understanding, empathy and respect for others, they grow in self-awareness, confidence and a deeper sense of belonging in a diverse society.
At St. Philip's we have devised our PSHE education programme based upon the PSHE Association Programme of study. With our PSHE programme we aim to enable children to develop and gradually enrich their understanding of a set of overarching concepts, set out below. Although the specific content of PSHE education will constantly evolve as the world changes, these concepts are timeless. We believe that PSHE should not just be about Knowledge but must give our children fundamental opportunities to develop the skills, values and strategies to manage any issues they may encounter within their lives.
Intent
We want our children to have high aspirations, a belief in themselves and realise that anything is possible if they put their mind to it. In an ever-changing world, it is important that they are aware, to an appropriate level, of different factors which will affect their world and that they learn how to deal with these so that they have good mental health and well-being. Our PSHE curriculum develops learning and results in the acquisition of knowledge and skills which will enable children to access the wider curriculum and prepare them to be a global citizen now and in their future roles within a global community. It promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils, preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences for later life. Our Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) enables our children to learn how to be safe, and to understand and develop healthy relationships, both now and in their future lives. It also provides essential learning on Economic Wellbeing and Careers Education to ensure pupils are prepared for future transitions and the modern workplace.
Implementation
EYFS - In the Foundation Stage, PSHE and citizenship is taught as an integral part of topic work and is embedded throughout the curriculum. The objectives taught are the Personal, Social and Emotional Development.
Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 - At Key Stage 1 and 2, PSHE is taught through a clear and comprehensive scheme of work in line with the National Curriculum and the 2026 PSHE Association Curriculum Model. We ensure we cover the Health and Well-Being, Relationships and Living in the Wider World Learning Opportunities set out in the PSHE Association's Programme of Study, which comprehensively cover the statutory Relationships, (Sex) and Health Education (RSHE) guidance, alongside recommended content for Economic Wellbeing and Career-Related Learning. The Core Themes we teach through St Philip's are Relationships, Living in the WiderWorld and Health and Wellbeing.
Pupils are taught PSHE using a progressive, spiral approach that revisits and embeds learning in an age and stage appropriate way. This scheme of work covers all of the above and aims to prepare children for life, helping them to know and value who they are and understand how they relate to other people in this ever-changing world. There is a strong emphasis on emotional Literacy, building resilience and nurturing mental and physical health. It includes mindfulness to allow children to advance their emotional awareness, concentration and focus, while equipping them to critically engage with modern challenges such as news literacy, online financial spending, and safe digital connections.
Impact
In order to assess PSHE, staff use the assessment statements available on the school tracking programme to assess what objectives each child has achieved and any gaps which may need addressing. Subject Leaders complete termly monitoring (pupil voice and observing good practice) and practitioner knowledge inform these assessments. Our intention is that when children leave St Philip's, they will do so with the knowledge, understanding and emotions to be able to play an active, positive and successful role in today's diverse society.
