PSHE and RSE

PSHE Curriculum Intent

RSE and PSHE – Intent, Implementation, and Impact

Intent

At Sunnyside Primary Academy we aim to give children the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that they need to effectively navigate the complexities of life in the 21st Century. The RSE and PSHE curriculum covers key areas which will support children to make informed choices now and in the future around their health, safety, wellbeing, relationships, and financial matters and will support them in becoming confident individuals and active members of society.

Underpinned by the Kapow Primary’s RSE/PSHE framework, our units cover the Relationships and Health Education statutory guidance (as set out by the Department for Education), including the non-statutory sex education. The scheme covers wider PSHE learning, in line with the requirement of the National curriculum (2014) that schools ‘should make provision for personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE).’ Children’s learning through this scheme would significantly contribute to their personal development as set out in the Ofsted Inspection Framework and promotes the four fundamental British values which reflect life in modern Britain: democracy; rule of law; respect and tolerance and individual liberty. We do not specifically cover gender identity, although identity is a theme that runs through all year groups and units more generally.

Quality PSHE and RSE teaching is an important element in helping schools to carry out their duty of care with regards to safeguarding. The DfE’s statutory ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education (Sep 2020)’ guidance states that ‘Governing bodies and proprietors should ensure that children are taught about safeguarding, including online safety. Schools should consider this as part of providing a broad and balanced curriculum’. In response to the child-on-child abuse updates to Section 5 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE, 2022), our curriculum introduces and revisits ideas of personal boundaries, consent and communicating our boundaries with others. This prepares pupils for the challenges and responsibilities they will face in the future. This framework is driven through our four curriculum pillars.

Striving for Excellence:

In our primary curriculum for RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) and PSHE (Personal, Social, Health, and Economic Education), we inspire our pupils to strive for excellence in all aspects of their personal and social development. Excellence in RSE and PSHE goes beyond the acquisition of knowledge; it's about fostering emotional intelligence, empathy, resilience, and responsible decision-making. Through interactive lessons, open dialogues, and real-world scenarios, our pupils learn to navigate the complexities of relationships, well-being, and societal challenges. We encourage them to set high standards for their personal growth, respecting diversity, and making informed choices that promote their physical and emotional health. Striving for excellence in RSE and PSHE equips our pupils with the skills and values they need to lead fulfilling and socially responsible lives, contributing positively to their communities and the world.

Developing Vocabulary:

In our primary RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) and PSHE (Personal, Social, Health, and Economic Education) curriculum, developing a comprehensive vocabulary is crucial to empowering pupils with the language to navigate the complexities of their personal and social lives. Through age-appropriate discussions, and interactive activities, our pupils build a robust vocabulary that allows them to articulate their thoughts, emotions, and concerns. This linguistic proficiency not only enhances their ability to communicate effectively but also promotes self-awareness and empathy. It enables pupils to engage in open, respectful dialogues about relationships, well-being, and societal issues. By emphasizing vocabulary development in RSE and PSHE, we aim to equip our pupils with the essential communication skills to make informed choices, build positive relationships, and navigate the challenges they encounter in their personal and social journeys.

Building Community:

In our primary RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) and PSHE (Personal, Social, Health, and Economic Education) curriculum, we prioritize building a strong sense of community among our pupils. We believe that fostering a supportive and inclusive environment is essential for addressing personal and social topics effectively. Through group discussions, cooperative activities, and open dialogues, our pupils learn to respect diverse perspectives, empathize with others, and develop a sense of belonging. This sense of community not only enriches their learning experience but also creates a safe space for pupils to share their thoughts, concerns, and questions related to relationships, health, and well-being. Our aim is to build a caring and compassionate community where every pupil’s voice is valued, promoting personal growth and positive social interactions within and beyond the classroom.

Expanding Cultural Experiences:

Teaching RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) and PSHE (Personal, Social, Health, and Economic Education) serves as a means to expand cultural experiences and align with SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural) objectives in our curriculum. Through these subjects, pupils explore diverse cultural perspectives on relationships, family structures, and societal norms. This exposure fosters cultural understanding, empathy, and respect for different values and beliefs. RSE and PSHE also promote social and moral development by encouraging discussions on ethical dilemmas, societal responsibilities, and personal values. Overall, these subjects empower pupils to engage with cultural diversity, enhance their moral compass, and develop strong social and emotional skills, making them more culturally aware, socially responsible, and spiritually grounded individuals within an increasingly interconnected world.

 

Implementation

Our RSE and PSHE curriculum is a whole school approach that consists of three areas of learning in EYFS: Reception (to match the EYFS Personal, social and emotional development prime area) and five areas of learning across Key stages 1 and 2.

EYFS:

• Self-regulation
• Building relationships
• Managing self

Key stage 1 and 2:

• Families and relationships
• Health and wellbeing
• Safety and the changing body
• Citizenship
• Economic wellbeing

 

Each area is revisited to allow children to build on prior learning. The lessons also provide a progressive programme. The lessons are based upon the statutory requirements for Relationships and Health education, but where our lessons go beyond these requirements (primarily in the Citizenship and Economic wellbeing areas) they refer to the PSHE Association Programme of Study which is recommended by the DfE. Sex education has been included in line with the DfE recommendations and is covered in Year 6 of our scheme.

The curriculum supports the requirements of the Equality Act through direct teaching ,for example learning about different families, the negative effect of stereotypes and celebrating differences, in addition to the inclusion of diverse teaching resources throughout the lessons.

A range of teaching and learning activities are used and are based on good practice in teaching RSE/PSHE education to ensure that all children can access learning and make progress. In key stage 1 and 2, there is an introductory lesson at the start of each year group which provides the opportunity for children and teachers to negotiate ground rules for the lessons. These introductory lessons can then be referred to throughout the year to help create a safe environment. Many lessons, stories, scenarios, and video clips provide the opportunity for children to engage in real life and current topics in a safe and structured way. Role-play activities are also included to help children play out scenarios that they may find themselves in. There are meaningful opportunities for cross-curricular learning, in particular with Computing for online safety and Science for growing, nutrition, teeth, diet and lifestyle. The scheme provides consistent messages throughout the age ranges including how and where to access help.

The curriculum also includes documentation related to the implementation of the curriculum:

Long-term plans outlining the learning across the phases.

Statutory guidance mapping illustrating how the units of lessons deliver the learning required within the Statutory guidance for Relationships, Sex and Health Education.

• RSE & PSHE Progression of skills and knowledge.
• Protected characteristics mapping.
• Other documentation related to the implementation of the curriculum:
• Protected characteristics mapping.
• SMSC, Personal development and British values mapping.
• Education for a connected world mapping (alongside our Computing scheme).
• Keeping children safe in education: Child on Child Sexual harassment knowledge outcomes and mapping.
• Knowledge organisers summarise the learning for each unit.

Impact

Teachers use formative and summative assessment opportunities through the RSE and PSHE curriculum to assess achievement through the units of work. The Knowledge catchers list some of the lesson titles in mind-map or table format and can be used at the start of a unit to see what the children already know and to inform planning, and then pupils can revisit the same version of the Knowledge catcher at the end of the unit to add what else they now know, further demonstrating their progression in learning. Once taught the full scheme, children will have met the objectives set out within the Relationships and Health Education statutory guidance and can utilise their learning within their daily lives, from dealing with friendship issues to resilience to making healthy choices and knowing where and how to get help when needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SMSC and British Values

SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) development opportunities are mapped throughout. All of these pieces of learning are brought together to form a cohesive picture, helping children to know and value who they are and understand how they relate to other people in the world.

Relationship & Sex Education (RSE)

With effect from September 2020 the content of school provision in PSHE (Personal, Social, Health Education) and RSE (Relationships & Sex Education) has changed with statutory elements being added.

Our RSE curriculum is designed to match guidelines from the Department for Education. Any changes to our approach shall be noted on this page and, where changes are made, there shall be full consultation with parents/carers.

We believe that knowledge empowers and protects children as long as it is age-appropriate. At secondary school, Sex Education is statutory and we believe that primary schools should prepare children with accurate knowledge about puberty and human reproduction before they transfer to secondary school.

Correct terminology for body parts is introduced early to normalise this 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.

 There are four main aims of teaching RSE:

• To enable children to understand and respect their bodies
• To help children develop positive and healthy relationships appropriate to their age and development
• To support children to have positive self-esteem and body image
• To empower them to be safe and safeguarded.

Each year group will be taught appropriate to their age and developmental stage. At no point will a child be taught something that is inappropriate; and if a question from a child arises and the teacher feels it would be inappropriate to answer, (for example, because of its mature or explicit nature), this information with be shared with you by your child’s class teacher. The question will not be answered to the child or class if it is outside the remit of that year group’s programme.

Below is a summary of RSE coverage within the Kapow scheme for each year group: 

• Foundation Stage – Taking care of ourselves and our needs and understanding others’ needs. 

• Year 1 – The difference between boys’ and girls’ bodies and learning the appropriate names for body parts. Respecting others’ bodies and understanding the difference between appropriate and inappropriate contact. 

• Year 2 - Boys’ and girls’ bodies; body parts and respecting privacy (which parts of the body are private and why this is) 

• Year 4 – Changes from birth to adult. Physical changes during puberty. 

• Year 5 – Emotional and physical changes during puberty including menstruation.  

• Year 6 - Puberty for boys and girls and understanding conception to birth of a baby 

If parents/carers wish to withdraw their child from the Sex Education elements of the RSE curriculum, they should contact the principal. Please note that Sex Education is not the same as Relationships Education so a conversation with school is important to ensure there is a full understanding of the aspects of the curriculum a child can be withdrawn from.