Intent, Implementation and Impact

Intent

At St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School, it is our intent that all pupils will be independent, lifelong learners. Our PSHE curriculum enables our children to become healthy, independent and responsible members of society. It aims to help the children understand how they are developing personally and socially. PSHE helps our children tackle many of the moral, social and cultural issues that they encounter as part of growing up.

Our curriculum is designed to be taught in units, in a spiral curriculum enabling children to revisit and build on previous learning hence extending their understanding and we have used the Health Education Programme (HEP) guidance to plan the delivery of a broad and balanced curriculum.

We have designed our PSHE in the light of the new statutory requirements in RSHE. We use Ten Ten ‘Life to the Full’ programme as the basis of delivering a RSHE curriculum in line with our Catholicity. The programme enables children to learn how to be safe and to understand and develop healthy relationships both now and in the future.

At St. Mary’s school we provide our children with the opportunities for children to learn about rights and responsibilities and to appreciate what it means to be part of a diverse society. Our children are encouraged to play a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community.

At St. Mary’s we have an inclusive approach to PSHE, we ensure that our children can access the curriculum that is tailored to meet their individual needs. We follow the National Curriculum but we provide a wide range of additional opportunities to enrich the experiences of our children and we adopt the curriculum to make it accessible to children with learning needs (SEND)

  • Sensory Room
  • Art and Play Therapists
  • Speech and Language NELI training in EYFS

Children with learning needs (SEND) need the necessary skills to look after themselves and how to access support. Our PSHE curriculum provides an inclusive environment where pupils feel comfortable and safe to discuss issues they are worried about or feel anxious about.

Implementation

PSHE is implemented using our whole school curriculum map produced in conjunction with Health Education Programme (HEP). PSHE is delivered implicitly through our school values as well as explicitly, through many areas of school life such as assemblies, circle time and campaigns such as Anti-Bullying week.

To enable children to succeed, we practise daily ‘Brain Breaks’ in class. ‘Brain breaks’ are deep breathing exercises which children do to help them calm down and prepare them for learning.

How we deliver PSHE at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School:

  • All children have a weekly PSHE and RSE lesson
  • Planning has been developed by the PSHE lead using the Bi Borough HEP guidance to offer a broad and balanced Curriculum
  • Our curriculum is designed to be taught in units in a spiral curriculum, enabling children to revisit and build on previous learning hence extending their understanding
  • RSE is taught from ‘Life to the Full’ Ten Ten Programme
  • Daily ‘Brain Breaks’ to help children with their learning and to help with their emotions
  • There are cross curricular links with RE, Science, PE, English and Computing
  • There are specific focus weeks within the curriculum such as Anti-Bullying Week, Internet Safety Week, Children’s Mental Health Week
  • Our PSHE Curriculum also includes links to British Values (BV), Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC)
  • Whole school, Key Stage and Class assemblies make links to SMSC,BV
  • There are links to safeguarding, the school values, BV and rights and responsibilities to ensure that the children have an overall knowledge within these areas of the curriculum
  • Visits from external visitors such as: school nurse, community police officer, fire brigade, road safety team form an integral part of our curriculum

Lessons consist of class discussions, debates, circle-time, and group activities. Our aim is to ensure all children develop their Cultural Capital and are socially prepared for life in Britain and the modern world.

In all subjects around the curriculum, we make provision to allow children to overcome any barriers to learning they might have. It ranges from Teacher focus, Adult support, pre teaching social stories, play and drama therapy and pastoral groups tailored to individual children

Much of the PSHE curriculum is practical and discussion based, written work is recorded and kept in PSHE and RSHE learning folders.

Impact

At St. Mary’s Catholic School, we firmly believe that a meaningful PSHE curriculum is the key to children becoming independent lifelong learners. We continuously assess the implementation and impact of our PSHE curriculum ensuring that our children become confident, tolerant and well-minded citizens. Teachers use various methods to evaluate the impact of their teaching on children’s learning to ensure that all the children make progress. We ensure all our children have access to our ambitious curriculum through targeted support and subject monitoring.

As PSHE is practical and discussion based, book looks, learning walks and pupil conferences are used to gain a holistic understanding of the whole child’s learning including self-confidence, as well as their ability to explain their learning.

Through the delivery of PSHE we will:

  • establish a culture within our school which prioritises physical and mental health and wellbeing
  • undertake Pupil Voice surveys
  • provide opportunities for circle time, class assemblies and whole school worship
  • provide the children with the appropriate vocabulary, to allow them to clearly articulate their views
  • enable children to learn about rights and responsibilities and appreciate what it means to be part of a diverse society
  • ensure that children know and are aware of when and how they can seek help if necessary
  • empower children, particularly those who are more vulnerable, with the skills they need to overcome their difficulties.

Our School values ensure that our children are happy and safe and can excel in all aspects of school life. They are encouraged to learn and reflect on key issues, which they may face in everyday life.

  • Children  will recognise and apply the British Values of Democracy, Tolerance, Rule of Law and Liberty
  • Children will be able to develop positive, healthy relationships with their peers, now and in the future
  • Children will understand the physical aspects involved in RSE at an age appropriate level
  • Children will have respect for themselves and others