PSHE
PSHE at Woodnook
In PSHE at Woodnook, we aim for our children to be able to manage their emotions and become healthy, independent and responsible members of a diverse society. We provide our children with opportunities for them to learn about rights and responsibilities and their place in the wider community. Through PSHE, our children develop a sense of British Values and the values of our school. We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework (2021), the National Curriculum (2021) for Relationships and Health Education and the PSHE Association Programme of study.
We aim for all children to meet the standards as out-lined for each stage below.
By the end of EYFS children should:
- Self-Regulation: Show an understanding of their own feelings and those of others, and begin to regulate their behaviour accordingly; Set and work towards simple goals, being able to wait for what they want and control their immediate impulses when appropriate; Give focused attention to what the teacher says, responding appropriately even when engaged in activity, and show an ability to follow instructions involving several ideas or actions.
- Managing Self: Be confident to try new activities and show independence, resilience and perseverance in the face of challenge; Explain the reasons for rules, know right from wrong and try to behave accordingly; Manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs, including dressing, going to the toilet and understanding the importance of healthy food choices.
- Building Relationships: Work and play cooperatively and take turns with others; Form positive attachments to adults and friendships with peers; Show sensitivity to their own and to others’ needs. (Early Years Framework 2021).
By the end of primary school children should:
Relationship Education (Statutory)
- Families and people who care for me – The characteristics of healthy family life, commitment to each other, including in times of difficulty, protection and care for children and other family members, the importance of spending time together and sharing each other’s lives. That others’ families, either in school or in the wider world, sometimes look different from their family, but that they should respect those differences and know that other children’s families are also characterised by love and care. How to recognise if family relationships are making them feel unhappy or unsafe, and how to seek help or advice from others if needed.
- Caring friendships - The characteristics of friendships, including mutual respect, truthfulness, trustworthiness, loyalty, kindness, generosity, trust, sharing interests and experiences and support with problems and difficulties. How to recognise who to trust and who not to trust, how to judge when a friendship is making them feel unhappy or uncomfortable, managing conflict, how to manage these situations and how to seek help or advice from others, if needed.
- Respectful relationships - the importance of respecting others, even when they are very different from them, or make different choices or have different preferences or beliefs. The importance of self-respect and how this links to their own happiness. That in school and in wider society they can expect to be treated with respect by others, and that in turn they should show due respect to others, including those in positions of authority.
Health Education (Statutory)
- Mental wellbeing: That mental wellbeing is a normal part of daily life, in the same way as physical health. How to recognise and talk about their emotions, including having a varied vocabulary of words to use when talking about their own and others’ feelings. The benefits of physical exercise, time outdoors, community participation, voluntary and service-based activity on mental wellbeing and happiness. Isolation and loneliness can affect children and that it is very important for children to discuss their feelings with an adult and seek support. That bullying (including cyberbullying) has a negative and often lasting impact on mental wellbeing. It is common for people to experience mental ill health.
- Internet safety and harms: About the benefits of rationing time spent online, the risks of excessive time spent on electronic devices and the impact of positive and negative content online on their own and others’ mental and physical wellbeing. How to consider the effect of their online actions on others and know how to recognise and display respectful behaviour online and the importance of keeping personal information private. Where and how to report concerns and get support with issues online.
- Physical health and fitness: the characteristics and mental and physical benefits of an active lifestyle. The importance of building regular exercise into daily and weekly routines and how to achieve this; for example walking to school or other forms of regular, vigorous exercise. The risks associated with an inactive lifestyle (including obesity). How and when to seek support including which adults to speak to in school if they are worried about their health.
- Healthy eating: what constitutes a healthy diet (including understanding calories and other nutritional content). The principles of planning and preparing a range of healthy meals. The characteristics of a poor diet and risks associated with unhealthy eating (including, for example, obesity and tooth decay) and other behaviours (e.g. the impact of alcohol on diet or health).
- Drugs, alcohol and tobacco: The facts about legal and illegal harmful substances and associated risks, including smoking, alcohol use and drug-taking.
- Health and Prevention: how to recognise early signs of physical illness, such as weight loss, or unexplained changes to the body. About dental health and the benefits of good oral hygiene and dental flossing, including regular check-ups at the dentist. About personal hygiene and germs including bacteria, viruses, how they are spread and treated, and the importance of handwashing. The facts and science relating to allergies, immunisation and vaccination.
- Basic first aid: Pupils should know: how to make a clear and efficient call to emergency services if necessary. Concepts of basic first-aid, for example dealing with common injuries, including head injuries.
- Changing adolescent body: key facts about puberty and the changing adolescent body, particularly from age 9 through to age 11, including physical and emotional changes. About menstrual wellbeing including the key facts about the menstrual cycle.
Along-side the statutory frameworks, we use our whole school yearly overview and separate year group plans to provide a clear sequence of learning, so that the children continuously build on prior knowledge and concepts, which are closely tailored to the needs of our children. This is determined by Pupil Voice feedback, parental questionnaires and staff audits. The School Council meet fortnightly and represent the views of the pupils whenever whole school matters arise. The reinforcement of Woodnook’s school values are addressed through whole school assemblies, which have a separate focus for each half term. Discrete PSHE lessons are taught following the agreed curriculum, specific to our school and children. Issues arising with the children outside the PSHE session are addressed as soon as they happen and are then dealt with in an appropriate way. Depending on the seriousness of the issue, this may take the form of a discrete PSHE lesson. Group agreements for each class are in place, in order for children to feel able to share feelings and opinions in class or group situations.
In EYFS, the concepts of PSHE are taught through Personal, Social and Emotional Development and there are the opportunities for learning in Continuous Provision, both inside and outside. The fundamentals of PSHE underpin the children’s time in EYFS and the children are supported by a named key worker. In Years One to Six, lessons are planned and taught with an objective taken from one of the themes of Relationships, Health and Living in the Wider World. Teachers follow the school’s RHE (Relationships and Health Education) policy to ensure consistency throughout school. Pupils are given the opportunity use key vocabulary to discuss and debate the key themes within each unit, giving them the chance to think in an empathetic way. We recognise that all children in all year groups have different abilities, and therefore tailor our approach to the individual where necessary, matching activities to specific ability groups. This allows for a variety of responses and differentiated outcomes, to ensure that each child has the opportunity to understand the fundamentals of the PSHE curriculum and its links with other curriculum subjects.
Please click to view the whole school yearly overview and each year group’s units within the themes of Relationships, Health and Living in the Wider World.
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6
You can also view these handouts to learn more about the statutory curriculum for Health and Relationships.
If you have any questions regarding the attached policy or yearly overviews, please don’t hesitate to contact school using the email k.broderick@woodnook.lancs.sch.uk. Any questions asked will be posted on here in the Frequently Asked Questions section with the corresponding school response.
Frequently Asked Questions and School’s Responses.
- One parent was concerned about the term ‘fertilisation’ and what would be taught to their child.
Woodnook responded that this would be taught in relation to plants, animals and humans. Children would be taught that fertilisation is where the male sperm and the female egg fuse together and pregnancy or seed formation occurs.
July 2021
- A parent commented that there were statements in the Year Six overview which contradicted the PSHE Policy that Woodnook would not be teaching sex education.
The following statements have been removed from the Year Six overview and will not be taught at Woodnook.
- what sexual intercourse is, and how it can be one part of an intimate relationship between consenting adults
- that pregnancy can be prevented with contraception
July 2021
- Another concern raised was that puberty / growing up talks would be taught to the class as a whole and that children wouldn’t feel comfortable asking questions or raising concerns.
It was always Woodnook’s intention to teach this work to boys and girls separately.
However, they will both get the same information about the adolescent changes to boys
and girls.
July 2021
