Personal Development

‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’  - Nelson Mandela

What do we want for our children?

Through our PSHE curriculum children at Preston Park become independent and confident learners who are prepared and ready for life and work, not only in school but beyond the classroom.

At Preston Park our PSHE curriculum enables pupils to become healthy, independent and responsible members of society. Our curriculum aims to help students to understand and reflect on how they are developing personally and socially, and tackles many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are presented to them as they become young adults. Our curriculum provides children with a range of learning opportunities through visits, workshops, working with the wider community and our parents/careers. Our aim and goal is to ignite a love of learning that will stay with our children throughout their lives.

PSHE covers aspects of a child’s life which are real and meaningful to them and supports them in achieving their future goals and aspirations.

In teaching PSHE we want our pupils to:

• have a voice on topics which are important to them and to be able to share these in a safe environment;
• develop their understanding of human nature and human interactions;
• grow and cultivate healthy, positive and respectful relationships with others;
• have the knowledge, skills and attributes to lead confident, healthy and independent lives;
• be prepared for life and work in modern Britain;

How do we deliver this effectively?

 At Preston Park, our own unique PSHE curriculum map is designed to meet the needs of our children. We prioritise key topics that are vital for our pupils, some of these include; mental health, online safety and racism.                                                              

Our PSHE curriculum is inspiring, relevant and memorable. PSHE at Preston Park Primary School is real and meaningful to our students, and we fully support and provide opportunities that empower our students in achieving their future goals and aspirations.

We go beyond delivering the core knowledge and provide the building blocks of deeper understanding through discussions, debates, workshops and visits to and from the wider community.

Our PSHE curriculum goals are:

• To ensure pupils leave Preston Park ready for the real world
• To enable pupils to learn the importance of Mental Health and Wellbeing
• To teach pupils the significance of diversity and equality
• To teach pupils to recognise different types of relationships and how to maintain positive relationships throughout life
• To provide pupils with the knowledge to live healthy lives physically and mentally
• To provide pupils with a range of support networks and organisations in our wider community and beyond

Our students are able to develop their understanding of their world and the impact personal decisions can make on their lives as well as developing critical thinking skills. We provide our students with the opportunities to learn about their rights and responsibilities, and we teach our students to appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society.

Below is our curriculum overview:

What does this look for our children?

At Preston Park, we have prioritised the needs of our children by carefully sequencing the lessons in our curriculum to ensure they reflect and meet the needs of our pupils. We have linked our PSHE overview to the National Curriculum to ensure the programmes of study are taught in a logical order and we have broken down Relationship Health Education topics to provide a rich and meaningful curriculum for our children.

Our PSHE lessons give children the power to change the world. They support children to become world leaders and make positive changes for their future. Programmes of studies show clear progressions from EYFS to Year 6 in all PSHE topics taught. In PSHE lessons, children are able to; work collaboratively, debate on key and relevant topics, have access to a range of workshops and trips. All these experiences create memorable learning moments for our students.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS):

In Early Years, PSHE is taught through PSED (Personal, Social, Emotional Development). We support and encourage our children to learn fundamental skills to support them become independent and active learners. In EYFS, we follow the Development Matters and Statutory Framework for Early Years to ensure we are teaching all areas of Personal, Social, Emotional Development. Our vision at Preston Park is for all children to develop fundamental PSED skills through exciting and meaningful experiences.

In Reception, PSED is taught as part of our Wider Curriculum and children are given a range of opportunities to role play different scenarios. This may include children roleplaying a dentist where they can learn to brush their teeth effectively, or a shop where they can pay for different essential items. Children are also given the opportunity to develop their social skills through independent play and guided support.

We value building relationships with all our children to support effective transitions, we work with families to ensure children feel happy and safe at school. Our staff model effective behaviours to support children build friendships and to help all children self-regulate, through our Self-Regulation areas.

Key Stage 1 (Years One and Two)

In Autumn term, our PSHE Curriculum for Years 1 and 2 highlights the importance of Mental Health- what this means in relation to our emotions and feelings, strategies to support individual mental health and recognising different feelings. In Autumn, we also cover recognising and maintaining relationships and this includes bullying. In Spring term, children learn how to maintain a healthy lifestyle through healthy diets, exercise, dental hygiene and the importance of handwashing. In the last term of the year, children learn keeping safe, this includes: online safety, crossing the road and personal privacy.

Key Stage 2 (Years Three to Six)

In Autumn term, our children in KS2, reflect on our school values, British Values, racism and the impact this can have on individuals and strategies to support well-being and mental health. Autumn term also covers topics from the RHE curriculum (Relationship, Health Education) these include; happy relationships, different types of relationships, different types of families and marriages. Year 6 will also cover protected characteristics and gender identity. In Spring term, similarly to KS1, Years 3-6 will cover topics on healthy lifestyles, such as balanced healthy diets and the importance of a healthy diet. Year 5 will also learn about child on child abuse, topics include; social media (abuse online), physical abuse, emotional abuse and verbal abuse. Children will also reflect on how to keep safe on social media and what information can/cannot be shared.

In Spring term, we also cover topics about money, this supports children to understand our ever-changing world with money and how we keep money safe. We also invite local bankers to speak to our children about financial choices they may need to make in the future.

In Summer term, our topic ‘Keeping Safe’ covers safety online, safety on transport, water and in the local environment. In Year 6, children will also learn about being responsible and what that looks like to them e.g. being responsible when using the phone. This support our Year 6 children with their transition to secondary school as they are learning fundamental skills that will support them as they leave primary education.

Progression in Skills and Understanding

 At Preston Park, our PSHE curriculum takes to account pupils’ prior learning and experiences. Our PSHE learning reflects the universal needs shared by all children and young people as well as the specific needs of the pupils in our school.

 How does our Personal Development curriculum contribute to and develop our 21st Century learner?

 We believe PSHE is vital in deepening pupils’ thinking and providing them with a broad of learning experiences is crucial for them to live a happy and successful life. Our PSHE education prepares pupils for both their futures and their present day-to-day lives.  

Our PSHE teaching is essential in giving pupils the opportunity to recognise and reflect on how learning is relevant to them and allows them to apply this knowledge to their own experiences.

PSHE is timetabled once a week and is evidenced through our lovely floorbooks, which represents the PSHE learning that takes place in each year group. Our learning is evidenced through class discussions, role-play, written activities and through photos.

Research:

National Curriculum

DfE Development Matters

Statutory Framework for EYFS

RHE Framework