PSHE | West Boldon Primary School

PSHE and Relationships Education is an essential part of our pupil’s education as it enables them to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding they will need to become informed, healthy, active, independent and responsible citizens. We at West Boldon Primary, encourage pupils to take part in a wide range of activities and experiences across and beyond the curriculum, contributing fully to the life of our school and community. Through taking part in curricular and extra- curricular activities our children learn to recognise their own worth, work well with others and become increasingly responsible for their own learning. The children, as part of the process of growing up, will be given the opportunity to reflect on their experiences and understand how they are developing personally and socially. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues are seen to be an important part of this process.

Relationships Education

At West Boldon Primary, we understand the importance of our children forging positive relationships. This includes with friends, family and other children and adults, and highlights the important role that positive relationships have to play in an individual’s emotional and mental well-being.

Children learn that a relationship and friendship is about families and who are the people who can help and support them. Our children learn key skills such as being kind, respecting others and the importance of being honest and telling the truth, as well as understanding personal privacy. Our pupils are taught about appropriate and inappropriate, or unsafe physical contact.

The importance of positive relationships online is also seen as being an important part of our children’s understanding of healthy and safe relationships. This includes content on how information and data is shared and used in all contexts.

Our school appreciates that families of many forms provide a nurturing environment for children. In teaching about families, we understand we need to make sure no child feels stigmatised and that some children have a different structure of support around them. This ensures the curriculum is accessible to all pupils regardless of their background.

Our school encourages our pupils to be resilient and to instil in them an ability to achieve and persevere with tasks. We provide many roles in school which encourage our children to actively assist in the running of the school and to have a sense of social responsibility.

Our relationships education programme supports also the safeguarding of our children as we explain to them that they have rights over their own bodies. We ensure that children understand that they need to report any concerns they may have and to seek advice when they suspect or know something is wrong.

Sex Education

Our programme of sex education complements what the children are already taught in science such as the main external body parts, the human body as it grows from birth to old age (including puberty) and reproduction in some plants and animals. Currently specific sex education lessons for our Y6 pupils are delivered with the assistance of our school nurses. This includes using a video, ‘Growing Up a guide to puberty’ and other age-appropriate resources.

Our boys and girls are taught together during the delivery of these sessions. The content prepares them for the changes that adolescence brings and builds on their understanding of the human life cycle in our science programme of study on how a baby is conceived and born.

Parents are given the opportunity to discuss and view the material and resources we use with our PSHE coordinator prior to the lessons taking place. Guidance is also offered about how we see the school working in partnership with parents to deliver knowledge to children about sex education and puberty.

Year 3's feelings about if they secret jar got stolen

How PSHE and Relationships Education is taught at West Boldon Primary

All key areas of the Early Years PSED curriculum are covered in creative and innovative ways within the Early Years 3D PSHE programme. Modern British values are embedded, both implicitly and explicitly within the teaching resources that we use, so that, from a very early age, children are being taught the importance of tolerance, democracy, respect and rules and responsibilities. The areas that we cover are:

It’s All About… Taking Part!

Encouraging young children to participate and be actively involved in home, school and community life at an individual, group and class level, understanding how to behave appropriately in different situations.

It’s All About… Being Smart!

Encouraging young children to think carefully, to develop positive attitudes towards themselves and others, to recognise and have confidence in their own abilities and talents and to know how to manage personal hygiene, as well as keeping healthy and safe, linked to behaviour and potential consequences.

It’s All About… Where to Start!

Encouraging young children to be confident, to show initiative in a range of different situations and settings and to develop strategies for how to solve problems and resolve conflicts.

It’s All About… Having Heart!

Encouraging young children to show sensitivity and compassion towards others, to manage their feelings, to develop positive, caring and respectful relationships with both children and adults and to cooperate and share willingly

Through a variety of teaching strategies i.e. stories, role play, songs, games and research our children learn all about keeping themselves healthy and safe as well as feelings and emotions, kindness and friendship, similarities and differences, sharing and turn taking as well as e-safety and anti-bullying.

PSHE in Key Stages 1 and 2 is taught through four main areas:

• Designated curriculum time.

• Teaching in and through other subjects/curriculum areas.

• Through enrichment activities and other school events.

• Through pastoral care and guidance and assemblies.

The school follows the Dimensions 3D PSHE programme of study for PSHE and Relationships Education. 3D PSHE is a social and emotional skills programme which covers all aspects of the suggested PSHE and Relationships Education curriculum. We cover the following areas:

• Health and Wellbeing

• Relationships

• Living in the wider world

Sept 2021 Parental Consultation

We are once again consulting all parents regarding our teaching of Relationship and Health Education. Parents, please take some time to read through the attached information in the post below. There is also an attached survey if you wish to comment or raise any concerns with the material.