PSHE & RSHE

“Each person must live their life as a model for others.” Rosa Parks.

What is PSHE?

Personal, social, health and economic education focuses on developing the knowledge, skills and connections to keep us healthy, safe and prepared for life and work.

PSHE at Cockton Hill Junior School:

At CHJS, PSHE enables our children to become healthy, independent and responsible members of a society. We promote personal wellbeing and development through a comprehensive PSHCE education programme (referred to in school as 'We Believe'). It aims to help them to understand how they are developing personally and socially, and tackles many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up. We provide our children with opportunities for them to learn about rights and responsibilities and appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society. This has been recognised through our Gold status as a Rights Respecting School. Our children are encouraged to develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community. PSHCE education is the curriculum subject that gives children the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and practical skills to live safe, healthy, productive lives and meet their full potential.

PSHCE is an embedded part of our broad and balanced curriculum. Pupil’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development is at the heart of this. British Values are promoted through the overarching aims and objectives of PSHCE by supporting children to become healthy responsible members of society, as well as preparing them for life and work in modern Britain.

What is RSHE?

Pupils learn and understand safe and healthy relationships are based on respect.

RSHE at Cockton Hill Junior School:

At Cockton Hill Junior School, lessons include pupils learning about: healthy relationships including friendships; families; growing and changing, including puberty; personal hygiene; changing feelings; becoming more independent; keeping safe; developing self-esteem and confidence. Pupils also have opportunities to ask questions in a safe environment. This content is again taught through our 'We Believe' teaching.

RSHE Policy

Our curriculum overview for We Believe also shows enrichment opportunities. Further opportunities are built in across the year, utilising members of our community to support pupils' wider personal development.

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Our PSHE curriculum takes a spiral approach to the curriculum and areas will be revisited and further developed in the subsequent year group. Each year group is taught at an appropriate level for their age and developmental stage, building on the previous years’ learning. It is important that teaching meets the needs of all children in school and fosters good relationships between groups. The theme of equality is included throughout our PSHE curriculum.

Our PSHE curriculum aims to give children the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that they need to effectively navigate the complexities of life in the 21st Century. The 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.

We cover the Relationships and Health Education statutory guidance. Children’s learning through this curriculum significantly contributes to their personal development and promotes the four fundamental British values which reflect life in modern Britain: democracy; rule of law; respect and tolerance and individual liberty.

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’ 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.

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Our curriculum in action

Year 3 - Families and Relationships

In this unit of work, pupils in Year 3 have explored differences in families and how families help and support each other. Pupils have reflected carefully on healthy friendships and how they can resolve conflicts with friends in a respectful way. Working in groups, pupils created short role-plays to showcase how bullying affects people and what we should do. Pupils have developed their understanding of stereotypes and enjoyed exploring toy catalogues to investigate how toys reinforce gender stereotypes.

Year 4 - Families and Relationships

Pupils in Year 4 have strengthened their understanding of what makes a good friendship. Pupils have explored how their behaviour can impact others and the importance of respect, manners and kindness. They have further explored the impact of bullying and the role of a bystander. Pupils have developed their understanding of stereotypes and discrimination. They enjoyed finding out about influential people and how we can overcome stereotypes.

Year 5 - Families and Relationships

Within this unit of work, pupils enjoyed writing instructions for ‘How to build a friend’ after reflecting carefully on the attributes of a great friend. Pupils explored problems in friendships through problem page letters and gave each other solutions. Pupils have explored the importance of self-respect and how they can also be kind to themselves. After exploring how attitudes to gender have changed over time, pupils wrote a newspaper article celebrating a change in gender treatment or equality. Pupils understand that the Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination and the roles we can take in challenging stereotypes.

Year 6 - Families and Relationships

Pupils have explored how and why respect is an important part of relationships. They have discussed how this respect would look online, with peers and with adults. After exploring the theme of conflicts, pupils created resolution guides, which included the steps and advice that someone could take to resolve a conflict. Pupils enjoyed crating a piece of media to encourage people to think about stereotypes, how stereotypes can lead to discrimination and ways to challenge stereotypes.

Enrichment

Year 3 - Dogs Trust

Year 3 children learnt the ABCs of being a dog's best friend. It was lovely to hear about the children's pets at home, their names and their breeds. We enjoyed different role play during the visit from Max to help the children stay safe around their own dogs and those in the community.

World Mental Health Day

Children read 'Mula and the Unsure Elephant' - a story about finding out who you are and how yoga can help us to calm our mind. They practised some yoga moves from the story before completing some other mindfulness activities, as well as discussing their unique strengths.

NSPCC

NSPCC visited us as part of the 'Speak Out, Stay Safe' programme. They visited our classes and discussed the role and importance of this charity. The children engaged brilliantly with questions and answers after they'd watched a couple of short videos. Everyone was given a chatterbox game and a bookmark relating to NSPCC. NSPCC staff commented on how well our children engaged and showed brilliant discussion skills.

Elections and School Parliament

Pupils prepared and presented speeches with the hope of being elected as the new class MP. Every child in school voted for and the newly elected MPs were announced.

Sack of Strengths

We reflected on our individual strengths. We then each created a 'Sack of Strengths' and put things inside we would like to develop as a strength. It was great to recognise strengths in ourselves and each other and think about what else we would like to have as a strength.