PSHCE: Safe, Healthy body, mind and spirit
Personal Social Health & Citizenship Education
'Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.' -Aristotle
Vision:
Personal, Social, Health and Citizen Education (PSHCE) at Downsview Primary School promotes the development of our children into healthy, independent, and responsible members of society. It encompasses personal and social growth, as well as addressing various moral, social, and cultural issues that are part of their journey to adulthood.
We provide a multitude of learning opportunities within and beyond the curriculum, including specific lessons, circle time, special projects, and other enriching activities. Through PSHCE, our pupils gain knowledge about rights and responsibilities, fostering an understanding of what it means to be an active member of our diverse society. Moreover, we encourage our children to enhance their self-worth by actively contributing to school life and the wider community.
At Downsview Primary School, PSHCE & RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) and Online Safety form an integral part of our commitment to safeguarding. These subjects align closely with our Safeguarding, SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) and British Values Policies.
Intent: Why do we teach PSHCE?
Public bodies such as schools have a duty, under the 2010 Equality Act, to ensure they promote equality within their organisation.
We aim to develop a culture of inclusion and diversity in which all those connected to the school feel proud of their identity and are able to participate fully in school life. We will tackle discrimination by the positive promotion of equality, challenging bullying and stereotypes and creating an environment which champions respect for all. At Downsview, we believe that diversity is a strength, which should be respected and celebrated by all those who learn, teach and visit here.
We are committed to providing our pupils with a broad, balanced, enriched and inspiring curriculum, which is accessible to all. It is our ambition to develop the potential of all individuals to prepare them for their roles as adult members of our society. We understand the need to support our community through this change and our challenge is to educate all stakeholders in their social and legal responsibility to respect others without judgement.
The intent of PSHCE in our primary school is to provide a broad and balanced curriculum that supports children in developing the knowledge, skills, and attributes necessary to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically. We aim to equip pupils with a deep understanding of their rights and responsibilities, promoting British values, resilience, and positive mental health. Our overarching intention is to empower pupils to make informed decisions, understand and contribute positively to society, and foster respectful relationships.
Implementation: What do we teach in PSHCE?
We have adopted the Jigsaw whole-school approach which embodies a positive philosophy through creative teaching and learning activities to nurture children’s development as compassionate and well-rounded human beings as well as building their capacity to learn.
Our lessons have two main aims for all our children:
- To build their capacity for learning
- To equip them for life
Jigsaw brings together physical, social, health education as well as emotional literacy, mindfulness, social skills and spiritual development. It is designed as a whole school approach, with all year groups working on the same theme at the same time at their own level. Each lesson is age appropriate and designed to meet all of the children’s needs. During the lessons, the children use ‘Jigsaw Friends’ (jigsaw-shaped soft toys) as a teaching aid as well as chimes to promote a calm, mindful environment.
As a school our values underpin our whole curriculum but in PSHCE we’ve taken the opportunity to highlight the links between them and the 6 half termly Jigsaw topics.
Impact of PSHCE at Downsview Primary School:
Expectations for outcome-
At Downsview, we continuously assess the implementation and impact of our lessons so that all pupils gain, attain and grow as lifelong learners and ensure that we provide the support that is necessary for all pupils to achieve whether that be in class or with additional identified support.
By the time children leave our school they will:
- have a ready willingness and ability to try new things,
- push themselves and persevere.
- have a good understanding of how to stay safe, healthy and develop good relationships.
- have an appreciation of what it means to be a positive member of a diverse, multicultural society.
- have a strong self-awareness, interlinked with compassion of others.