What are our aims?
Our broad aims for PSH(C)E are in line with the 2014 National curriculum guidance:
Equip pupils with a sound understanding of risk and with the knowledge and skills necessary to make safe and informed decisions.
To provide pupils with foundational drug education, financial education, sex and relationship education (SRE) and the importance of physical activity and diet for a healthy lifestyle.
P is for personal (ourselves)
S is for social (how we are with others)
H is for health (how we keep ourselves healthy)
C is for citizenship (how we fit into our country)
E is for economic (how we use our gifts)
Within our context of a church of England school in the New Forest, we also seek to:
promote the spiritual, moral and cultural development of pupils (as well as the physical and mental);
develop confidence, self-esteem, independence and responsibility through which they make the most of their abilities;
Learn how to learn through our Elli characters & IPC ‘learning how to learn’ units (collaboration, effort, resilience, adaptability, problem solving, making connections, creativity and curiosity);
prepare pupils for an active role as a citizen (learning about our system of government, the democratic process and our British values);
meet and talk to people in the community;
Develop an international mindedness and appreciation of other cultures.
How do we teach PSHE at St. Luke's?
We teach PSHE through a combination of whole class sessions, assemblies, practical applications and circle times. We also make links when teaching other subjects. For example healthy lifestyles can be discussed when learning a new warm-up in P.E. E-safety is often covered through the I.T curriculum. Being safe in our village can be reinforced when we go out on our reception welly walks. Diversity is often explored through some R.E. units. We also use HeartSmart. To find out more about HeartSmart, visit our HeartSmart page.
What about Drug Education?
We use the Hampshire Primary Drug Planning Materials and they are included in our overview. At Key Stage 1, the focus is on the beneficial uses of drugs and medicines, the safety rules for their use and the need for them. At Key Stage 2, this knowledge is built upon; outlining the differences between legal and illegal substances and sensitively introducing children to the harmful effects which the misuse of drug-related substances can have. At this stage we also try to make them aware of the social pressures which may be put upon them.
What about Sex and Relationships Education?
We teach sex and relationships education through different aspects of the curriculum. While we carry out the main sex education teaching in our personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum, we also teach some sex education through other subject areas (for example, science and P.E.), where we feel that they contribute significantly to a child’s knowledge and understanding of his or her own body, and how it is changing and developing. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from S.R.E. lessons, but not from the Science curriculum (learning about human reproduction).
At the end of Y5, in PSHE, we teach how our bodies change during puberty. By the end of Y6 we aim to ensure that both boys and girls know how babies are born. We arrange a meeting for all parents and carers of children in Year 5 and 6 to discuss this particular programme of lessons, to explain what the issues are and how they are taught, and to see the materials the school uses in its teaching.
Please refer to our policy on Sex and Relationships Education for further information.