Intent:

Our vision is for all children to acquire the life skills needed to thrive. 

We aim to enable children to develop a deepening knowledge of their health and wellbeing, including their mental and physical health. We aim to equip children and young people with information, skills and values to understand and to be able to cope with the physical and emotional changes that happen during puberty.

Implementation:

At St Walburgas we use SCARF, a comprehensive scheme of work for PSHE and Wellbeing education. We follow the six half termly units and adapt the scheme of work where necessary to meet the local circumstances of our school, for example, we may use our local environment as the starting point for aspects of our work. The school council are also consulted as part of our planning, to ensure pupil voice is considered and fed into the planned programme.

Our PSHE subject lead, Mrs Jannetta, works in conjunction with teaching staff in each year group and ensures that all staff are equipped with the knowledge, skills and resources to deliver PSHE education confidently. Lessons are a variation of weekly standalone PSHE lessons or cross curricular. 

We have chosen SCARF as our PSHE resource because the lessons build upon children’s prior learning; we have assessed the content and feel that it is relevant and sensitive to the needs of the children. There is planned progression across the SCARF scheme of work, so that children are increasingly and appropriately challenged as they move up through the school. Assessment is completed by the class teacher based on the learning objectives  via learning journeys.

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, PSHE education is about making connections; it’s strongly linked to child-led activities, including play. PSHE is taught through activities that are part of topics, as well as on an individual basis to develop personal skills such as dressing, feeding and toileting. Positive experiences are built through daily opportunities, to share and enjoy a range of different activities. Children are given the opportunity to engage in social activities, as members of a small group or occasionally during whole-school activities.

Children are encouraged to engage in activities that promote an understanding of themselves as growing and changing individuals, and as members of a wider community, based on their own first hand experiences. These activities also encourage pupils to understand how their choices and behaviours can affect others. They are encouraged to play and learn alongside – then collaboratively with – their peers. They may use their personal and social skills to develop or extend these activities. Children are also given the opportunity to make choices about their health and environment and are encouraged to develop a caring attitude towards others.

Impact:

By the time children leave us here at St Walburgas, they are well rounded, emotionally immature young people, ready for their journey into secondary education.