PSHE / RSE

Our school curriculum is driven and shaped by our school vision, which informs everything that we do.

St Nicholas provides a welcoming, inclusive and aspirational learning environment at the heart of its community. We nurture, encourage and support all children, adults and their families to be the best as God intended. Following God’s example of love and trust, we develop resilience and creativity in all we do.

Learning, loving and encouraging through Christ.

An uncompromising focus on pupils’ personal development has made St Nicholas Church of England Primary Academy a place where pupils always come first. Ofsted 2019

Aims and Objectives

“Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education is a school subject through which pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage their lives, now and in the future. These skills and attributes help pupils to stay healthy, safe, and prepare them for life and work in modern Britain. PSHE education helps pupils to achieve their academic potential, and leave school equipped with skills they will need throughout later life.”

-PSHE Association, 2016

Teaching and Learning

At St Nicholas we have tailored the PSHE Associations’ ‘Programme of Study’ to suit our pupils, school and community; giving careful consideration to our school ethos and aims and our pupils’ needs.

We follow the PSHE Associations’ three core themes: Health and Wellbeing; Relationships; and Living in the Wider World. Each year group covers content related to each theme every year, ensuring that a spiral programme is in place: one that revisits themes, gradually extending thinking, expanding knowledge and developing skills. We avoid, where possible, ‘one-off’, stand-alone sessions that will not be revisited, and instead make constant links to previous learning and experiences, and build upon these.

Where possible we make cross-curricula links between PSHE and other subjects; this is particularly true and relevant in English, Religious Education, Physical Education, History and Geography, with other content also linking to Maths, Science and Computing.

PSHE learning comes in many different forms: through whole-class teaching, group activities, individual tasks, assemblies, outside speakers, cross-curricula lessons and discrete lessons.

During PSHE sessions children are encouraged to both ask and answer questions, to deepen their knowledge and understanding. A great deal of time is spent considering scenarios and possible responses to them.

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and British Values

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are promoted through all PSHE teaching

Spiritual development: We explore the beliefs and experiences of ourselves and others; discuss the importance of respecting all beliefs and faiths; learn about and discuss our feelings and values and those of others.

Moral development: We learn about and discuss things that are right and wrong; learn about the law and the importance of it; begin to consider our actions and the consequence of them; consider, discuss and debate ethical issues; offer reasoned views.

Social development: We consider all of the groups and communities that we are part of; participate in our local community; learn how to resolve conflict; engage with the British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance.

Cultural development: We become aware of cultural influences; learn about the role of Britain’s parliamentary system; understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity.