PSHE and RSE
Love God, Love Learning, Love one another (Matt 20:22-24)
The Christian belief that human beings are created in the image of God, and that each shares in God’s purpose to bring life and allow creation to flourish, underpins the work and nature of the school, and is endorsed in our vision statement.
At Elworth we recognise that the personal development of pupils, spiritually, morally, socially and culturally, plays a significant part in their ability to learn and achieve. We therefore aim to provide an education that provides pupils with opportunities to explore and develop their own values and beliefs, spiritual awareness, high standards of personal behaviour, a positive, caring attitude towards other people, an understanding of their social and cultural traditions and an appreciation of the diversity and richness of the cultures.
How do we do this?
At Elworth CE Primary School, our PSHE Programme of learning and wider curriculum will enable children to meet the End of Key Stage Statements as set out in the Relationships, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education Statutory Guidance
RSE is integrated within the wider themes of the PSHE curriculum and will be delivered through discrete lessons using Kapow. This allows the natural linking of RSE with other work on emotions and relationships that the children are undertaking, as well as with issues such as peer pressure, bullying and online safety. We deliver a ‘spiral curriculum’ of RSE, ensuring that content is relevant to the age, experience and maturity of pupils. Through cross phase liaison we ensure a consistency of approach and progression for all children.
Along with our broad and balanced curriculum there are links between PSHE and other subjects, for example, Computing for online safety and Science for growing, nutrition, teeth, diet and lifestyle. Our PSHE lessons provide consistent messages throughout the age ranges including how and where to access help.
Quality PSHE and RSE teaching is an important element in helping us carry out our duty of care with regards to safeguarding. The DfE’s statutory ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education (Sep 2020)’ guidance states that ‘Governing bodies and proprietors should ensure that children are taught about safeguarding, including online safety. In response to the child-on-child abuse updates to Section 5 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE, 2022), our PSHE/ RSE 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.
A range of teaching and learning activities are used and are based on good practice in teaching RSE/PSHE education to ensure that all children can access learning and make progress.All our lessons include ideas for differentiation to stretch the most able learners and give additional support to those who need it. We use stories, scenarios, and video clips to provide the opportunity for children to engage in real life and current topics in a safe and structured way.
We try to ensure an honest and balanced approach in the handling of controversial issues. Therefore, there is flexibility in the timetable that is accounted for as objectives for PSHE education may be met outside of the allocated timetable slot. This allows us to respond to local, national and global events in an age-appropriate manner.
Kapow
At Elworth we use Kapow to teach RSE and PSHE. The Kapow Primary scheme is a whole school approach that consists of three areas of learning in EYFS: Reception (to match the EYFS Personal, social and emotional development prime area) and five areas of learning across Key stages 1 and 2.
EYFS:
- Self-regulation
- Building relationships
- Managing self
Key stage 1 and 2:
- Families and relationships
- Health and wellbeing
- Safety and the changing body
- Citizenship
- Economic wellbeing
Each area is revisited to allow children to build on prior learning. The lessons also provide a progressive programme.
Worship
At Elworth CE Primary School our Christian Values are: Generosity, Compassion, Courage, Friendship, Respect, Perseverance, Wisdom and Community. These are at the heart of the life and work within our school and are reflected in all areas of school life. Collective Worship, reflection and prayer is central to the school’s daily life and is led by our Headteacher, Mr Neil Garratt and School Chaplain Mrs Cathryn Haughton.
Prayer Space
Prayer spaces enable children and young people to explore life’s questions, spirituality and faith in a safe, creative and interactive way. Children are innately curious about life. Growing up raises lots of questions, some to do with their experience, both the good and the bad and some to do with the wonders of the universe we live in. At Elworth CE Primary School prayer space days allow children to explore both ideas and experiences to help them develop their own sense of identity, self-worth, personal insight, meaning and purpose.
Online Safety
At Elworth we follow an accredited E-Safety scheme of work that encompasses online activities, role play and homework activities that involve parents each half term. Each unit focuses on a particular topic that is relevant to a specific year group and enables pupils to become more aware of their digital footprint and how to deal with a range of online issues.
Special Themes
At Elworth CE Primary School we have a number of immersion days and weeks throughout the school year supporting our PSHE curriculum. These include but are not limited to, Mental Health Week, Black History Month, Anti-bullying week, International Women’s Day, Fairtrade week and World Faith Days.
Parents’ have the right to withdraw their children from this non-statutory component of RSE. Requests for withdrawal should be put in writing and addressed to the Headteacher. A copy of withdrawal requests will be placed in the pupil’s educational record. The Headteacher will discuss the request with parents and take appropriate action. Alternative work will be given to pupils who are withdrawn from this non-statutory components of RSHE.