PSHE, Citizenship and Relationship Education (RSE)

Intent

At Wistaston Academy, we are committed to providing a high-quality educational experience for all children. Our PSHE, Citizenship and Relationship Education curriculum, underpinned by the school’s Core Values (Respect, Responsibility, Courage, Justice, Integrity and Compassion), aim is to help foster pupil wellbeing, develop resilience and character that are fundamental to pupils being happy, successful and productive members of society. Wistaston Academy achieved the AcSEED accreditation in the academic year of 2018-19 for the work completed to support Emotional Wellbeing in school. The Personal, Social and Health education (PSHE) curriculum brings together citizenship with personal well-being, whilst promoting fundamental British values alongside our core values. The curriculum has been designed to develop the whole child and to meet the needs of all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Lessons are designed to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes children need to protect and enhance their wellbeing. Through the lessons, children will learn how to stay safe and healthy, build and maintain successful relationships and become active citizens, responsibly participating in society around therefore supporting their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development to improve the children’s capital culture and understanding of the world.

We have designed the PSHE, Citizenship and Relationship Education curriculum at WA with the intent that our pupils will:

• Develop the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to manage their lives now and in the future.
• Explore, clarify and if necessary, challenge, their own and others’ values, attitudes, beliefs, rights and responsibilities.
• Think deeply and to ask searching questions, making such questioning accessible to SEND children and also challenging the more able to delve more deeply.
• Have an open-minded outlook that actively encourages enquiring minds without pre-supposed restrictions.
• Develop skills, language and strategies they need in order to live healthy, safe, fulfilling, responsible and balanced lives.
• Develop positive personal attributes such as resilience, self-confidence, self-esteem, and empathy.
• Have an increased awareness of mental wellbeing and how they can protect and enhance their wellbeing.
• Demonstrate and apply the British Values of Democracy, Tolerance, Mutual Respect, Rule of Law and Liberty to their daily lives.
• Be happy, successful and productive members of society.

Implementation

The curriculum is led and overseen by the PSHE lead, who works alongside class teachers, to plan, monitor and continually evaluate the PSHE, Citizenship and Relationship Education taught at WA in order to ensure it is effective, exciting and continually improving. In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in PSHE, Citizenship and Relationship Education, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school

In EYFS, pupils learn about PSHE, Citizenship and Relationship Education through the prime areas of Personal, Social and Emotional development, Communication and Language and Understanding the World. Within the provision, adults model positive relationships and expected behaviours in association with the lessons taught and the children are able to explore these ideas:

• Self-regulation
• Building Relationships
• Managing self
• People culture and communities.

In Key Stage One and Two the curriculum is taught in thematic units focusing on the Learning outcomes and Core themes outlined by the PSHE Association Programme of study. The three core themes within which there is a broad overlap and flexibility:

• Health and Wellbeing
• Relationships
• Living in the Wider World.

Within Health and wellbeing, the focus is on Physical health and Mental wellbeing, Growing and changing and keeping safe. In Relationships the children will explore families and friendships, safe relationships and respecting ourselves and others. Units of Belonging to a community, Media Literacy and digital resilience and Money and work are the focus in Living in the Wider World. Weekly sessions of PSHE take place throughout school these involve class discussions, circle time, drama and role play. British Values assemblies take place weekly with a member of SLT and displays around school build their awareness and understanding of this. Visitors are welcomed to the school enhancing the PSHE curriculum through assemblies and workshops. PSHE is considered during the process of selecting any school trips to enrich children’s experiences. Any PSHE related issues that arise in the school day are dealt with by the class teacher and teaching assistant in an informed manner.

School council representatives from each Key stage two class are voted for in a democratic process, with year 2 members joining in the Summer term.  School council raise concerns or pupil voice during half-termly meetings with clear focus. School council representatives take forward the voices of their class members and will meet with other subject leaders to share their opinion on the subject to allow developments to take place.

Subject teaching materials and approaches reflect ambition, are well sequenced in knowledge and skills and support ‘subject intent’. Although the school uses Rainbow, Jigsaw, Twinkl and other PSHE Association quality assured resources to ensure curriculum coverage, teachers are flexible and adapt their lessons to suit the children in their classrooms.

Furthermore, PSHE, Citizenship and Relationship Education is seen across the curriculum in Science, Computing, PE, Maths, French, Art, RE, History and Geography. During our annual Healthy Living week, PE, Science and PSHE are linked focusing on the benefits of healthy body and healthy mind equals happy life. E-safety day (February) is an important date in the school calendar where children across school learn how to keep safe when using technology. Children learn about money in a real-life situation through collecting money for charity through fundraising. Within French, children are shown how to show respect and tolerance for another culture. In art, children are able to show self-expression and show individuality and uniqueness. The children learn about other cultures and develop empathy for others and their opinions through RE. The Harvest assembly, teaches all year groups about stewardship of the world and they learn to love the world they live in. Children show their kindness to all through our school’s ‘Kindness Offence’. In History, children think about the actions of people in the past looking at the consequences of those actions allowing the children to think about the viewpoints of others. During science lessons, children develop their teamwork skills and learn to be respectful of other people’s ideas and opinions when working scientifically. Children in Geography are taught how to take responsibility for our world and the impact humans have on the world. They learn about the local area and how it could be made a better place for people’s physical and mental health. Globally they learn about Fairtrade and how people adapt to their environment through how they live and work. 

From September 2020, discussion of the children’s understanding of the topic before starting the unit takes place with a mind map. Assessment for learning will be built into lessons to gauge understanding, adapt teaching, promote and maximise learning. The strategies might include structured questioning, mini-plenaries between activities, feedback (including self and peer reflections) and feed forwards. Further assessment of learning will take place at the end of the unit to measure progress from the starting point using the mind map. Learning in PSHE, Citizenship and Relationship Education assessment is important for pupils to have an opportunity to reflect on their learning as the learning relates directly to the individual’s identity- their personal qualities, attitudes, skills, attributes, achievements and influences. Displays in classrooms share the children’s achievements; develop children’s independence using questions and vocabulary that they should be using. Also, within the classrooms there is a display that allows children to share how they are feeling and how this may affect their behaviour and learning. 

Impact

The content of the curriculum builds in developmental progression by revisiting themes year on year, building on and extending prior learning.

• Children will have the vocabulary and confidence needed to clearly articulate their thoughts and feelings in a climate of openness, trust and respect.
• Children will know when and how that can seek the support of others.
• Children will apply their understanding of society to their everyday interactions, from the classroom to the wider community of which they are a part of.
• Supports an active development of a school culture that prioritises physical and mental health and well-being.
• Children will have the skills to evaluate and understand their own wellbeing needs and contribute positively to the wellbeing of those around them.
• Children will practise self-care.
• It will help disadvantaged and vulnerable children to achieve to a greater extent by raising aspirations and empowering them with skills to overcome barriers they face.
• Children will show self-respect and respect for others ultimately improving the children’s behaviour and attendance.
• It will have a positive impact on the whole child, including their academic development and progress(children achieve age related expectations in all subjects), by mitigating any social and emotional barriers to learning and build confidence and self-esteem.

The PSHE, Citizenship and Relationship Education curriculum promotes SMSC plus mental and physical development of all pupils in school and prepares all pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. With the introduction of assessment this will be seen clearly.

Impact is measure through:

• Assessing children’s understanding of a topic before and after the unit is taught.
• Assessing children’s learning through questioning and discussion.
• Pupil, staff and parent voice questionnaires.
• Learning walks.
• Dialogues at staff meetings.

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