Statement of Intent

At Northern, we aim to deliver a PSHE curriculum which both engages and stimulates children through fun and interesting stories, scenarios and lessons. This will equip them with the life skills necessary in order for them to grow into responsible and respectful members of society who make valuable contributions to the community and world around them. PSHE is an integral part to the school community and is intertwined with the majority of other subjects as it touches on so many different areas of learning and personal development. Progress is regularly monitored and children who need additional support in this area are helped in a variety of ways such as nurture groups, 1:1 support and buddy systems. Staff collaborate regularly to ensure the following:

• PSHE is accessible to all
• PSHE teaches children that they are all valued and have skills and talents to offer within the school community and beyond and should make the most of their abilities
• Children are taught to understand how they are developing personally and socially
• Children are aware of their rights in accordance with the Convention for the Rights of a Child.  These should be linked and raised for all relevant and appropriate subject areas taught across the curriculum to firmly embed this knowledge.
• SRE will be taught to all children and parents will be made aware of the SRE policy and objectives when children start school. 
• The SRE Policy and the PSHE Policy are available on the school website and as paper copies if requested
• Children are taught what responsibilities they have as a member of a diverse society.
• Team work and collaboration are promoted and encouraged, implementing skills in listening to others, showing respect, leading and following
• PSHE teaches children to develop a healthy and safe lifestyle, and an ability to risk assess a range of situations appropriately
• PSHE is taught weekly following the PSHE Association learning objectives using the SCARF suggested half-termly plans provided by Coram Life Education.
• Each class will follow a group agreement.  This is a set of rules that the children and staff agree to follow whenever taking part in class discussions.  They are designed to make everyone feel safe and respected.
• At the start of every year each class will go over the rules for their group agreement, adding to and adapting them as and where necessary.
• Circle Time will take place weekly.
• Children are able to seek help when they need it, challenge something that they feel is wrong in a confident yet polite and articulate way and have the confidence and self-worth to be themselves and to be proud of who they are.

Early Years Foundation Stage

In EYFS, PSHE and RSE are taught with the focus of wellbeing, focusing on helping the children to know who they are, where they fit in and how to feel good about themselves.  These ideas are covered on an almost daily basis as part of the flexible and explorative curriculum approach alongside introducing and using our PSHE scheme SCARF which is provided by Coram Life Education. SCARF stands for SAFETY, CARING, ACHIEVEMENT, RESILIENCE and FRIENDSHIP.  Lessons are taught in a fun and interactive way, often using the SCARF character Harold the Giraffe who follows them throughout school during their PSHE journey.

KS1

In KS1 the children begin to extend on the basic foundations set in EYFS.  Using the SCARF scheme of work and Harold the Giraffe, the children will work through the following 6 topics during the year;

Autumn 1 - Me and My Relationships

Autumn 2 - Keeping Myself Safe

Spring 1 - Being My Best

Spring 2 - Valuing Difference

Summer 1 - Growing and Changing

Summer 2 - Rights and Responsibilities

Each topic is designed to provide the children with age appropriate lessons which aim to teach the children the skills they need to work and develop on in order to become well rounded, happy and healthy members of the adult world in a fun and easy to understand way. 

KS2

In KS2 the children continue to build on the learning that they have done in KS1 with SCARF using the same half termly topics.  The PSHE is a spiral curriculum which means that the children are constantly re-visiting their previous learning and then building on that to ensure that in each year they are consolidating and then building on their learning at the appropriate level and depth for their age and emotional ability.  

Rights Respecting School and Eco School

At Northern, a lot of our teaching and learning within PSHE links to our Rights Respecting School and Eco Schools Awards (see specific pages on these awards for more detail).  Where appropriate, children are made aware of which rights from the CRC link to their learning and discuss these and their relevance as part of their learning.  Our Eco Schools award relates to a range of our PSHE lessons as it links to how pupils can contribute to their wider society and help to ensure they are thinking about and caring for the environment which directly effects themselves and their community, both local and global.