Intent

Here at Betty Layward our PSHE curriculum plays a huge role in developing a range of skills for our pupils, including their creativity, enquiry, morality and resilience. These are important building blocks which support our children throughout the rest of our curriculum. Pupil’s are taught to understand and celebrate themselves, including their physical and mental needs. This in turn helps them gain a deeper understanding of others, and the similarities and differences in those around them. As a school we aim to provide a safe space for pupils to learn to live a healthy lifestyle, and make positive choices to help them build strong and happy relationships.

During their time at Betty Layward pupils will be taught how to make the most of their abilities and celebrate their successes. We promote a growth mindset, which encourages pupils to explore further than they thought they could in all areas of learning. They will develop confidence in themselves, and begin to take on more responsibility for their learning and lifestyle. This includes playing an active role as a British citizen, and understand British values, which we explore throughout the year groups. Our pupils have access to positive role models from our local community, to help build on their wider education. This not only encourages use of their PSHE skills, but also supports their learning across several areas of the curriculum.

By using our DfE approved program ‘Discovery Education’ we are able to provide children with consistency and progression in their PHSE learning, including the Ofsted required areas of learning ‘personal development’ and ‘behaviour and attitude’. It also contributes to the school’s safeguarding duties, and the Government British Values agenda and the SMSC (spiritual, moral, social, cultural) development opportunities for all of our pupils.

Implementation

As a school we use the Discovery program, which covers all areas of the PSHE curriculum, including the new Relationships Education and Health Education. At Betty Layward PSHE is taught weekly, from EYFS right up to year 6. This helps it remain in the forefront of our minds throughout our school week, and allows us to draw on our new skills in other lessons. PSHE Lessons will be delivered by class teachers, with plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion.

Throughout the year our Discovery program we explore the following areas of learning:

Autumn 1: Healthy and happy friendships – including how to be a good friend, building resilience, and personal boundaries.

Autumn 2: Similarities and differences – including respecting different values and communities, understanding and challenging stereotypes, and celebrating our strengths. This area of learning includes online safety.

Spring 1: Caring and responsibilities – including identifying our safe people, how we care for others, and our rights and responsibilities within the wider community.

Spring 2: Families and committed relationships – including different types of families, characteristics of committed relationships and how relationships change as we grow older. This area of learning also includes hygiene and menstruation for year 5, and non-compulsory SRE for year 6.

Summer 1: Healthy bodies, healthy minds – including naming body parts and personal hygiene, self-acceptance, and the effect of lifestyle habits on our wellbeing.

Summer 2: Coping with change – including coping with the physical changes in our bodies over time, aspirations and goal setting, and ways to manage our increasing responsibilities as we grow.

Each half term the whole school will focus on the same targeted area of learning, which the children will build upon as they move up through the years. This learning is built upon outside of PSHE lessons, through activities such as assemblies on anti-bullying, mindfulness sessions exploring friendship and social responsibilities. These give the pupils the opportunities to expand their learning and put it into real life context, as well as develop skills they will need in their life after education. As a school we use our Stay on Green behaviour system to support this positive mindset, and model positive relationships between pupils and staff consistently, showing respect and understanding of a wide range of communities and cultures.

Impact

Our new PSHE program is an important step towards our whole school approach to positive physical and mental health. Pupils will develop a strong sense of self and understand what to expect of themselves and those around them. Pupils will be able to compare their own experiences with those of other children around the world and explore the impact they can have on their classmates, the community, as well as the wider world. Betty Layward has an established positive learning environment promoting the moral, spiritual, emotional, cultural and physical development of pupils, allowing them to push themselves further and take risks in their learning.  Our new PSHE program will further this, and support children throughout school and beyond. A full curriculum overview is available on our website, as well as example lessons to see what our children see.

Relationship and Sex Education

As a part of your child’s education at Betty Layward Primary School we promote personal wellbeing and development through a comprehensive PSHE curriculum. From September 2021, it is a statutory requirement that all schools in England and Wales are teaching Relationship and Sex Education as a fundamental part of the curriculum.  This subject area gives our pupils the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and practical skills to live safe, healthy, productive lives and meet their full potential.

The Department for Education has announced changes to Relationships and Sex Education (RSE), which is part of our programme of study.  This guidance can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education These changes will come into effect from September 2021 and all schools will be required to comply with the updated requirements.  This means that we have reviewed our RSE curriculum and policy so we can be sure our provision is appropriate for our pupils based on their age, physical and emotional maturity, religious and cultural backgrounds, special educational needs and disabilities.

PSHE is taught throughout the school in every year group and is monitored and reviewed regularly by the staff and governing body. All teaching takes place in a safe learning environment and is underpinned by our school ethos and values.  As a school community, we are committed to working in partnership with parents and if you would like to provide feedback or comments you can do so.  If you would like to ask questions, please contact us at admin@bettylayward.hackney.sch.uk

As part of implementing the RSE curriculum, schools must consult with the children, parents, staff and governors to ensure there is a general consensus on our approaches to policy and the curriculum content.

We would like to invite you:

• To take the opportunity to view our RSE policy, curriculum intentions, vocabulary list and year group letter
• Complete this questionnaire in order for your feedback to be captured-please click here.