Personal Development
Me and My World - PSHE, SMSC and RSE
(Personal, Social and Health Education, Social, Moral, Spiriual and Cultural Education and Relationships and Sex Education)
The leader for Relationships and Personal Development is: Mrs Katie Sparks
At Sandiway Primary School we aim to:
Engage: Provide essential opportunities for all of our pupils to develop a toolkit of life skills and take responsibility for their health, safety, wellbeing, relationships and financial matters to empower them to become well rounded social, moral, spiritual and cultured citizens.
Excite: Develop all pupils’ interest, enjoyment and curiosity of diversity, helping to instil a life-long fascination and positivity towards becoming valuable active citizens of a globally diverse world.
Empower: To ensure all pupils experience a progressive curriculum that encourages understanding and respect to the ever changing world.
Intent
At Sandiway Primary School we aim to give all pupils the knowledge, skills and attitudes that they need to effectively navigate the complexities of life in the 21st Century. Me and My World lessons (PSHE, RSE) covers key areas which will support all Sandiway children to make informed choices now and well into their futures around their health, safety, wellbeing, relationships, financial matters and will support them into becoming resilient, confident and active members of society.
In our school, you will see:
- Me and My World has a dedicated curriculum time in our timetable. Lessons follow the Kapow scheme of work – it covers the Relationship and Health Education statutory guidance as set out in the DFE and also covers wider PSHE learning in line with the requirement of the National Curriculum.
- Discussions and activities take place during whole class input times, circle times, in small groups and in pairs.
- Developmentally appropriate listening skills activities are used across the year groups.
- Indirect teaching takes place as situations arise based on the individual children’s needs or for specific situations or events.
- Special school events such as Mental Health Week and Walk to school week are planned into the school calendar of celebrations.
- The democratic process is demonstrated by voting for our school council, ambassadors, and children are represented by their elected school council members in school and in the community.
Implementation
Using the Kapow program, our Me and My World lessons are progressive and used across the school from Reception to Year 6. Each year group focuses on five key areas of learning:
- Families and Relationships
- Health and Wellbeing
- Safety and the Changing body
- Citizenship
- Economic Wellbeing
Each area is revisited each year to allow children to build upon prior learning. All lessons are based upon the statutory requirements for Relationships and Health education, but those lessons that go beyond these requirements (Citizenship and Economic Wellbeing) refer to the PSHE Association's Programme of Study.
Sex Education has been included in line with DFE recommendations and is covered in Year 6 alongside our Science lessons for other year groups. There are meaningful opportunities for cross curricular learning, in particular Computing: online safety, Science growing, nutrition, teeth, diet and lifestyle and DT: food technology.
Our Me and My World lessons supports the requirements of the Equality Act through the direct teaching of different families, negative effect of stereotypes and celebrating differences, in addition to the inclusion of diverse teaching resources throughout lessons. A range of teaching and learning activities are well planned to ensure that all children access learning and make progress. All lessons include ideas for reasonable adjustments to stretch the most able learners and give additional support to those that need it.
In each year group, an introductory lesson provides the opportunity for children and teachers to negotiate ground rules for the lessons. These introductory lessons can be signposted throughout the year to reflect on creating a safe learning environment.
Our ground rules for Me and My World Lessons:
- Respect privacy - we can discuss examples but do not give names or descriptions that identify anyone including ourselves
- Listen to others - it is ok to disagree, but we should listen before making assumptions or decide how to respond
- No judgement - we can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without being judged
- Choose your level of participation - everyone has the right to choose not to join a discussion or answer a question
Lessons, stories/scenarios and video clips provide opportunities for all children to engage in real life and current topics in a safe and structured way.
For more information please find attached our Long and Medium Term Plans.
Impact
At the end of each lesson teachers will be able to assess whether children have met, exceeded or are working towards the desired learning intentions for that lesson. At the end of each unit children will complete an assessment quiz and knowledge catcher to help measure progress and identify any gaps in learning. By the end of each unit children will be able to utilise thier learning within their daily lives, from dealing with friendships issues, to resilience to making heathly choices and knowing where and how to get help when needed.
No Outsiders at Sandiway
We believe that there should be no outsiders Sandiway Primary School; to quote the South African social rights activist Desmond Tutu (2004), ‘Everyone is an insider, no matter their beliefs, whatever their colour, gender or sexuality’ (No Outsiders Project Team, 2010, ix).
Alongside our PSHE lessons we use the book, ‘No Outsiders in Our School: Teaching the Equality Act in Primary Schools’ by Andrew Moffat.
No Outsiders is a rich and diverse toolkit to help prepare our children for life in modern Britain. Resources include lesson plans based on a wonderful range of thought provoking children’s picture books. The class discussions are child-led and offers opportunity for the children to make observations and consider the simple messages in the text, linking to the Equality Act in an age appropriate way. Please find further information on the books covered in the downloadable links.