PSHE is at the heart of everything we do. Through our whole-school approach, we believe that children who feel seen, valued, included and important will thrive both academically and socially at Brunton and throughout later life. Children develop a thorough understanding of how to build effective relationships, manage personal safety, navigate the physical and emotional changes in their lives, make informed choices about their health and wellbeing, and develop strong social and emotional learning skills.

We prepare our children for life in modern Britain by developing a deep respect for diversity through our ‘Reflecting Realities’ approach. In response to the CLPE Reflecting Realities report, we have audited the texts used in assemblies and literacy lessons to ensure children see themselves represented in the books and materials we use.

Underlying our curriculum at Brunton First School are our curriculum drivers:

Oracy

Our PSHE curriculum provides opportunities for children to develop effective communication and language skills through the use of specialist vocabulary, questioning and opportunities for reflection within each lesson. Children are encouraged to discuss topics, share opinions and role-play different scenarios.

Successful Lifelong Learners (Metacognition)

We use our ‘Successful Lifelong Learners’ approach as one of our key school drivers. Through this, children learn the skills needed to become successful learners, helping them grow into resilient, independent and confident individuals.

Community

Dedicated teaching time is provided for every year group to develop relationships and a strong sense of community within each classroom. Children learn how our values of respect, kindness and pride help us build a positive community both within school and beyond.

PSHE is an integral part of our rigorous and progressive Personal Development curriculum. High-quality PSHE, RSE, Citizenship and British Values education is woven throughout our curriculum and reinforced through daily practice. Our curriculum is strengthened through the consistent promotion of our curriculum drivers — metacognition, oracy and community — alongside our school values of being Respectful, Kind, Independent and Proud. Learning is further enriched through themed weeks, school visitors and educational visits.

We follow the Programme of Study set out by the PSHE Association. As a school, we have adapted some areas to meet the needs of our pupils.

Topic areas include:

• Families
• Friendships
• Respecting Self and Others
• Safe Relationships: consent, boundaries and trust
• Mental Health and Wellbeing
• Keeping Healthy and Well
• Physical Activity and Nutrition
• Changing and Growing Up
• Personal Safety and First Aid
• Online Life and Safety
• Drug Education (medicines)

We also embed Economic Wellbeing and Careers Education into our provision through themed weeks and by inviting visitors into school to enhance the curriculum (for example, a doctor visiting to support PSHE learning or a geologist enhancing a science topic).

Each year group receives one PSHE lesson per week. All lessons are delivered in an age- and stage-appropriate manner to ensure they meet the needs of all children.

This important aspect of the PSHE curriculum is delivered through the provision outlined above. We further enhance this through the No Outsiders programme, which includes a termly lesson aimed at promoting inclusion and celebrating diversity, supporting our commitment to the Equality Act 2010.

In addition, every year group follows NSPCC guidance through the delivery of an annual PANTS lesson.

Unlike many other subjects, the specific knowledge taught within PSHE education changes frequently. Therefore, we use PSHE Association guidance to ensure our curriculum remains up to date and compliant with the DfE statutory guidance for RSE.

Parents are informed in advance of the Year 4 lesson that falls under ‘sex education’. In line with statutory guidance, parents have the right to withdraw their child from this lesson.

We also teach elements of our RSE curriculum through a cross-curricular approach within ICT, focusing on online relationships and safety. To strengthen this provision, our ICT specialist delivers tailored lessons to ensure pupils develop the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly.

Assessment in PSHE is ongoing and continuous. At the end of each unit, children respond to an assessment question linked to the term’s learning. Teachers use this alongside formative assessment to adapt teaching and ensure the curriculum continues to meet the needs of all pupils.

Although lessons may vary, our PSHE lessons generally follow this structure:

1. PSHE retrieval
2. Zones of Regulation check-in
3. Direct teaching of the main learning objective
4. Independent learning activities, allowing children to rehearse and apply taught skills
5. Review and reflection on learning

Teachers tailor learning activities and challenges where appropriate to support children with SEND.

We want our pupils to be able to positively manage their personal, academic and social lives and to teach them how to be healthy, both physically and mentally. Our pupils will know how to stay safe and to have the understanding, tolerance and respect to be able to be active members of the community both in Brunton and beyond. Brunton children will be able to use their knowledge of SLL & metacognition to be confident, resilient learners.

The Head teacher, PSHE subject leader and link Governor play a central role in the monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning of PSHE in the school.

The monitoring strategy:

1. Pupil voice is conducted to ascertain how children feel about their learning.
2. Lesson ‘drop ins’ and observations take place in all classes throughout the year.

The subject leader is responsible for monitoring attainment and progress, the outcomes of which are collated in the subject leadership folder and fed back to staff at an appropriate time.

Through this implementation strategy, we aim to provide our students with a high-quality PSHE education that equips them with the knowledge, skills, and values they need to become informed, responsible, and engaged citizens