St Mary's RCVA Primary School, Blackhill

Pemberton Road, Blackhill, Consett DH8 8JN

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Home / Curriculum / Subject Overviews / PSHE

PSHE

At St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School, we want every child to be happy and enthusiastic learners of PSHE, and to be eager to achieve their very best in order to fulfil their God-given talents. We firmly believe that the recipe for success is high quality first-wave teaching in PSHE, which is central to the life of our happy, caring school.

Our planned curriculum programme of learning opportunities and experiences, specifically promotes children’s personal, social and health development and helps them to grow as individuals and as members of families and communities. PSHE equips children and young people with knowledge and practical skills to live healthy, safe, fulfilled and responsible lives, both now and in the future. Through the explicit teaching of mental and emotional health, we promote pupils’ wellbeing through an understanding of their own and others’ emotions and the development of healthy coping strategies. It also contributes to safeguarding, providing pupils with knowledge, understanding and strategies to keep themselves healthy and safe, as well as equipping them to support others who are facing challenges.

PSHE also enables children to reflect on and clarify both their own and British values and attitudes, and explore the complex and sometimes conflicting range of attitudes and values they encounter now and in the future.  Furthermore, PSHE enables our children to become healthy, independent and responsible members of society. It aims to help them understand how they are developing personally and socially, and tackles many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up. We provide our children with opportunities for them to learn about rights and responsibilities and appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society. Our children are encouraged to develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community.

Intent – What we are trying to achieve

Our principal aim is that children leave St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School with a wide range of happy and rich memories in PSHE formed through interesting and exciting experiences driven through vehicles that enhance a child’s awareness of their own abilities and strengths as a learner; thus, ensuring that children see learning in PSHE as an on-going process not a one-off event.

Children will meet the National Curriculum expectations in PSHE, which will be taught by highly-qualified, enthusiastic staff who will support children to develop mastery of concepts and inspire enthusiasm and interest in the subject.

SMSC is embedded throughout the curriculum at St. Mary’s. This integrated approach ensures that aspects of SMSC are considered in all subject areas.

Opportunities will exist for children of all ages to experience learning beyond the classroom. This will allow them to enrich their knowledge by, for example, pupils will have access to healthcare professionals to think about healthy lifestyles or for older pupils, mental health professionals to discuss wellbeing.

Children will develop a deep understanding of the subjects they are studying. They will increasingly use their prior knowledge to solve problems and develop the sophistication of PSHE.

Children will understand how Catholic virtues and British Values relate to PSHE.

In PSHE, children will develop the skills to develop confidence and a sense of responsibility within themselves, develop their own God-given attributes, develop positive relationships built on mutual respect and develop a healthy and safe lifestyle.

Children will develop a real understanding and appreciation of the world learning from the best that has been developed and said. For example: Local health and support workers, dieticians, emergency service providers, National campaigns (NHS Change for life).

We have a strong commitment to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of all pupils. The school vision and values, put together by all the staff, supports spiritual, moral, social and cultural characteristics in all pupils.

At St Mary’s, pupils’ SMSC development can be seen for example, in:

Understanding what and how important our British Values are.
Taking part in a range of activities regarding social skills
Developing an awareness and respect for diversity
Developing and appreciation of theatre, music and the arts.
Developing an understanding of right and wrong.
Developing the communication skills to make choices about likes/dislikes in school then in wider community visits.
Taking part in sporting opportunities.
Taking part in cultural opportunities.
Taking part in artistic opportunities.

Characteristics of a child growing up as a successful citizen in modern Britain

Be able to demonstrate that they recognise their own worth and that of others, and identify positive ways to face new challenges.

The ability to express their views confidently, and listen to and show respect for the views of others.

The ability to make choices about how to develop healthy lifestyles.

The ability to identify some factors that affect emotional health and well-being.

Ability to identify different types of relationships and show ways to maintain good relationships.

Research, discuss and debate topical issues, problems and events.

Understand why and how rules are made and enforced, why different rules are needed in different situations and take part in making and changing rules.

Demonstrate respect and tolerance towards others, and resolve differences by looking at alternatives, making decisions and explaining choices

Shown an appreciation of the diversity of religious, and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and describe some of the different beliefs and values in society.

Be able to articulate the meaning of the British Values and how these support harmonies within their own and wider communities.

Implementation – How do we translate our vision into practice?

Our children should be able to organise their knowledge, skills and understanding around the following key concepts:

Caring friendships
Families and people who care for me
Respectful relationships
Being Safe
Mental wellbeing
Internet Safety and online harm
Online relationships
Physical health and fitness
Healthy eating
Drugs, alcohol and tobacco
Health and prevention
Basic First aid
Changing bodies
Being a good citizen

At St. Mary's PSHE is an essential part of the curriculum and is embedded within all curriculum subjects. Opportunities are provided in a cross curricular capacity for children to explore all of the PSHE aims using a wide range of activities, resources and books that engage and excite children. There are regular opportunities to discuss and share feelings and opinions in a safe, supportive environment. A strong emphasis has been placed on children's mental health and wellbeing, classes engage in mindfulness activities regularly to encourage motivation, engagement and participation.

We teach PSHE at St. Mary’s through the Jigsaw scheme. During weekly whole class Jigsaw lessons will focus on different topics each term.  Children are encouraged to use the skills they are developing and to make links to other areas of learning wherever possible.  The aims of PSHE and Jigsaw within our school are to provide children with accurate and relevant knowledge, opportunities to create personal understanding, opportunities to explore and challenge a range of values, attitudes, beliefs, rights and responsibilities and a range of skills and strategies to live a healthy, safe, fulfilling, responsible and balanced life.

Jigsaw deals with the diverse beliefs, values and attitudes that individuals and societies hold. It helps pupils to develop themselves, their understanding of the world, and their ability to communicate their feelings. Children will also acquire an understanding and experiences of British values that are necessary if they are to make sense of their experiences, value themselves, respect others, appreciate differences and feel confident and informed as a British citizen.

Whole school and key stage assemblies will also deliver teaching in many areas of the PSHE curriculum. The Religious Education curriculum and our Catholic life also provides opportunities for learning and development in PSHE.

We emphasise the importance of community as part of our Catholic ethos and support many charities and social justice projects throughout the academic year.

We regularly engage with agencies such as the NSPCC, Barnardos, local foodbank, CAFOD and local services such as school nurses, the police and the firefighters. Personal safety is a crucial part of our PSHE curriculum and through the Healthy Schools programme and regular trips and in-school visits, children are taught how to keep themselves safe.

Actively promoting aspirations for the future. Children develop an understanding of how subjects and specific skills are linked to future jobs.

Here are some of the jobs you could aspire to do in the future:

Guide Dog Trainer
Rehoming Assistant
Kit Manager
Attractions Manager

Cultural Capital

Whole class masses experienced at church

Singing at St Mary’s Parish at Christmas and local nursing homes

Sports Leaders programme

Peer Mediators and Buddy system in school

Rights Respecting Ambassadors

Mini Vinnies lead and organise social justice events

Delivery of Harvest Goods with members of the Church community

Impact – What is the impact of our curriculum on the students?

At St Mary's, we know that leaving school with the ability to communicate, self-regulate emotions, treat others with kindness and respect and recognise the place we have in our own and our global community is essential in being successful and happy in life. The behaviour in our school is wonderful, the children have beautiful manners and an incredibly positive attitude to learning. They are provided with every opportunity to build their self-esteem and self-confidence leaving us as articulate, kind, caring individuals with the communication skills to take them into high school and beyond.  Furthermore…

Children are happy learners within PSHE. They experience a wide range of learning challenges within the art and know appropriate responses to them.

Through PSHE, children deepen their appreciation of their faith and fulfil their God-given talents.

Visits within PSHE have enriched the lives of the children and they are able to discuss how the experience impacted their knowledge and understanding.

Children of all abilities and backgrounds achieve well in PSHE reflected in outstanding progress that reveals a clear learning journey. Children talk enthusiastically about their learning in PSHE and are eager to further their learning in the next stages of their education.

There is a proven track record of test success that reflects the impact of deep learning.

Clear outcomes focus and guide all PSHE development plans and drive improvement.

Fundamental British Values are evident in PSHE and children understand how it can celebrate difference.

Through this exposure, children will produce work that is influenced by the best of the best.

In this section

  • Remote Education Provision
  • Reception New Starters 2020
  • Curriculum Statement
  • End of Year Expectations
  • Long Term Maps
  • Topic Maps
  • EYFS
  • Assessment Without Levels
  • Subject Overviews
    • English
    • Mathematics
    • Science
    • Computing
    • Religious Education
    • Physical Education
    • Geography
    • History
    • Art
    • Design & Technology
    • Music
    • Spanish
    • PSHE
The Local Offer
FMSIS

Quality Mark
Investors in People
School Achievement Award

Copyright © 2023 St Mary's Catholic Primary School

Pemberton Road

Blackhill

Consett

DH8 8JD

Tel 01207 502 657 · Email blackhillstmary@durhamlearning.net


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