PSHE
Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education is a school subject through which pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage their lives, now and in the future. It helps children and young people to stay healthy and safe, while preparing them to make the most of life and work. Many elements of PSHE education became statutory for all schools from September 2020 under the Children and Social Work Act 2017. ‘Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is an important and necessary part of all pupils’ education’ (DfE). Relationships and sex education (RSE) is a significant part of PSHE education. Relationships and is compulsory for all primary school pupils. Updated Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance officially came into force on 1 September 2026, replacing the previous 2019 guidelines. This policy should be read alongside the RSE policy.
The updated Relationships, Sex, and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance places a strong emphasis on emotional resilience and character development as core components of student wellbeing. The curriculum aims to help pupils regulate their emotions, cope with academic and personal setbacks, and recognise when to seek professional support
Intent
At Hesketh-with-Becconsall All Saints Church of England Primary School, we aim to create a safe and supportive environment where children become active, successful and confident learners. PSHE plays a central role, alongside our Christian Values in building this vision for our school. PSHE aims to give our children the coping strategies they need to cope with an increasing range of pressures and influences and to develop their resilience.
Building on and complementing the learning that has already started at home, our PSHE curriculum is designed so that our children may live their lives to the full, armed with knowledge to guide and support them in making and sustaining successful relationship, keeping healthy and staying safe.
Our PSHE curriculum is broad and balanced, ensuring that it:
· Promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental, and physical development of our children and of society;
· Prepares our children for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences they already face and for adult life;
· Provides information about keeping healthy and safe, emotionally and physically;
· Encourages our children to understand how all actions have consequences and how they can make informed choices to help themselves, others and the environment.
Implementation
We use the SCARF (Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience, and Friendship) curriculum produced by Coram Education to support teaching and learning in PSHE lessons which provides a comprehensive scheme of work to support health and wellbeing. SCARF covers all the DfE's statutory requirements for Relationships Education and Health Education, including non-statutory Sex Education, and the PSHE Association’s Programme of Study recommended learning opportunities, as well as contributing to different subject areas in the National Curriculum. We follow the six suggested half termly units and adapt the scheme of work where necessary to meet the local circumstances of our school, for example; we may use our local environment as the starting point for aspects of our work. Class teachers follow the suggested six half termly units provided by SCARF for each year. Lessons can be a weekly standalone PSHE lesson or be cross curricular.
Emotional Wellbeing
At Hesketh-with-Becconsall All Saints Church of England Primary School, we aim to promote positive Mental Health for every member of our school community including, staff, pupils and families. We pursue this aim using both universal, whole school approaches and specialised, targeted approaches aimed at vulnerable pupils.
Cross Curricular Links are made with PSHE in other curriculum areas as appropriate e.g. R.E., P.E., Science, Computing, Geography and History. We also promote PSHE and citizenship through activities and whole-school events that promote active citizenship, through a variety of themed events, class projects and our work with charitable organisations such as Children in Need.
Impact
Our personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) programme promotes children's personal, social, and economic development, as well as their physical and mental health and wellbeing. It helps to give children the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to lead confident, healthy, independent lives and to become informed, active, responsible citizens.
Our well-planned PSHE curriculum ensures that children develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to navigate themselves through modern life and become positive role models and effective global citizens. Children will demonstrate and apply the British Values of Democracy, Tolerance, Mutual respect, Rule of law and Liberty.
No Outsiders
No outsiders
As part of our PSHE programme we teach a no outsiders lesson at the end of each half-term. What is an outsider? Someone who feels left out, who feels like they don’t belong and are not welcome. We want our school to teach that there are no outsiders because everyone is welcome. We need to create classroom environments where no child feels left out; every child needs to be taught that they belong. As children grow up, they can sometimes learn that difference is a barrier to friendship. Our aim is to remove that barrier; to quote the Ofsted handbook (2021), we want children to see that ‘difference is a positive, not a negative’. After all, we are all different: none of us is exactly the same; we are all unique. As they move through school, we want children to explore their differences so that they feel comfortable in their own skin. Children should know who they are and feel proud to be who they are, and also know that they are accepted without judgement.
Purple Mash 2Be Safe
The 2BeSafe programme is taught alongside the computing programme at Hesketh-with-Becconsall. The 2BeSafe programme maps directly to the UK government’s Education for a Connected World framework, which forms the core digital component of primary RSHE/PSHE guidelines regarding online relationships and safety. Under the statutory RSHE guidance, primary schools must teach children how to build positive, respectful relationships and stay safe online. 2BeSafe provides dedicated cross-mapping documents showing how its online safety themes fulfil these exact non-computing and PSHE/RSE objectives.
LYFTA
We use the award-winning digital platform Lyfta to bring the wider world into our PSHE curriculum. Through immersive 360° virtual spaces and powerful cinematic documentaries, our pupils explore real lives, cultures, communities, and perspectives from across the globe. Lyfta provides meaningful opportunities for pupils to develop their understanding of themselves and others, while building essential skills in empathy, oracy, critical thinking, resilience, and character.
Lyfta brings PSHE to life by enabling pupils to explore real people's experiences and consider the similarities and differences that shape our lives. Through authentic stories from diverse communities and cultures, pupils develop a deeper understanding of relationships, identity, belonging, values, emotions, wellbeing, and the experiences of others. They are encouraged to listen to different perspectives, ask thoughtful questions, express their own ideas, and reflect on how their actions and choices can affect themselves and those around them.
Through immersive experiences and real-life stories, pupils develop greater empathy, respect, and an appreciation of diversity. They are encouraged to consider issues such as identity, inclusion, equality, relationships, mental wellbeing, resilience, rights, responsibilities, and belonging. Lyfta creates a safe and engaging space for pupils to explore complex and sometimes sensitive topics, helping them to understand that people may experience the world in very different ways.
By connecting PSHE learning to authentic human experiences, Lyfta helps pupils to develop the knowledge, language, confidence, and emotional understanding they need to navigate an increasingly diverse world. Pupils learn to recognise and challenge stereotypes and prejudice, appreciate different perspectives, communicate respectfully, and make positive choices. In doing so, Lyfta supports our wider aim of developing compassionate, confident, responsible young people who understand themselves, value others, and contribute positively to their communities.
