Intent
The PSHE (Physical, Social, Health, and Economic Education) curriculum at the Federation of St. Cuthbert’s & St. Sebastian’s embraces each child, offering them a safe opportunity to explore themselves, relationships and the wider-world around them.
PSHE provides plentiful opportunities to voice opinions and clarify understanding, encouraging openness within discussion which contributes to the personal development of each individual. The range of aims and activities covered also help our children to appreciate the diverse communities in which we live contributing to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The Federation also has dedicated staff responsible for the pastoral care of our children, who liaise with staff and external agencies to ensure the well-being of our children is prioritised at all times.
We offer a valuable curriculum in which information is shared with our children to empower them to make positive decisions about their own health and well-being, allowing them to recognise when issues arise, knowing how to seek support as early as possible from appropriate sources. In essence, the curriculum aims to promote positive physical, mental and emotional well-being, which is fundamental in the lives of our children both now and as they grow and mature.
Implementation
The PSHE curriculum delivered at the Federation aims to cover all statutory requirements outlined in Statutory Government Guidance. Direction has been sought from the PSHE Association to create a curriculum allowing our staff to design and plan age-appropriate subject content to cover aims based on core areas of the curriculum. As a Catholic school, our Sex Education curriculum is delivered separately through the Archdiocese programme ‘Journey in Love’, in accordance with the Church’s moral teaching.
Using a thematic approach, different year groups will work on the same themes at the same time (Relationships, Living in the Wider World and Health & Well-being) offering staff flexibility to meet planning requirements, the needs of their cohort and reflect the context of the school and local community. This approach also ensures a progressive curriculum is in place, so the children are continually building on their prior knowledge as they move through our schools. Lesson plans also outline areas in which PSHE complements other national curriculum subjects allowing them to be seamlessly integrated into teaching, whilst opportunities to fulfil our wider curriculum are also offered through links with Philosophy for Children (P4C).
We aim to ensure that all pupils:
- Grow in self-respect, aim high and celebrate who they are.
- Understand the rights of the child and laws / rules in place to enjoy a happy, healthy and safe childhood.
- Acquire the skills necessary to develop and sustain positive relationships, focusing on family and friends, including online.
- Appreciate and respect differences, valuing the contributions others make to our society.
- Develop resilience when faced with challenging situations knowing how / where to seek help.
Impact
We believe our children will:
- Voice their opinions with confidence, appreciating other points of view.
- Value the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle to both their physical and mental well-being.
- Mature into respectable citizens of their local and global community.
- Embrace the challenges of creating a happy and successful adult life.