PSHE Rationale

Intent

At St .Cuthbert’s, PSHE — including statutory RSHE — is planned to nurture every child so they can understand themselves, build healthy relationships and navigate an increasingly complex world with confidence and compassion. Our curriculum reflects the updated DfE RSHE guidance, ensuring pupils receive clear, age‑appropriate teaching about families, friendships, personal safety, physical and mental health and respectful relationships both offline and online. When designing our curriculum, we considered key data from our local area of Old Swan West, ensuring teaching reflects the lived experiences, needs and strengths of our community and supports pupils to make safe, informed choices in their everyday lives.

We place talk at the heart of PSHE. Through structured dialogue, questioning and reflection — including P4C — pupils learn to express ideas, listen deeply, reason ethically and consider multiple viewpoints. This emphasis on oracy strengthens their personal development and supports the qualities highlighted in Ofsted’s Personal Development and PSED expectations, including resilience, respect, empathy and an appreciation of diversity.

Our curriculum helps pupils recognise their own worth, understand the communities they belong to and appreciate the diverse society in which we live. Members of the SLT work closely with staff and external agencies to ensure children’s wellbeing is prioritised and that safeguarding remains central to our RSHE provision.

Ultimately, PSHE at St Cuthbert’s empowers pupils to make informed, positive choices about their physical, mental and emotional health, equipping them with the knowledge and confidence to seek help early and to thrive as they grow.

Implementation

Our PSHE curriculum meets statutory requirements outlined in the DfE RSHE guidance, supported by materials from the PSHE Association and Pol Ed to ensure clarity, progression and age‑appropriate content. We also enrich learning through carefully selected workshops led by trusted external partners, giving pupils real‑world insight into topics such as personal safety, emotional wellbeing and digital responsibility. As a Catholic school, our teaching on Relationships and Sex Education is delivered through the Archdiocese programme Journey in Love, ensuring alignment with Church teachings and a strong moral foundation.

We aim to ensure that all pupils:

• Grow in self-respect, celebrate who they are and aspire to be their best.
• Understand their rights, responsibilities and the laws that help keep children safe.
• Develop the skills needed to form and sustain positive relationships, 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 clarity and confidence, while valuing other perspectives.
• Recognise the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle for both physical and mental wellbeing.
• Contribute positively as respectful citizens within their local and global communities.
• Approach the challenges of growing up with resilience, empathy and a strong moral compass.PSHE at St Cuthbert’s ensures pupils are not only knowledgeable, but equipped to live well — now and in the future.