Intention

Through our PSHCE teaching we aim to equip pupils with the knowledge, skills and attributes they will need to lead happy, healthy and productive lives in modern Britain.  This includes the knowledge of how to manage risks and keep themselves safe.  We aim to nurture personal attributes such as resilience and self-esteem, as well as develop pupils' critical thinking skills and the ability to work as a team.  Underpinning all our teaching is our aim to develop pupils' respect for others and to challenge stereotypes through the use of diverse role models.

Implementation

PSHCE is a very broad subject which includes relationships, emotions, economic well-being, anti-bullying, citizenship and healthy and safe lifestyles.  Since 2020 some parts of PSHCE have been compulsory in all Primary Schools.  These are:

Relationships Education which includes learning about:

• Families and people who care for me
• Caring friendships
• Respectful relationships
• Online relationships
• Being safe

Health Education which includes learning about:

• Mental well being
• Internet safety and harms
• Physical health and fitness
• Healthy eating
• Drugs alcohol and tobacco
• Health and prevention
• Basic first aid
• Changing adolescent body

We continue to follow the Cambridgeshire Primary Personal Development Programme.   This covers all the  statutory elements within its units as well as other topics such as Financial Capability and Road Safety.  

Each year group covers at least six units a year, each time building on previous learning and with opportunities for pupils to reflect upon their personal progress. The units are grouped under the general themes of: 

Myself and My Relationships

Citizenship

Healthy and Safer Lifestyles

Economic Awareness

The PSHCE curriculum is delivered using a range of teaching and learning styles, including drama, discussion, group tasks, artwork and circle time.  The scope of these units includes exploring the causes and types of bullying, strategies for coping with transition and change, understanding our emotions, body awareness and growing up, and road and water safety. E-safety is an integral part of some of these units as well as being covered through the ICT curriculum.

Pupils also receive age appropriate Sex Education as part of their PSHCE.  This element has not been made statutory and parents will retain the right to withdraw their children from these sessions. Sex Education is defined as learning about 'how a (human baby) is conceived and born.'

PSHCE is not only taught in regular discrete lessons, but also enriched and applied in many aspects of school life.  These include opportunities for 'Show and Tell', weekly awards for Courageous Advocates, Anti-Bullying Focus days, and trained peer mediators and play leaders.

Links to our School Vision

Pupils learn about what it means to belong to a community - This is our school/Many hands build a house

Pupils learn strategies for developing and sustaining positive relationships - Let peace dwell here / Let love abide here

Pupils are encouraged to develop self-esteem, explore their emotions and learn strategies for dealing with change - Let the rooms be full of contentment

Pupils are taught the importance of respect, tolerance and to value diversity - Love of one another, Love of mankind

There is a focus on developing pupils' self-esteem, both through explicit teaching and through opportunities to celebrate talents and achievement - Love of life itself

Links to Christian and British Values

The British Values, and the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (SMSC) form an integral part of the PSHCE curriculum.  Mutual respect, tolerance and an appreciation of diversity underpin our approach  to teaching as we create a learning environment where we listen to the views of others.  Pupils are equipped with the knowledge and skills to make independent and informed choices.  The Rule of Law is explored in terms of rights, responsibilities and understanding how rules benefit us all.

Valuing All God's Children

At the Vine we  follow the Church of England’s guidance on how to help young people value and respect everyone as cherished and loved by God.  The Church’s vision for education ‘Valuing All God’s Children’ provides us with guidance on how to challenge homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying. It affirms the Christian message of love, joy and the celebration of our humanity without exception or exclusion.

National Changes in PSHCE 

Relationships and Health Education are now compulsory in all Primary Schools.  At the Vine these are included as part of our broader PSHCE learning.  In light of this national change, parents were invited to support a review of our teaching of aspects of PSHCE to ensure it best fits the needs of our pupils. 

Please find more information about these changes in the document below.  For details of what is taught in each year group,  please read our PSHCE curriculum which is at the bottom of this page. 

​​​​​​Anti-Bullying Week November 2022

Every year in November we mark Anti-Bullying Week.  Again this year we started the week by coming to school in odd socks. This was to show how we are all unique and different, and that this is something to respect and to celebrate.  The theme of the week this year was 'Reach Out', encouraging pupils to reach out to others and to themselves to tackle bullying.  

LGBT+ History Month

LGBT+ History Month is celebrated every February across the UK. 

During this month each year group has been allocated a topic related to a historical figure which links back to other areas of learning in the year group's curriculum. The learning highlights the importance of respecting differences and equality.