Thornham St James C.E. Primary School
This document outlines the knowledge, language and concepts that should be taught in personal, social, health and economic education. It includes:
• A summary of the PSHE knowledge and principles that underpin our approach
• Long Term Sequence (curriculum jpurney) for PSHE
• Progression of PSHE including alignment with statutory requirements for Relationships Education and Health Education, substantive concepts, and as well as Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary
It is influenced by documents and research, including the DFE revised statutory requirements for Relationships Education and Health Education (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-personal-social-health-and-economic-pshe-and-relationships-and-sex-education-rse) and the PSHE Association’s programme of study.
Intent
At Thornham St James, we teach PSHE as a whole-school approach to underpin our children’s development as well-rounded individuals who have the skills and resilience to manage the world around them in order to excel and achieve socially, emotionally, academically and economically.
We know that in order for children to be successful with their learning, they at first need to feel safe and secure emotionally and feel a sense of belonging with their environment, peers and adults. The Heartsmart and MyHappyMind schemes of work have supported us to develop a comprehensive, carefully planned curriculum which brings consistency to approach and progression of skills and knowledge to our children’s learning in this vital curriculum area; also supporting the “Personal Development” and “Behaviour and Attitude” aspects required under the Ofsted Inspection Framework, as well as significantly contributing to the school’s Safeguarding and Equality Duties, the Government’s British Values agenda and the Spiritual, Moral, Social, Cultural (SMSC) development opportunities provided for our children.
At Thornham St James, we value PSHE as one way to support children’s development as human beings, to enable them to understand and respect who they are, to empower them with a voice and to equip them for life and learning. We include the statutory Relationships and Health Education within our whole-school PSHE Programme. To ensure progression and a spiral curriculum, we use Heartsmart and MyHappyMind, as our chosen teaching and learning programme and tailor it to all children’s needs.
The mapping document and statutory Relationships and Health Education, shows exactly how these schemes and therefore our school, meets the statutory Relationships and Health Education requirements.
Our PSHE curriculum develops learning and results in the acquisition of knowledge and skills which will enable children to access the wider curriculum and prepare them to be a global citizen now and in their future roles within a global community. It promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils, preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences for later life. Our Relationships and Sex Education enables our children to learn how to be safe, and to understand and develop healthy relationships, both now and in their future lives.
Implementation
PSHE plays a vital part of primary education and is integrated throughout our curriculum. In addition, we ensure that children receive regular PSHE lessons which focus on key objectives and skills. Teaching and learning in the classroom shows progression across all key stages within the PSHE core themes; Me and my Relationships, Valuing Difference, Keeping Myself Safe, Rights and Responsibilities, Being my Best, Growing and Changing. RSE is threaded through these core themes but is at the heart of two cores themes (Me and my Relationships and Growing and Changing).
We support our delivery of our PHSE curriculum with Heartsmart where children receive weekly PSHE lessons which focus on key objectives and skills. Teaching and learning in the classroom shows progression across all key stages within the six PSHE core themes of Heartsmart; Get Heartsmart, Don’t forget to let love in, Too much selfie isn’t healthy, Don’t hold on to what’s wrong, Fake is a mistake, No way through isn’t true. Each lesson has a relevant verse from the Bible which is shared and discussed with the class. There may be occasions where teachers may feel it necessary to teach a PSHE as a result of an issue that has arisen in their own class and we encourage this where possible.
PSHE is an important part of school assemblies where children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural curiosity is stimulated, challenged and nurtured. Each week, we focus on a key current affair through our ‘Picture News’ learning. This can start within assemblies and then each class takes part in follow up activities at an age appropriate level in their classes. At Thornham St James picture news develops a range of personal, social, spiritual, moral and cultural skills that equip children for life in modern day Britain.
Each year group at Thornham St James school has a shared PHSE book to record their learning journey in.
PSHE at Thornham St James is a subject enjoyed by all, including children with additional needs. Children are on their own personal journey and their work is valued and appreciated by staff, peers and parents. Children may need extra support to respond to certain activities and adjustments are made as and when appropriate. All children take part in PSHE lessons and where appropriate adaptive teaching methods may be used to ensure that all children can achieve to their full potential.
SEND Learners
PSHE lessons provide an inclusive environment where all learners can access the PSHE curriculum. Individual needs are catered for by class teachers and learning support assistants who work with SEND pupils on a daily basis and can identify individual adaptations to the lessons where needed.
Impact
At Thornham St. James, we are committed to ensuring that our curriculum effectively embeds learning in pupils’ long-term memory while also promoting excellence in outcomes. To assess the impact of our curriculum, we employ a comprehensive approach that utilises four key tools:
1. Classroom Check-ins: These evaluations focus on subject knowledge, clarity of explanations, high expectations, opportunities for learning, pupil responses, participation, and teacher-student relationships. This allows us to assess how well pupils are engaging with the content and applying their knowledge.
2. Pupil Book Looks and Pupil Voice : These studies involve dialogues with pupils and reviewing their workbooks to evaluate curriculum structures, teaching methods, participation, and responses. This dialogic model helps us gauge whether pupils are knowing more, remembering more, and able to do more as a result of their learning experiences.
3. Professional Growth Models: We prioritise continuous improvement in staff subject knowledge and evidence-informed teaching practices, including retrieval practice, spaced learning, interleaving, and explicit instruction techniques. This ensures that all teachers are equipped to support pupil learning effectively.
4. Assessment and Achievement: We articulate learning outcomes through tasks and tests, evaluating both understanding and areas for improvement. This information informs our next steps, guiding us in adjusting teaching to meet the needs of all pupils.
In conducting these evaluations, we ask critical questions such as:
• How well do pupils remember the content that they have been taught?
• Do books and pupil discussions demonstrate progress and attainment?
• Can pupils apply their learning in more sophisticated contexts, showing that knowledge has ‘travelled’ with them?
Retrieval Practice and Assessment as Tools for Learning
While delivering the curriculum, teachers consistently check for understanding, identifying and addressing any misunderstandings. Assessment serves as a vital tool to support pupil learning. Research highlights the significant benefits of retrieval practice, one of the strongest findings in cognitive psychology (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006; Storm, Bjork & Storm, 2010). We implement low-stakes quizzes, including flashback quizzes at the start of each lesson, which are efficient, effective, and motivating for pupils. These quizzes also provide valuable insights into areas where pupils may be struggling.
To enhance retention and ensure that knowledge is embedded in long-term memory, we employ a retrieval plan that revisits all topics over time through spaced learning. This structure allows for cumulative quizzing, vocabulary use, and deliberate practice, ensuring that pupils can build upon their knowledge in a meaningful way.
Curriculum Adaptation and Continuous Improvement
We conduct frequent audits of the PSHE/RSEcurriculum, adapting it based on our findings to enhance learning opportunities and assessment endpoints for each year group. This ensures clear progression and repetition, reinforcing key learning, knowledge, and skills throughout the curriculum.
Ultimately, at Thornham St. James, our goal is for children to know more, remember more, and understand more. Through this rigorous approach to assessment and quality assurance, we are committed to fostering a deep and lasting understanding of PSHE/RSE and other subjects across the curriculum.
myHappymind Curriculum Progression
Heartsmart Curriculum Progression
