PSHE

Intent

At The Free School Norwich we are committed to the development of the whole child and as a consequence we place Personal, Social, Health and Education (PSHE) at the heart of all that we do. We recognise that schools support pupils to develop in many diverse aspects of life, and the responsibility of preparing pupils for their adult lives is one that The Free School Norwich takes pride in and assumes with integrity and purpose.

Through our curriculum, our school environment, our school ethos and the strength of our relationships, we strive to promote pupils’ self-esteem and emotional and physical well-being and help them to form and maintain worthwhile and satisfying relationships, based on respect for themselves and for others, at home, at school, at work and in the community. Through our curriculum we want our pupils to know and understand what constitutes a healthy lifestyle and develop a growing awareness of a broad range of safety issues.

Pupil voice lies at the heart of our school and the curriculum and opportunities we offer our pupils mean that they grow into independent, active and responsible members of our school community playing an active part in decision making. In order to flourish, thrive and develop into happy adults who contribute effectively to society, pupils at The Free School Norwich develop their personalities and behaviour through the specific focus on important values that enable them to reflect, learn, behave with integrity and work consistently well with others. We aim to build resilient learners who are better prepared for the ever-changing world they face after leaving our school.

Through our PHSE teaching and assembly times, our school environment and our school ethos, we aim to provide pupils with opportunities to:

• Explore their values and beliefs
• Set high standards of personal behaviour
• Have a positive, caring attitude towards others Form and understanding of their own social and cultural traditions
• Appreciate the diversity and richness of other cultures
• Realise that it is alright to have your own opinions and not be influenced by the views expressed by others
• Develop reflective practices and opportunities for mindfulness

Implementation

The Scheme of Work for PSHE approved by the PHSE Association and supported by Twinkl:

• Health & Wellbeing:Developing a healthy, safer lifestyle. Through PSHE and other curriculum areas children develop the self-confidence and self-esteem, make informed choices.  Children develop understanding of the link between good physical health and good mental health.
• Relationships:Understanding what makes for good relationships and developing them with members of the school and wider society. Respecting and celebrating differences. This is taught through experience and discussion.  Learning to understanding difference, change, feelings and emotions and to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own beliefs and those of other cultures, in order to promote tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions.  Children will also develop the ability to distinguish right from wrong and to understand and respect the civil and criminal law of England.
• Living in the Wider World:Preparing to play an active role as citizens/young leaders of their locality and also of wider society by accepting responsibility for their behaviour and showing initiative  This is developed through the Economic aspect of the PSHE Education programme, including the Charity and Community programme, opportunities to understand and respect democracy, including the rule of law and individual liberty and acquire a broad general knowledge and respect for public institutions and services in England.

Impact

• Pupils will develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem, self-confidence, self-discipline and resilience, including an understanding of how to improve their own learning and performance, so that they are well prepared for the next stage of their lives.
• They will understand that the decisions they make are important determinants of their own success and well-being.
• They will develop spiritual understanding and an appreciation of non-material aspects of life, whether religious, philosophical or other.
• They will learn to distinguish right from wrong, understand and respect systems of rules and laws, and accept responsibility for their own behaviour, including towards others becoming increasingly socially aware and able to work effectively with others, including being able to solve problems and achieve common goals.
• They will learn to fulfil responsibilities and contribute positively to the lives of others within the school, the local community and wider society.
• They will respect and value diversity within society, show respect for and appreciation of their own and other cultures, and demonstrate sensitivity and tolerance to those from different backgrounds and traditions.
• They will know how to stay safe and understand how to be physically and mentally healthy, particularly in terms of diet, exercise and a balanced lifestyle.

Support

School Council: The School Council at The Free School Norwich is made up of pupils from Year Groups 1-6 with four pupils from each year group. The pupils are selected through a democratic process where the pupils put themselves forward as candidates and are then voted for by their peers. The School Council is a vehicle for pupil voice and provides a platform where this can be expressed in a meaningful and structured way to ensure that the opinions, views and ideas of all pupils can have an impact on decisions made in school. The school Council also co-ordinates all fund-raising activities in school.

Worry Box: Used as a discrete means of pupils informing their class teacher that they need some individual time to focus on a particular problem. This is used as a timely support intervention to enable pupils to access individual time with their class teacher without having to wait until an allocated time to discuss their concerns.

Hear me books: Integrated within our safeguarding policy, our hear me books, give our children a voice to share their worries and concerns with staff, whether these link to home, school or wider community concerns. This can be used to underpin discussions and learning within the PHSE curriculum.

Curriculum Progression

Your child will learn…