Our PSHE and RSHE Curriculum
Intent
Our PSHE curriculum is ambitious, well-sequenced, and progressive at Maple Grove Primary School. We equip our pupils with the skills they need to be happy, healthy, and responsible members of society. We offer a range of learning experiences that provide our pupils with the knowledge and skills required to successfully tackle the social, moral, spiritual, and cultural issues that face children growing up in their local environment.
Our school values and the fundamental British Values underpin PSHE at Maple Grove:
Democracy
Rule of Law
Individual Liberty
Mutual respect and Tolerance
Our PSHE curriculum meets the aims of the Relationships and Health Education statutory guidance (as set out by the Department for Education), including non-statutory sex education. It is a comprehensive scheme of work that enables us to deliver an ambitious PSHE curriculum from EYFS to Year 6. Our curriculum covers key areas that will support children in making informed choices now and in the future about their health, safety, well-being, relationships, and financial matters. This will help them become confident individuals and active members of society.
Our curriculum offer is enhanced by age-appropriate additional learning opportunities, trips, and visits from specialist external providers to meet the needs of our community.
What is PSHE (Personal, Social, Health Education)?
PSHE is a planned learning programme through which children and young people acquire the knowledge, understanding, and skills to manage their lives—now and in the future. As part of a whole-school approach, PSHE develops the qualities and attributes children need to thrive as individuals, family members, and members of society.
What is RSHE (Relationships, Sex, Health Education)?
The Department for Education (DfE) announced that Relationship and Health Education will be compulsory for primary-aged children. Sex education remains non-statutory.
Health Education includes learning about the ‘changing adolescent body’ to equip children to understand and cope with puberty. The National Curriculum for Science (also a compulsory subject), includes learning the correct names for the main external body parts, learning about the human body as it grows from birth to old age and reproduction (including puberty) in some plants and animals.
Relationships Education, Health Education and Science are compulsory subjects and parents/carers do not have the right to withdraw their children from them. We will inform parents when these topics are being taught so that they can support their children with this learning at home.
The DfE guidance states that sex education is not compulsory in Primary schools. However, as a primary school, we will deliver additional content on sex education to meet the needs of our pupils, including ‘conception’ and ‘human reproduction’. We will inform parents by letter when these topics are being taught, and parents/carers have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from these specific lessons.
Before we teach children about the changing body or Sex Education, we always notify parents. This enables parents to support their children at home, ask staff questions, and see the learning material.
If you have any questions about PSHE or RSE, please get in touch with the Headteacher via the school office.
Our PSHE pathways
Our whole school approach consists of three areas of learning in EYFS: Reception (to match the EYFS Personal, social and emotional development prime area) and five areas of learning across Key stages 1 and 2.
EYFS:
- Self-regulation
- Building relationships
- Managing self
Key stage 1 and 2:
- Families and relationships
- Health and wellbeing
- Safety and the changing body
- Citizenship
- Economic wellbeing
Each area is revisited to allow children to build on prior learning. The lessons also provide a progressive programme.