Personal, Social, Health & Economic Education
Intent, Implementation and Impact Statement
Intent
The aim of PSHE at Ilmington is to enable our children to deal with issues they face every day such as friendships, emotional wellbeing and change. It gives them a solid foundation for whatever challenging opportunities lie ahead, so they can face a world full of uncertainty with hope. From making informed decisions about friendships, to succeeding in their next step, PSHE helps our children prepare for all the opportunities, challenges, life decisions and responsibilities they may face.
Our PSHE curriculum aims to ensure that our children’s well-being and emotional health are cared for, so they can flourish as people and be better prepared for their academic challenges.
PSHE at Ilmington is not just about PSHE lessons; it incorporates work on mental health through our Mental Health Champions, our Buddy system, our specialist nurture provision, our Reflection Spaces and our focussed work on British Values.
Through PSHE , we aim to prepare our children for the wider world, to understand themselves as people , before they make important and life changing decisions about their future. We want our children to leave Ilmington knowing who they are as a person, not just what they can do in the classroom.
Implementation
PSHE in Ilmington is delivered using the SCARF (Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience, Friendship) scheme of resources, currently using a two-year cycle. Lessons are timetabled as least weekly, although teachers may use more time dedicated to the subject as particular issues arise in the classroom. In addition, many of the themes from the cycle of learning may be covered in whole school assemblies or in class reflection time, ensuring the children’s spiritual, moral, social, and cultural needs are developed.
The scheme works on the 6 key themes of Me and my Relationships, Valuing Difference, Keeping Safe, Rights and Respect, Being my Best and Growing and Changing as well as the statutory aspects of the Relationships and Sex Education, and Health Education guidance.
The SCARF scheme has been adapted to meet the needs of a ‘typical’ Ilmington child, so not all units in the scheme are delivered, and additional resources are used to ensure coverage. For example, whilst the scheme covers elements of protective behaviours, this is delivered as a separate stand-alone unit every year, using separate materials, so as to ensure staff and pupils understand its importance. Likewise, as most of the children come from a typical rural cohort, units are delivered on British Values which are ‘outside’ of those already programmed in the 2 year cycle, with a particular focus on Mutual Respect and Tolerance for those of other cultures and beliefs.
In addition to formal teaching, staff identify children termly who may benefit from additional support with their social and emotional needs. These children are invited to join the fortnightly specialist Nurture Group, after consultation with their parents and carers and the staff member who has advanced them for a place. Staff liaise regularly with the Group Leader feeding back changes in behaviour and areas for development. Specific planning within PSHE is made available for the Group Leader, so she is able to link up with what is taught in the main PSHE lessons and make links in her tailored sessions.
In addition to this specialist support, Ilmington has dedicated Mental Health Champions in Year 6, who are trained to support children and encourage a dialogue with regard to wellness. This is led by the school’s Mental Health Champion, who is supported by the dedicated Governor who is a specialist in this area.
Impact
The quality PSHE which is taught and embedded in our ethos ensures children are given wide perspectives on the diverse society that we live in today. Pupils develop fully as:
- individuals as they focus on their own personal development; believing in themselves, building resilience, developing habits to help them to lead a healthy life;
- members of families and social communities; understanding how to relate to others and adopt teamwork skills;
- members of economic communities; developing their awareness of the part that they play and how to live responsibly, including how their choices impact on others immediately and in the long term.
The majority of children will achieve age related expectations in PSHE, and be happy at school. Ilmington firmly believes one cannot exist without the other. Children will demonstrate a healthy outlook towards school – attendance will be at least in-line with national averages and behaviour will be good.
Children will be aware that what they do outside and inside school is to be celebrated; and that learning does not start and end at the classroom. Participation in extra-curricular activities both in school and beyond is encouraged and celebrated at the weekly celebration assembly.
As a result of what children learn at Ilmington, they will become healthy and responsible members of their local communities and will be well prepared for their journey of life and work in modern Britain.