PSHE
Intent
At CSPA, our PSHE and Citizenship curriculum is designed to equip children with essential life skills, underpinned by our vision and values. We strive to embed CSPA and British values throughout the children’s four-year journey, helping them develop as happy, resilient, and motivated learners. Our curriculum focusses on the holistic development of each child through thoughtfully planned and well-resourced lessons that enhance their knowledge, skills, and attributes for safeguarding and improving their wellbeing.
Teachers passionately deliver a sequential and progressive curriculum that reflects the children’s cultural capital, supporting their understanding of how to manage emotions and make worthwhile choices throughout their lives. Through units like British Values and modules such as Think Positive and Be Yourself, children learn to appreciate the value of every individual and foster positive self-perception.
The curriculum addresses a wide range of social and emotional learning aspects, empowering children to build their identities and self-esteem as confident, active participants in society. By providing a safe environment for democratic discussion, we encourage children to express their views with mutual respect.
The themes and topics within our curriculum support social, moral, spiritual, and cultural development, offering protective education on vital safeguarding issues and teaching children when and how to seek help. Our resources align with the Learning Outcomes and Core Themes outlined in the PSHE Association Programme of Study, widely adopted by schools in England and endorsed by the DfE in key PSHE documentation.
The curriculum meets all required objectives, following the three core areas: Health and Wellbeing, Relationships, and Living in the Wider World, fulfilling the requirements of the 2020 Statutory Relationships and Health Education. The CSPA rainbow supports our approach to PSHE, ensuring that the curriculum is fully inclusive and accepting of difference, providing children with a broad range of skills to navigate everyday life.
Implementation
Our PSHE curriculum is structured around thematic units, each comprising six lessons and supporting materials. This curriculum follows a spiral approach, allowing themes to be revisited every two years, which helps children recall and build on prior learning. Each unit explores the core principles of PSHE education at an age-appropriate depth, with lessons highlighting key vocabulary to foster a rich language that enhances understanding.
PSHE teachers possess strong subject knowledge, and CSPA provides training opportunities, professional development, and encourages the sharing of best practices. Support is provided by the PSHE subject leader to colleagues, along with a schedule of work to inform planning and teaching. Differentiated learning is implemented where necessary to ensure all children can access and express themselves effectively.
Our PSHE units are delivered creatively through various methods, including role play, discussions, and games in diverse group sizes, helping children develop confidence and resilience. Classroom environments are respectful, safe, and comfortable, allowing children to air their views freely. Staff members reinforce learning throughout the week whenever opportunities arise, and our whole-school values, addressed each half term, further strengthen the lessons from PSHE.
Assessment for learning is integrated into each lesson. Students in Years 3 and 4 record their self-evaluations and reflections in dedicated PSHE books, while those in Years 5 and 6 use reflection journals, allowing teachers to monitor and assess progress. Each lesson begins with a discussion to gauge children’s existing knowledge and experiences, serving as a baseline assessment, and concludes with a chance to consolidate and reflect on what they've learned.
Enrichment activities, such as Children’s Mental Health Week, NSPCC day and termly Walk To School Weeks, bring real-life issues to the forefront of our curriculum. Additionally, parent and pupil voice has been integral to the development of the RSE policy, ensuring that our approach is responsive and inclusive.
Impact
At CSPA, our curriculum fosters a meaningful learning journey for well-being, empowering children to develop the vocabulary and confidence to express their thoughts and feelings within a safe, respectful environment. We ensure that children are well-informed about age-appropriate issues and the strategies to handle them effectively. Our PSHE education significantly impacts the whole child, addressing social and emotional barriers to learning while building confidence and self-esteem.
Teachers provide effective and timely feedback, both verbally and in writing, to highlight strengths and areas for development. This approach not only enhances academic growth but also nurtures a school culture that prioritises both physical and mental health. Children learn when and how to seek support from others, applying their understanding of society to their interactions, from the classroom to the broader community.
Evidence indicates that effective PSHE education particularly benefits disadvantaged and vulnerable children by raising their aspirations and empowering them with the skills needed to overcome challenges. By the end of their four-year journey at CSPA, pupils fully recognise and understand their own learning behaviours and what constitutes an effective learner. They know how to use their learning and apply it in different contexts, moving on to their next stage of education fully prepared, confident, and equipped to tackle future experiences and challenges.
Our school-wide approach enhances well-being, safeguarding, and spiritual, moral, social, and cultural (SMSC) outcomes, ensuring that all children acquire the knowledge, skills, and attributes necessary for success in school and in the wider world.