‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’  - Nelson Mandela

Personal Development

 Why we should learn about PSHE and how it will help us in later life 

PSHE education is a school subject through which pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to keep themselves healthy and safe, and prepare for life and work in modern Britain. Evidence shows that well-delivered PSHE programmes have an impact on both academic and non-academic outcomes for pupils, particularly the most vulnerable and disadvantaged.

What do we want for St Matthew's children?

Through our PSHE curriculum children at St Matthew's become independent and confident learners who are prepared and ready for life and work, not only in school but beyond the classroom.

At St Matthew's our PSHE curriculum enables pupils to become healthy, independent and responsible members of society. Our curriculum aims to help children to understand and reflect on how they are developing personally and socially, and tackles many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are presented to them as they become young adults. Our curriculum provides children with a range of learning opportunities through visits, workshops, working with the wider community and our parents/careers. Our aim and goal is to ignite a love of learning that will stay with our children throughout their lives.

PSHE covers aspects of a child’s life which are real and meaningful to them and supports them in achieving their future goals and aspirations.

In teaching PSHE we want our pupils to:

• have a voice on topics which are important to them and to be able to share these in a safe environment;
• develop their understanding of human nature and human interactions;
• grow and cultivate healthy, positive and respectful relationships with others;
• have the knowledge, skills and attributes to lead confident, healthy and independent lives;
• be prepared for life and work in modern Britain;

How do we deliver this effectively?

At St Matthew's, our  PSHE curriculum  is designed to meet the needs of our children. We prioritise key topics that are vital for our pupils, some of these include; mental health and online safety.                                                              

Our PSHE curriculum is inspiring, relevant and memorable. PSHE at St Matthew's is real and meaningful to our pupils, and we fully support and provide opportunities that empower our pupils in achieving their future goals and aspirations.

We go beyond delivering the core knowledge and provide the building blocks of deeper understanding through discussions, debates, workshops and visits to and from the wider community.

Intent

At St Matthew's, we have prioritised the needs of our children by carefully sequencing the lessons in our curriculum to ensure they reflect and meet the needs of our pupils. We have linked our PSHE overview to the National Curriculum to ensure the programmes of study are taught in a logical order and we have broken down Relationship Health Education topics to provide a rich and meaningful curriculum for our children.

We aim to:

• To ensure pupils leave St Matthew's ready for the real world
• To enable pupils to learn the importance of Mental Health and Wellbeing
• To teach pupils the significance of diversity and equality
• To teach pupils to recognise different types of relationships and how to maintain positive relationships throughout life
• To provide pupils with the knowledge to live healthy lives physically and mentally
• To provide pupils with a range of support networks and organisations in our wider community and beyond

Our students are able to develop their understanding of their world and the impact personal decisions can make on their lives as well as developing critical thinking skills. We provide our pupils with the opportunities to learn about their rights and responsibilities, and we teach our pupils to appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society.

 

PSHE Curriculum

Implementation

                                           

We are proud to announce that we are a myHappymind Bronze Accredited school!

This means that as a school we consider the mental health and wellbeing of our children as one of our top priorities. We have created a whole school culture that helps build our children's resilience, confidence and self esteem as well as teaching them how to self regulate in those stressful times. 

This Accreditation badge has been awarded thanks to all the effort our staff, children, governors and parents have put in to bring the lessons of myHappymind to life all around our school!
To Learn more about the myHappymind for Schools programme visit their website here - https://myhappymind.org/

 

We started our My Happy Mind journey in October 2024 to support the children's mental health and wellbeing.  My Happy Mind is an award winning program for schools and nurseries, families and organisations. It teaches preventative habits that support mental health, resilience and self-esteem. All the concepts that are taught are based on science and research and grounded in neuroscience and positive psychology. My Happy Mind uses the latest research and technology to help children develop lifelong habits and learn to thrive and is commissioned by the NHS. 

My Happy Mind is taught across the whole school in weekly sessions, and consists of 5 units:

Meet Your Brain – Learning about how our brains work.

Celebrate – Understanding our character strengths and celebrating ourselves.

Appreciate – Developing gratitude as a habit.

Relate – Building positive relationships.

Engage – Engaging with the world.

Introduction to My Happy Mind

MHM Poster

Overview for Parents

Meet your brain poster

What does this look like?

Our PSHE lessons give children the power to change the world. They support children to become world leaders and make positive changes for their future. Programmes of studies show clear progressions from EYFS to Year 6 in all PSHE topics taught. In PSHE lessons, children are able to; work collaboratively, debate on key and relevant topics, have access to a range of workshops and trips. All these experiences create memorable learning moments for our students.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS):

In Early Years, PSHE is taught through PSED (Personal, Social, Emotional Development). We support and encourage our children to learn fundamental skills to support them become independent and active learners. In EYFS, we follow the Development Matters and Statutory Framework for Early Years to ensure we are teaching all areas of Personal, Social, Emotional Development. Our vision at Preston Park is for all children to develop fundamental PSED skills through exciting and meaningful experiences.

In Reception, PSED is taught as part of our Wider Curriculum and children are given a range of opportunities to role play different scenarios. This may include children roleplaying a dentist where they can learn to brush their teeth effectively, or a shop where they can pay for different essential items. Children are also given the opportunity to develop their social skills through independent play and guided support.

We value building relationships with all our children to support effective transitions, we work with families to ensure children feel happy and safe at school. Our staff model effective behaviours to support children build friendships and to help all children self-regulate, through our Self-Regulation areas.

Key Stage One (Years One and Two)

In years 1 and 2, children begin to develop resiliency, enabling them to better handle difficult situations. They learn to become better team players, understand how to cope with anxiety, unhealthy relationships and other challenges in life. 

Pupils develop healthy confidence in themselves and practise communication skills with others around them. 

Children begin to learn terminology such as resilience, hippocampus, amygdala and pre-frontal cortex. 

Key Stage Two (Years Three to Six)

The purpose of our KS2 curriculum is designed to deepen students' knowledge of wellbeing and key topics such as mental and physical health, global issues, digital citizenship and finances; preparing them for secondary school and beyond. 

Pupils focus on Health and Wellbeing which includes food choices and exercise (and the impact this has on physical and mental health), drugs and alcohol, healthy sleep behaviour, first aid and emergency life-saving skills, mental health, puberty and personal safety. 

Progression in Skills and Understanding

 At St Matthew's, our PSHE curriculum takes to account pupils’ prior learning and experiences. Our PSHE learning reflects the universal needs shared by all children and young people as well as the specific needs of the pupils in our school.

 Inclusion

Adaptive teaching is key to delivering an effective and inclusive curriculum.   All pupils' starting points are considered and activities and work is matched to ensure pupils reach their full potential, whilst supporting the child's learning.  Adult support, a range of activities, adaptations, equipment and resources can enable children of all abilities to access learning. 

Our school will ensure that:

• all children have entitlement to a broad and balanced, enriching curriculum
• all children enjoy an active involvement in RSE
• all children have opportunities to experience a broad and balanced range of RSE activities
• all children have opportunities to learn about RSE from different times and cultures
• all children will be given equal access to the experience of RSE regardless of their gender, race, disability, medical or other needs
• teachers use a variety of approaches that are matched to the activity and the ability of the children.

Research

National Curriculum

DfE Development Matters

Statutory Framework for EYFS

RHE Framework