PSHE

Intent

PSHE at Freegrounds Junior School is inclusive and relevant to the ever changing modern world. Teaching ensures that pupils’ progressively develop the knowledge and skills needed to understand their own feelings and those of others, build positive relationship in person and online. Pupils’ are aware of the importance of physical health as they change and grow as well as mental wellbeing. Opportunities to explore and reflect on their own values, attitudes and feelings as well as ask questions and make links to the wider community will be sought. Through strong links with Trick box, Science and Computing as well as the embedded nature of our school’s learning behaviours and curriculum vision PSHE has invaluable cross-circular links.

Implementation

In PSHE lessons across the school, children have the opportunity to explore issues surrounding building healthy relationships, including recognising feelings and dealing with conflicts. They develop their understanding of responsibilities including money, the wider world and the environment. Children are taught how to stay safe when faced with new circumstance including issues around drugs and alcohol use as well as key aspects of internet safety. Through the unit Healthy, Happy Me children learn about physical and mental health as well as the importance of ambition and goal setting. Children explore the importance of valuing difference as well as age appropriate relationships education concerned with growing and changing. In year five, children explore the changes both males and female go through during puberty and learn about menstruation and in year six, children learn about how a baby is made. Throughout these lessons, children build on prior knowledge as well as progressing and becoming familiar with new content as their emotional needs and maturity develop. In lessons, teachers facilitate discussions that allow children to explore the issued raised in a safe environment rooted in mutual respect.

PSHE vocabulary is used by the class teacher and children are encouraged to use this vocabulary to respond to their own feelings and ideas as well as critically challenge those of others.

Whilst pupils are working, teachers respond to the needs of individuals, using time to talk to address any specific concerns or issues. Using in lesson assessment, teachers reflect on any misconceptions children may have and guide discussions or input to ensure these are clarified. Teachers are reactive and sensitive to personal responses raised by the children to create a safe environment the children feel comfortable sharing in.

All children engage with the learning in PSHE lessons. The discussion nature, including many circle time sessions and the safe environment teachers create allow all children to feel valued and heard. Adaptations are made according to pupils individual needs where appropriate e.g. a teacher might adapt a scenario if a particularly sensitive topic is raised or provide visual clues when exploring different emotions.

Throughout lessons teachers seize opportunities to develop pupils team work, resilience, independence, creativity, critical thinking and reflective learning behaviours as well as promote mental health and wellbeing strategies – including references to trick box.

Anti-Bullying Week 2022

In November, we celebrated Anti-Bullying Week and the theme for this year was ‘Reach Out’ empowering young people and adults to do something positive to counter the harm that bullying causes. We kicked the week off with ‘Odd Sock Day’: a unification of the importance of being different and celebrating uniqueness. At break and lunch, we set up a ‘Positivity Wall’ on the playground where children had the opportunity to write inspiring and uplifting quotes for their peers, spreading smiles across the school! Throughout the week, we hosted a ‘Sticker Competition’ where over one hundred children entered and had to design a cheerful, positive slogan to be printed onto a sheet of stickers for their friends.

‘Kindness is free, so sprinkle it everywhere!’