PSHE
At Horsenden, we follow the whole school SCARF programme for our PSHE (including RSHE) curriculum. The SCARF units allow all year groups to learn about the same unit in a spiral curriculum, ensuring age-appropriate teaching and learning from pupil's first to final year at primary school.
SCARF's core values are: Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience, Friendship and the programme's whole-school approach supports teachers in promoting positive behaviour, mental health, wellbeing, resilience and achievement.
PSHE lessons are fun, engaging and memorable. During lessons, pupils have discussions, watch short films, engage in role play, take part in hands-on activities and debate. Oracy plays a key role in enhancing learning, allowing pupils to articulate their thoughts, listen actively, and develop confidence in expressing themselves through activities such as hot seating, opinion lines, pass the mic, sentence stems, and circle time discussions. They build knowledge to help them make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships. Pupils learn how to put this knowledge into practice as they develop the ability to make good decisions when facing risks and challenges in their everyday life.
For each year group there are 6 themed units, as follows:
- Me and My Relationships
Explores feelings and emotions, develops skills to manage conflict, helps identify our special people and equips pupils to recognise the qualities of healthy friendships and how to manage them.
- Valuing Difference
Includes a strong focus on the British Values, supports pupils to develop respectful relationships with others, recognise bullying and know their responsibilities as a bystander. - Keeping Myself Safe
Explores a number of safety aspects from statutory Relationships Education including being able to identify trusted adults in their lives, what to do when faced with a dilemma and recognising appropriate and inappropriate touch.
- Rights and Responsibilities
Explores broader topics including looking after the environment, economic education and the changing rights and responsibilities that pupils have as they grow older.
- Being My Best
Focuses on keeping physically healthy, developing a growth mindset to facilitate resilience as well as setting goals and ways to achieve them.
- Growing and Changing
Age-appropriate lessons that cover the physical and emotional changes that happen as pupils grow older, including changes at puberty and how to approach this with confidence. Age-appropriate lessons on relationships and sex education are also included. For more information on this, see the Relationships and Health Education page (linked).
Curriculum Documents
Whole School PSHE Curriculum Map:
Coverage of the Department of Education's Relationship & Health Education Statutory Requirements:
At Horsenden Primary we know that the Personal, Social, Health Education curriculum is covered in many different ways - not just through the PSHE lessons. We develop pupil's understanding of themselves, their communities and the wider world through a wide variety of programmes and opportunities in school, such as:
PSHE Resources for Parents
How can I support my child's PSHE learning at home?
The statutory guidance is clear in recognising that a parent/carer is a child's primary educator in these matters. There are many things that you can do to support your child's understanding. It is important to encourage them to ask questions, too. Here are some ways you can help:
- If you feel it is time to talk to your child about growing up and the changes they are likely to experience, it's best to offer it in small chunks rather than do it in one go (often known as 'The Talk'). This gives children time to digest the new information and to ask you further questions as they develop more understanding.
- If your child asks you questions, try to stay calm and don't worry if you don't know the answer. There are plenty of websites that you can use together to help you find the answers to their questions in a factual, honest and age-appropriate way (see details below for resources on our website).
- Use everyday opportunities to bring up the topic. Things that you see on TV or hear on the radio can be great conversation starters to talk about topics such as relationships, sex education and body image. Reading books with your child is also a great way of introducing topics and helping children to understand themselves, their bodies and the world around them.
- If you do have family names for genitals, ensure your child also knows their scientific names too. Nobody likes to think their child is at risk of abuse, but knowing the correct words for their body parts will help children to report abuse if it did ever happen.
- By showing your child that you are comfortable with them asking you questions now, you are helping to develop a relationship with them where they can seek your advice and support in their adolescent years.
- Visit the specially created Coral Life Education SCARD webpage here for more information, including a list of books and websites that will support both you and your child. There are also additional activities that you can use to support your child's learning.
Assessment
PSHE is assessed through the SCARF scheme’s pre- and post- assessments for each unit. Before starting a topic, pupils complete an initial assessment to gauge their prior knowledge, understanding, and attitudes. At the end of the unit, they revisit the same assessment to measure their progress, including their ability to recall key information, use subject-specific vocabulary, and apply their learning to real-life situations. The assessments also track changes in pupils’ confidence, self-reflection, and attitudes, helping to identify shifts in their perspectives, such as increased empathy, safer decision-making, and a deeper appreciation for diversity.
Curriculum in Action
Year 5 & 6 Anti-Bullying Production & Workshop 'Hope'
Let's Connect - 'Wear Your Scarf to School Day'
Curriculum in Action
Celebrating our uniqueness - Individuality Day