At St. Joseph’s school we believe that our students have a right to the highest quality personal, social and health education (PSHE), in order to help them begin to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to lead confident, independent and healthy lives and to participate as informed active and responsible citizens.
The school will actively encourage and enable all of its students to become involved in a wide range of activities which aim to promote self-worth, promote co-operation and involvement and develop an understanding of and respect for difference and diversity.
The school recognises that PSHE, if they are to have significant meaning in the lives of its students, are founded on a set of principles, which can
affect, and be affected, by other aspects of school life. To this end, the school will adopt a “whole-school approach” and regularly consider and review. Its organisation and management: e.g. pupil / parent participation opportunities in decisions about school life; leadership style in school, Policies and initiatives affecting health and well-being: e.g. Healthy School Standard; child protection; relationship education; drug education; bullying; Relationships with the community, including parents: e.g. mutual benefits for all parties through involvement; people in the community (health professionals, specialist organisations, etc) who can help students and extend their horizons; The school environment: e.g. the safety of the premises; the quality of the dining area and so on.
Aims
To maintain an atmosphere of respect and regard for others;
To recognise, accept and reflect difference and diversity both in the PSHE curriculum and the school community;
To form positive working partnerships with all those responsible, including school nurses and other outside agencies, for the delivery of PSHE.
Objectives
To encourage the development of personal skills: Communication, Negotiation, Decision making, Problem solving, and Assertiveness in line with Enterprise Education and Work-related Learning.
To develop pupils’ confidence and self-esteem.
To recognise, respect and accept the differences of others as well as accepting their own.
To regularly monitor and review the PSHE programme to meet the needs of all our pupils.
Co-ordination
The PSHE curriculum and Citizenship will be co-ordinated by an appropriately trained and supported key teacher, Miss Rushton. The Key Teacher will be responsible for:
- The planning and implementation of PSHE throughout the school during assembly day tutorial time.
- Supporting class teachers in the delivery of PSHE
- Managing PSHE teaching resources, including purchasing, and keeping up-to-date with new resources
- Advising SMT of training and development opportunities locally and nationally that will enable each strand of Healthy School status to be maintained and progressed to Enhanced status.
- The Key Teacher will be supported by the SMT.
Staff development and training
The school recognises that, in order to properly implement and maintain this policy, there is a requirement to ensure that key staff, at least, have the opportunity to access appropriate and relevant training and development opportunities. This includes the consideration of PSHE as a regular part of Inset planning.
Context
PSHE will be delivered:
- During assembly day tutorial time
- Existing curriculum subjects
- Whole school activities – e.g. Respect days
- Assemblies
- Work Experience
- School council
Content
This will be reviewed on a regular basis by the co-ordinator, who will collaborate student and staff evaluations to ensure an effective Scheme of Work is delivered.
Teaching methods and approaches
At St. Joseph’s we recognise there are different teaching and learning styles which enable effective PSHE. We acknowledge, as educators, the core education skills, which include practical skills, communication skills, decision-making skills, inter-personal skills, problem-solving skills and leadership skills. We will develop them with our pupils by:
- Setting up ground rules
- Differentiating learning
- Using active learning methods, such as stories, mind mapping/thought showers, quizzes and questionnaires
- Standpoint taking
- Individual/paired/group work
- Role play
- Sharing lesson objectives with pupils
- Using distancing and de-personalising techniques
Use of visitors/Outside agencies
St. Joseph’s recognise the value of partnership working. We also recognise that visitors will work alongside the class teacher who will be present at all times. Visitors to the school will have been given a copy of the PSHE policy before they work with the children and will have met the PSHE co-ordinator beforehand to discuss and plan the content of the lessons.
Pupils will be made aware of support systems outside school through Connexions and Early Intervention Service, notice boards, posters, class teachers, pastoral staff, Learning mentors, Respect days, our school website, connected learning community and community bulletin.
Pastoral systems refer to peer educators/mentors, school counsellors, tutorial systems, school nurses, drop- ins, school health services and so on.
