PSHE at Southbury Primary School

Dream Big, Fly High.

At Southbury Primary School, we believe that education is about more than academic achievement. We want every child to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to understand themselves, build positive relationships, make informed choices and contribute positively to the world around them.

Our PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) curriculum plays an important part in helping children to become confident, respectful, resilient and responsible young people who are ready to flourish both now and in the future.

Our PSHE journey reflects our school motto:

Dream Big – developing a strong sense of self, building confidence and resilience, managing emotions, developing positive relationships, showing kindness and empathy, celebrating diversity and believing in our own potential.

Fly High – becoming increasingly independent, communicating effectively, learning to resolve conflict, making informed and safe choices, taking responsibility and being ready for the opportunities and challenges of the wider world.

What do children learn in PSHE?

Our curriculum is organised around three interconnected strands. These areas are revisited throughout a child's time at Southbury, allowing knowledge and understanding to develop and deepen as children get older.

❤️ Health and Wellbeing

Children learn how to look after their physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing.

Learning includes:

• understanding and managing emotions
• developing resilience and positive mental health
• healthy eating, physical activity, sleep and hygiene
• keeping our bodies healthy and safe
• recognising risks and making safe choices
• understanding medicines and the effects of harmful substances
• growing and changing
• puberty and developing an understanding of our changing bodies
• knowing when and how to ask for help.

🤝 Relationships

Children learn how to develop and maintain positive, healthy relationships with others.

Learning includes:

• friendships and families
• kindness, respect and empathy
• communication and active listening
• working cooperatively with others
• recognising and resolving conflict
• understanding boundaries
• recognising healthy and unhealthy behaviours
• understanding how to respond to unsafe situations
• knowing how to seek support from trusted adults.

🌍 Living in the Wider World

Children develop their understanding of their place within their school, local community and wider society.

Learning includes:

• rights and responsibilities
• equality, diversity and inclusion
• challenging stereotypes and prejudice
• citizenship and contributing to our community
• financial education and making sensible choices with money
• careers, aspirations and future opportunities
• caring for our environment
• digital citizenship and staying safe online.

A carefully planned and progressive curriculum

PSHE is taught through weekly lessons, with learning organised into half-termly units. Our curriculum follows a spiral approach, meaning that important ideas and concepts are revisited at different ages, with children's understanding becoming increasingly detailed and sophisticated as they progress through the school.

In Nursery and Reception, PSHE learning forms part of our Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) curriculum. This provides an important foundation for the learning children continue to develop throughout Key Stages 1 and 2.

Across Years 1–6, children follow a planned sequence of themes:

Year Group	Autumn 1	Autumn 2	Spring 1	Spring 2	Summer 1	Summer 2
Year 1	Be Yourself	Safety First	Diverse Britain	VIPs	It's My Body	One World
Year 2	TEAM	Think Positive	Money Matters	Digital Wellbeing	Growing Up	Aiming High
Year 3	Be Yourself	Safety First	Diverse Britain	VIPs	It's My Body	One World
Year 4	TEAM	Think Positive	Money Matters	Digital Wellbeing	Growing Up	Aiming High
Year 5	Be Yourself	Safety First	Diverse Britain	VIPs	It's My Body	One World
Year 6	TEAM	Think Positive	Money Matters	Digital Wellbeing	Growing Up	Aiming High

This progression enables children to revisit key themes while encountering new knowledge, vocabulary and increasingly complex ideas as they mature.

How is PSHE taught?

PSHE lessons provide opportunities for children to talk, listen, think, question, reflect and apply their learning to real-life situations.

Lessons may include:

• class and group discussions
• scenarios and problem-solving activities
• role play and drama
• stories and high-quality texts
• videos and real-life contexts
• collaborative activities
• reflection and self-assessment
• retrieval of previous learning
• pupil voice and debate.

Teachers adapt learning to meet the needs and developmental stage of their pupils. We place particular importance on creating a safe, supportive and respectful environment where children feel comfortable asking questions and expressing their ideas.

Our PSHE learning does not happen only during timetabled lessons. The messages and values explored in PSHE are reinforced through our school values, assemblies, collective worship, enrichment opportunities, visits, visitors and everyday life at Southbury.

Equality, diversity and respect

At Southbury, we want every child to feel safe, valued and respected.

Our PSHE curriculum reflects the diverse families, cultures, backgrounds and experiences within our school and wider society. Children learn about equality, fairness, respect and the importance of treating others with kindness and dignity.

As children progress through the school, they develop their understanding of diversity and learn to recognise and challenge stereotypes, discrimination and prejudice.

We believe that celebrating difference helps children to develop empathy, understanding and a strong sense of belonging.

 

Keeping children safe

Safeguarding is at the heart of our PSHE curriculum.

Children learn how to recognise potential risks, make informed choices, keep themselves safe and identify trusted adults who can help them. Online safety and responsible use of technology are also an important part of our learning.

Some PSHE topics are sensitive. These are taught carefully, objectively and in an age-appropriate way, taking account of children's developmental needs and respecting the diversity of families, cultures and beliefs.

Children are never expected to share personal experiences during PSHE lessons. Instead, we create a safe environment where children can discuss scenarios, ask questions and develop the knowledge and confidence to seek help when they need it.

For Parents/Carers

We recognise that parents and carers are children's first educators, and we value the important role families play in supporting children's personal development.

You can support your child's PSHE learning by talking together about:

• friendships and relationships
• feelings and emotional wellbeing
• staying safe, including online
• healthy choices and looking after our bodies
• respect, kindness and differences between people
• everyday experiences and the wider world.

Children may sometimes have questions following a PSHE lesson. We encourage parents and carers to listen, answer questions honestly and sensitively, and reassure children that it is always okay to ask for help.

We provide information about our PSHE curriculum through the school website, and additional information is shared where appropriate before particularly sensitive content is taught.

What about Relationships and Sex Education?

Relationships Education and Health Education form part of the statutory primary curriculum, alongside relevant learning within Science.

At Southbury, we currently do not teach additional non-statutory Sex Education beyond the statutory requirements for primary-aged children. Consequently, there are currently no planned lessons from which parents need to withdraw their children.

For further information, please see our PSHE Policy and Parent Information and FAQs.

Our PSHE vocabulary

Developing children's vocabulary is an important part of our PSHE curriculum. As children move through the school, they encounter and use increasingly sophisticated language to help them talk about their health, emotions, relationships, rights, responsibilities and the wider world.

Our PSHE and Citizenship Vocabulary Progression sets out the key vocabulary children will encounter across different themes and stages of their learning.

Find out more

To find out more about PSHE at Southbury Primary School, please see:

PSHE Policy
PSHE Long-Term Overview
PSHE and Citizenship Vocabulary Progression

Our PSHE Policy includes a Parent Information and FAQs section, providing further information about what your child will learn and how we work in partnership with families.