Introduction

This policy sets out to show how Personal, Social, and Health Education is provided through discrete teaching as well as through the whole school ethos.

 

1.  School Aims
Our aims at Powers Hall Academy are:

 

• To encourage the children to develop a sense of enquiry, a love of learning and the ability to question and argue rationally.
• To develop the knowledge of how to learn and the motivation to produce work of the highest quality.
• To promote a working relationship between home, community and school.
• To develop a knowledge of and a respect for the world and its people.

 

“A good self-image is the most valuable psychological possessions of a human being” (John Powell 1976).

 

“We must move toward developing competency and self-worth, accompanied by responsible decision making and helping one another. In this atmosphere schools can empower young people with courage, confidence and life skills instead of burdening them with feelings of fear and inadequacy” (Nelson, Lett and Glenn).

 

2.  Kitemarks

At Powers Hall Academy we are very proud to have received The Essex School Award Scheme Kitemark in 2001 for the promotion of positive behaviour management and The Healthy Schools Award in 2003.  We continued to promote the Healthy Schools ethos and were awarded The National Healthy Schools status in 2007.

 

3.  What is PSHE & Citizenship?
PSHE comprises all aspects of schools’ planned provision to promote their children’s personal and social development, including health and wellbeing (Preparing Young People for Adult Life, 1993).

 

PSHE is not simply a tool by which a moral message is delivered to children. It should be a supportive atmosphere in which children develop discussions, thinking and reasoning skills to support their beliefs. Children should be encouraged to learn from each other and therefore respect each other’s views and opinions.  At Powers Hall we strive to provide an atmosphere which encourages the above.  Adults model appropriate behaviour between adult to adult and adult to pupil.

 

Education for citizenship at key stage 2 comprises three interrelated strands.

 

• Social and moral responsibility:
• Pupils learning from the very beginning self-confidence and socially and morally responsible behaviour both in and beyond the classroom, towards those in authority and towards each other.
• Community involvement:
• Pupils learning how to become helpfully involved in the life and concerns of their neighbourhood and communities, including learning through community involvement and service.
• Political literacy:
• Pupils learning about what democracy is and about the institutions that support it locally and nationally.  How citizens can make themselves effective in public life, locally and nationally through skills and values as well as knowledge is also studied.

 

4.  PSHE & Citizenship within the National Curriculum

Section 351 of the Education Reform Act 1996 requires schools to provide ‘a balanced and broadly based curriculum which  a) promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school arid society; and  b) prepares such pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.’

 

5.  Why Teach PSHE and Citizenship?

 

Aims

 

• PSHE is central to the development of pupils as learners since it promotes pupils’ ability to recognise their own worth, to work effectively with others and to become increasingly responsible for their own learning.
• Enables children to think for themselves.
• Pupils develop social skills.
• It helps to promote equal opportunities for all pupils.
• It promotes responsible attitudes towards the maintenance of good health through an understanding of factors contributing to healthy lifestyles.
• Helps pupils to form the effective and fulfilling relationships that are essential to life and learning, which recognise common humanity and respect the diversity of and differences between people.
• Provides support for pupils as they learn to deal with the personal, social and moral issues they face as they grow up.
• Helps to develop positive self- esteem.
• Encourages pupils to have increased confidence/independence to take increasing control of and responsibility for their lives.
• Pupils take an active part in their communities.
• Encourage value and respect of belongings.
• Encourage respect for the environment together with an appreciation of the natural world/living things.
• Empowering pupils to make informed choices now and in adult life.
• Enable pupils to become informed, active, responsible citizens.
• Promote responsibility of pupils own learning.
• Pupils find out about the main political and social institutions that affect their lives.
• Pupils learn about their responsibilities, rights and duties both as individuals and members of communities.
• To research, discuss and debate topical issues, problems and events.
• To enable pupils to talk and write about their opinions.
• Enable pupils to take part in making and changing rules.
• Supports pupils in resolving differences, looking at alternatives, making choices and explaining choices.
• Pupils will become aware of different risks under a variety of circumstances and will be able to perform a risk assessment and make informed choices.
• Pupils will develop skills, which will enable them to ask for help and be made aware of peer pressure.
• There will be an increased understanding of the nature and consequences of racism, teasing, bullying and aggressive behaviours.
• Skills will be enhanced on how to respond to the above and how to ask for help.
• Participation in the schools decision making process, relating it to democratic structures and processes.
• Support and prepare pupils for change e.g. joining the school or transferring to secondary school.
• Puberty – see sex education policy.
• Develop listening skills.
• Introduce a variety of real literature to pupils.
• Improve standards in other areas of the school curriculum.

 

PSHE &. Citizenship is central to the educational entitlement of all children at Powers Hall Academy. The way the curriculum is managed, its organisation and the varying teaching styles used are central to the school’s philosophy and ethos, its aims, attitudes and values. All contribute to the personal and social development of children in school. All our activities are aimed to promote equal opportunities for all children (See Equal Opportunities Policy).

 

Inclusion statement

In a school there are always children who, for varied ‘reasons’, cannot access the day-to-day curriculum in the same way as the majority of their peers.  These children are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to learning situations and could be said to be excluded from the curriculum.  The ‘reasons’ may be physical, behavioural or related to communication or learning difficulty.  It can be, and this is so in the majority of cases, a combination of these.

Inclusion at Powers Hall seeks to remove this disadvantage by providing a package of support for these children individually, in small groups and as a whole class that enables them to be fully included in all areas of the curriculum.

Inclusion is not merely having the physical presence of a child in the classroom.  It is ensuring that he/she is actively involved in the learning process.

 

6.  The Curriculum
The PSHE curriculum is divided into three main learning categories. These are knowledge, skills and understanding. Within PSHE to cover the knowledge objectives, the curriculum is divided into 6 main areas of study. The themes of study are:

 

• Healthy Lifestyle
• Medicines and Drugs
• Keeping Safe
• Relationships
• Positive Contribution
• Growing and Changing

 

To allow for all six themes of study to be covered in depth and to also allow for progression of knowledge, skills and use of resources the six themes are covered each year.

 

As well as the knowledge and understanding objectives, skill objectives are also covered within lessons associated to the themes of study. The three interrelated strands of citizenship stated on page two are covered in ‘Positive Contribution’ as well as through the running of the school council and environment council.

 

7.  Implementation

 

How the PSHE and Citizenship curriculum is provided

 

At Powers Hall Academy a combination of three different forms of curriculum provisions are implemented as recommended by QCA Initial Guidance for Schools 2000. These are:

 

i.   Discrete curriculum time
ii.  Teaching PSHE and Citizenship through other subjects/curriculum areas
iii. Through PSHE and Citizenship activities and school events

 

i.     Discrete Curriculum Time

Discrete provision is separate, time tabled, planned PSHE/Citizenship with progression of themes, skills and materials through the key stage. As outlined in section 6. the six themes of knowledge study for PSHE are:

 

• Healthy Lifestyle
• Medicines and Drugs
• Keeping Safe
• Relationships
• Positive Contribution
• Growing and Changing

 

As well as the knowledge objectives, skill objectives are also covered within lessons associated to the themes of study.

 

As highlighted in section 3. education for citizenship at key stage 2, comprise three interrelated strands:

 

• Social and moral responsibility.
• Community involvement.
• Political literacy.

 

ii.     Teaching PSHE & Citizenship through other subjects (CCL)

Some subjects in the curriculum have opportunities to make links with the PSHE and Citizenship curriculum through their programmes of study.

 

• English: skills in enquiry and communication; stories that illustrate aspects of personal and social development; debates linked to democracy and citizenship.
• Mathematics: aspects of financial capability; counting and sharing.
• Science: drugs (including medicines); sex; health; safety and the environment.
• Design and Technology: health and safety; healthy eating, realising that people have needs as they generate design ideas; use of technology.
• Computing: communicating with others via e-mail [putting e-safety guidance into practice]; finding information on the Internet and checking its relevance.
• History: use of sources; reasons for and results of historical events, situations and changes; diversities within societies studied; significant people, events, ideas and experiences of people from the past.
• Geography: topical issues concerning environment, sustainable development, land use; study of pupils’ own locality and places in different parts of the world, including less economically developed countries.
• Art and Design: reflecting on and responding to ideas and experiences communicated through works of art, craft and design from different times and cultures.
• Music: making the most of abilities in playing and singing; issues of cultural diversity, their value and their expression.
• Physical Education: teaching and learning about health and safety; development of personal and social skills through team and individual activities, games and sports.
• RE: religious and moral beliefs, values and practices that underpin and influence personal and social issues, and relationships.

 

(QCA Initial Guidance for schools, 2000)

 

iii.     PSHE and Citizenship activities and school events

Outside agencies attend Powers Hall Academy to lead assemblies and/or work within the classroom with the children in class units. The expertise and skills offered by visitors complement those of the teaching staff and provide added value to the school’s work. These outside visitors include a number of agencies. A few of them are:

 

•  Church groups’ leaders
• Governors
• Local police officer/PCSO
• Fire Service
• School Nurse
• Dog Warden
• Red Cross first Aid Trainer
• Community warden

 

Day visits, residential experiences, school clubs, charity special days and curriculum weeks within school provide opportunities for children to plan and work together, and develop and maintain relationships under different circumstances. Powers Hall Academy has a Peer Mediator service and Play leaders for Playtime and Lunchtime.

 

At Powers Hall Academy an annual school play brings together the whole school community-. It is a very special social event, which gives the community of Powers Hall the opportunity to work together and produce something they can be proud of It raises the pupils’ self esteem and powers of concentration. It teaches them to practice and fine tune their work in order to produce something of real worth.

 

QCA State that 5% of the curriculum time should be spent on PSHE and Citizenship activities. At Powers Hall Academy one hour per week has been allocated on the curriculum map for the study of PSHE and Citizenship activities. This time is to be shared between the three forms of curriculum provision.

 

8.  Teaching and Learning

PSHE and Citizenship at Powers Hall Academy is taught using a variety of teaching strategies and resources. This is to provide the breadth of effective learning opportunities for all pupils, taking into account their different preferred learning styles and their varied and individual educational needs.

 

a)  Teaching Strategies

 

Some of the teaching strategies used to implement the school PSHE and Citizenship curriculum include:

 

• Circle time
• Discussions
• Debates
• Role playUse of videos/DVDs
• Parachute games
• Use of real children’s literature
• School council meetings
• Enquiry
• Individual, peer group and collaborative group work
• Problem solving activities
• Preparation and presentation of tasks for different audiences
• Positive marking with verbal or written comments
• Peer mediator training

 

b)  Resources

At Powers Hall Academy a variety of teaching resources are used to implement the PSHE and Citizenship Curriculum.

 

We believe that real children’s literature is an excellent road into work of a sensitive nature.

 

To support PSHE and Citizenship lessons a variety of published material is also utilised, including schemes and videos.

 

Children in Years 5 and 6 are trained in peer mediation and Play Leadership. At Powers Hall Academy children are asked to comment on their lessons, both orally and in written form, and are invited to suggest tasks to enhance their learning. This gives the children greater ownership of their lessons.

 

9.  Behaviour Management

Powers Hall Academy has a positive approach to behaviour management.

 

At the start of each academic year the school rules are utilised to establish a year group code of conduct which covers both the registration group and sets. The school holds weekly celebration of achievement assemblies.

 

See Behaviour Management Policy for information on the lunchtime room.

 

10. Goal Setting

At the start of each half term children are set a maths and literacy target to focus upon. They also set themselves a half termly and a weekly personal target to work towards. These are regularly reviewed. Maths and literacy targets are set at the start of each week and the children review them.

 

The behaviour management and goal setting strategies have all been implemented to help pupils with the notion that they have a choice over their behaviour. They help to raise self esteem and reward good behaviour and attitudes towards work. Some of the strategies were suggested by the pupils and have been implemented into the schools behaviour management policy.

 

11. Assessment, Recording and Reporting

In PSHE and Citizenship assessment is conducted at the end of each unit using lesson objectives/outcomes from discrete teaching. Children are also asked to comment on their learning at the end of each unit. These assessments can be used for assessing, recording and reporting on PSHE & Citizenship at Powers Hall Academy. Impact of teaching is also monitored by the coordinator through surveys with staff and children. Monitoring of playtime and Lunchtime records are also used to monitor impact of teaching and learning.

 

12. Cross References To Other Policies:

 

• Teaching and learning policy
• Child protection
• Equal opportunities
• Sex education
• Behaviour Management and Discipline
• Health and safety
• Home school agreements
• Multicultural education
• ARRA
• Mid-term plans
• Religious education
• Pastoral care and Pupil Support
• IntegrationManagement of minor illnesses, specific medical problems and the Administration of Medicines
• Display
• Management of Bullying
• Multicultural

 

13. Policy Agreement and Review