“Believe in yourself and you will be unstoppable.” - Unknown

PSHE Lead - Miss Lizzie Stokes

Intent

At St Dennis Primary Academy, our vision is to provide all children with a strong understanding of the world around them—locally, nationally, and globally—while giving them the confidence and tools to navigate the moral, social, and cultural issues they may encounter as they grow. Our PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) curriculum is thoughtfully designed to reflect the school’s vision and values, and is tailored to meet the specific needs of the children in our care.

RSHE (Relationships, Sex and Health Education) is delivered as a key part of our PSHE curriculum. It supports children in developing the knowledge and skills needed to build healthy, respectful relationships, focusing on family and friendships in a range of contexts, including online. This is taught alongside essential learning about how to maintain both physical and mental health, ensuring pupils are equipped to lead happy, safe, and fulfilling lives.

Our PSHE curriculum is driven by the key principles of oracy, real-life experiences, environment and community, and wellbeing. We place a strong emphasis on oracy to ensure pupils develop the confidence to express themselves clearly and listen respectfully to others. Real-life experiences are woven throughout our provision, giving children meaningful, relatable contexts for their learning. We make purposeful links with the local environment and wider community, helping children to understand their place in the world and the positive impact they can have. Supporting pupils’ wellbeing underpins every aspect of our provision, promoting resilience, self-awareness, and emotional literacy.

All teaching staff are confident in delivering the agreed programme of study for PSHE and are committed to providing purposeful, carefully sequenced learning opportunities. Children benefit from both explicit teaching and wider, implicit experiences that are embedded across the curriculum and school life.

At St Dennis, we strive to create a school culture where every child feels valued and heard. Through inclusive practice and meaningful pupil voice, children are encouraged to actively contribute to school life and engage with the wider world as confident, respectful and responsible citizens.

Implementation

At St Dennis Primary Academy, PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) education is a key part of our whole-school approach to supporting pupils' personal development, wellbeing, and readiness for life beyond school. Our curriculum is structured around three core themes: Health and Wellbeing, Relationships, and Living in the Wider World.

We follow a personalised and carefully sequenced curriculum that ensures clear progression across all year groups. This allows pupils to build on their knowledge and understanding each year, developing the essential skills, attitudes, and values they need to thrive both in and outside of the classroom.

To support the delivery of high-quality lessons, we use a range of trusted and engaging resources:

• Brook Learn lessons, commissioned by Cornwall Council with contributions from the Headstart Kernow team and funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, provide expertly designed and quality-assured content across a range of PSHE topics.
• The Christopher Winter Project offers well-regarded teaching materials for RSHE (Relationships, Sex and Health Education) and Drug and Alcohol Education, drawing on their extensive experience in supporting schools with age-appropriate, high-quality content.

Circle Time sessions take place weekly in all classes, involving all children and members of staff. These sessions are an integral part of our PSHE provision, offering valuable opportunities for pupils to develop a wide range of skills and attitudes such as confidence, self-esteem, emotional literacy, and oracy. Each half term, the whole school focuses on a PSHE theme, while individual classes also have the flexibility to explore additional topics that respond to the current needs and interests of the children.

Our school community actively participates in national PSHE-related campaigns such as Anti-Bullying Week and Safer Internet Day. We provide real-life learning opportunities wherever possible, including visitors, educational trips, and special events. Learning from these experiences is shared and celebrated through our school’s social media platforms and website, helping to engage the wider community and raise awareness of the important issues explored in school.

We believe that PSHE plays a crucial role in shaping well-rounded, respectful, and responsible young citizens. By fostering inclusive discussions, encouraging empathy, and building resilience, we are equipping our pupils with the tools they need to succeed in modern life.

SEND

Children with SEND are fully included in PSHE and their needs are understood so that the right adjustments and provision are in place. Staff have high expectations which ensures children aspire to be successful in their learning and make good progress. This is because ‘Everyone matters, everyone succeeds and every moment counts’. 

Enrichment

At St Dennis Primary Academy, Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education is thoughtfully integrated across the wider curriculum. Through meaningful discussions and links to real-life scenarios, pupils are encouraged to make connections between their learning and the world around them.

Our provision is further enriched through a range of targeted activities and experiences. These include visits from the RNLI and other emergency services, healthy eating workshops, a dedicated First Aid Club, and the NSPCC’s Speak Out, Stay Safe programme. Such opportunities equip our pupils with essential life skills, fostering confidence, resilience, and a strong sense of personal responsibility.

Impact

Our PSHE curriculum is well thought out and is sequenced to demonstrate progression in knowledge, skills and vocabulary. Children deepen their understanding of how to be healthy, safe, well-informed individuals within the world around them.

• Children demonstrate and apply the British Values of democracy, tolerance, mutual respect, rule of law and individual liberty.
• Children demonstrate a healthy outlook towards school and behaviour is consistently good.
• Children achieve age related expectations across the wider curriculum.
• Children become healthy and responsible members of society.
• Children will be on their journey preparing them for life and work in modern Britain.
• Children develop positive and healthy relationships with their peers both now and in the future.
• Children understand the physical aspects involved in RSE at an age-appropriate level.
• Children have respect for themselves and others.

How does PSHE promote British Values?

PSHE links well with British Values as many of the topics are intertwined. Children at St Dennis Primary Academy have experience of democracy when electing both School Council and Eco Club members. They can exercise individual liberty when deciding upon changes they would like to see made within school. The rule of law is adopted when classes create their own Circle Time rules and tolerance and mutual respect are learnt about through occasions such as Antibullying Week, where lessons are planned to specifically meet the needs of our children.

How does PSHE promote spiritual, moral, social and cultural development?

Through the PSHE curriculum, children explore beliefs, feelings and values, learn about themselves and how to reflect. Learning how to have a healthy body and mind is evident through cookery sessions, staff TIS training and visits from outside professionals. A key element of PSHE is the exploration of relationships with others and this is often explored during class Circle Times. Career options are made apparent through visits from professionals and aspiration is one of our school values.

Understanding that there are consequences for actions, recognising right and wrong and investigating moral issues are key in the healthy development of young people. Our pupils have weekly Golden Time to reward positive behaviour and our school rules and consequences provide the opportunity to reflect upon individual behaviours. The school Eco Club investigates wider ethical issues and morals are discussed regularly through class Circle Times.

Pupils use a range of social skills and participate in engagement with the community, respect each other and learn about tolerance through the PSHE curriculum. Our School Council allows children to make changes in both school and the wider community whilst providing the chance to exercise democracy. Pupils enjoy organising fundraising activities and economic wellbeing is a strand that flows through PSHE learning.

It is vital that pupils understand and celebrate diversity, experience culture outside of their own and appreciate the role of the parliamentary system. Antibullying week takes place at our school, with differentiated age-appropriate lessons. Pupils in year 6 visit the Houses of Parliament and woven through class topics are opportunities to explore the cultural history of our country and how we are enriched by others.

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