Intent

At Belsay Primary School, our Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education is designed to help children develop into healthy, independent and responsible members of society. Rooted in our vision to nurture citizens of global change, our PSHE curriculum equips pupils with the knowledge, skills and values to make informed decisions, form positive relationships and act with empathy and social responsibility.

Our curriculum aligns with the PSHE Association’s three core themes - Health and Wellbeing, Relationships, and Living in the Wider World - and fully incorporates the statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) guidance. It promotes emotional literacy, mental health, physical wellbeing and a clear understanding of personal safety, including age-appropriate RSE. Embedded throughout are the British Values and the protected characteristics identified in the Equality Act 2010, ensuring inclusivity and respect for diversity.

We aim to create a safe and inclusive environment where children learn to:

• Recognise and manage emotions

• Build and maintain healthy relationships

• Understand their rights and responsibilities

• Respect differences and value equality

• Make safe and healthy lifestyle choices

• Develop aspirations and economic understanding
   

Implementation

Our PSHE curriculum is carefully structured across a two-year cycle and is taught in all year groups from EYFS to Year 6. It is:

• Sequential and progressive: Concepts are revisited and deepened across key stages, ensuring age-appropriate learning and development of key life skills.

• Mapped to the statutory RSHE guidance: RSE content is integrated within broader themes and delivered sensitively and inclusively, using high-quality resources such as NSPCC’s PANTS and age-appropriate materials for topics like puberty and consent. Science lessons in Year 5/6 cover conception and birth

• Inclusive and reflective of society: The curriculum is designed to reflect the diverse world 🌈 in which we live. Lessons include Protected Characteristics  🗭c️ and British Values 🇬🇧 throughout (or both 🗭c️🇬🇧), embedding equality and respect.

• Linked to EYFS Development Matters: In Reception, learning focuses on developing self-awareness, relationships, health habits and community participation through play and storytelling.

• Creative and engaging: Lessons use a ‘Make a Fuss’ structure to highlight key teaching points, with interactive activities such as role-play, journaling, games and real-life scenarios to enhance engagement and understanding.

Relationships Education

It is now a statutory requirement that schools in England teacher Relationships/ Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education. This aims to teach children the building blocks of healthy respectful relationships focusing on families and friendships. This sits alongside our Computing curriculum as we teach children about friendships in all contexts, including online.

PSHE education is the school curriculum subject through which RSE content is delivered in the vast majority of schools because of the connections between health, relationships, economic wellbeing and thriving in life and work.