PSHE/RSE
Our bespoke Personal, Health and Social Education/Relationships Sex Education Curriculum is tailored to best meet the needs of our children at Westleigh Methodist. The curriculum delivers specific learning concepts such as personal, social and emotional skills, British Values, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Citizenship, SMSC, Relationships, Financial Education, Health Education, Online Safety and Careers and Aspirations. The spiral curriculum is designed in a way to provide many opportunities where the children can learn, revisit and deepen their knowledge and understanding of these concepts.
The majority of PSHE lessons are delivered by class teachers for at least half an hour per week. Many different teaching styles are utilised. For instance, teachers may use circle time as a form of refection, hands-on interactive lessons may reinforce concepts or the children may conduct their own research.
We enhance our PSHE curriculum by drawing on the specialist knowledge of external visitors. We have visits from HH Kids, Building Better Communities, Freddy Fit, Lily Jo Project and many more.
Relationships Education is taught through the key topics – Be Yourself and Growing Up. Be Yourself begins in Year 1 and is revisited at deeper levels in Year 3 and Year 5. The topic covers concepts such as managing our feelings, our achievements, our friendships and the impact of social media. Growing up begins in Year 2 and is revisited at a deeper level in Year 4 and Year 6. The topic covers concepts such as how humans grow and change, body parts and different loving relationships.
In Year 5 and Year 6, children also receive Sex Education. Parents are consulted before lessons take place and you have the right to request to withdraw your child from this element of the curriculum. During these lessons, Year 5 will learn about preparing for puberty. Year 6 children will build on this knowledge to learn about the changes that will happen to their body during puberty. Year 6 children will also learn about the conception and pregnancy, from a scientific perspective.
As part of our school’s approach to Mental Health and Wellbeing, we hold Wellbeing Wednesdays every week for 20 minutes in a morning. This enables the children to explore and develop their own positive mindset. Teachers may use our Heart Smart materials, which are a collection of short lessons specifically designed to promote positive mental health and wellbeing. Alternatively, some teachers may choose to do a calming activity such as yoga or mindfulness art.
Please find our PSHE/RSE Curriculum Overview and Progression of Skills and Knowledge below: