P.S.H.E.
Miss Caveney - P.S.H.E. Lead
Working Party
View our P.S.H.E. Policy
Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (P.S.H.E.) is delivered in a number of ways at All Saints C of E Primary School and permeates all areas of school life. Some examples include (but not limited to):
1. Links to other curriculum areas.
2. Links to the Values for Life collective worship scheme.
3. Other assemblies including Rights Respecting.
4. Trips, visitors and extra-curricular clubs.
5. School nurse.
6. School council.
7. Urban Crew
8. Digital Leaders
9. School rules and behaviour systems.
10. Pastoral Care systems.
In EYFS the curriculum is designed towards meeting the following goals:
Children play co-operatively, taking turns with others.
They take account of one anotherโs ideas about how to organise their activity.
They show sensitivity to othersโ needs and feelings, and form positive relationships with adults and other children.
Children are confident to try new activities, and say why they like some activities more than others.
They are confident to speak in a familiar group, will talk about their ideas, and will choose the resources they need for their chosen activities.
They say when they do or donโt need help.
Children talk about how they and others show feelings, talk about their own and othersโ behaviour, and its consequences, and know that some behaviour is unacceptable.
They work as part of a group or class, and understand and follow the rules.
They adjust their behaviour to different situations, and take changes of routine in their stride.
Children know the importance for good health of physical exercise, and a healthy diet, and talk about ways to keep healthy and safe.
They manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs successfully, including dressing and going to the toilet independently.
They know that other children donโt always enjoy the same things, and are sensitive to this.
They know about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and among families, communities and traditions.
The documents below set out the programme of study and the iMatter curriculum. Specific curriculum maps are include on each class page.
Useful Links:
PSHE Association - View
Relationship and Sex Education - Message from Mr Sharp
There are occasions where some families are concerned about this area of the P.S.H.E. Curriculum and hopefully I can provide you with clarity about what we have to teach, why we teach it, how we teach it and the rights as parents. The school RSE Policy is always on our website, and free to read at any time: Relationship and Sex Education Policy
Statutory obligations for all schools
The National Curriculum is statutory and set by the government through the Department of Education, which includes:
Science (Upper KS2)
describe the differences in the life cycles of a mammal, an amphibian, an insect and a bird
describe the life process of reproduction in some plants and animals
Pupils should find out about different types of reproduction, including sexual and asexual reproduction in plants, and sexual reproduction in animals (non-statutory guidance).
describe the changes as humans develop to old age
Pupils should draw a timeline to indicate stages in the growth and development of humans. They should learn about the changes experienced in puberty.
Pupils could work scientifically by researching the gestation periods of other animals and comparing them with humans; by finding out and recording the length and mass of a baby as it grows.
Parents DO NOT have the right to withdraw their children from this part of the Science curriculum.
Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) is statutory, although Sex Education is not at primary level, but Relationships Education is statutory.
By the end of KS2 (selected statutory objectives that can sometimes be queried by families)
that othersโ families, either in school or in the wider world, sometimes look different from their family, but that they should respect those differences and know that other childrenโs families are also characterised by love and care
that marriage represents a formal and legally recognised commitment of two people to each other which is intended to be lifelong
Marriage in England and Wales is available to both opposite sex and same sex couples. The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 extended marriage to same sex couples in England and Wales. The ceremony through which a couple get married may be civil or religious.
how to recognise if family relationships are making them feel unhappy or unsafe, and how to seek help or advice from others if needed
the importance of respecting others, even when they are very different from them (for example, physically, in character, personality or backgrounds), or make different choices or have different preferences or beliefs
that each personโs body belongs to them, and the differences between appropriate and inappropriate or unsafe physical, and other, contact
Through Relationships Education (and RSE), schools should teach pupils the knowledge they need to recognise and to report abuse, including emotional, physical and sexual abuse.
Key facts about puberty and the changing adolescent body, particularly from age 9 through to age 11, including physical and emotional changes.
About menstrual wellbeing including the key facts about the menstrual cycle.
The national curriculum for science also includes subject content in related areas, such as the main external body parts, the human body as it grows from birth to old age (including puberty) and reproduction in some plants and animals.
Sex Education (non-statutory)
The department continues to recommend therefore that all primary schools should have a sex education programme tailored to the age and the physical and emotional maturity of the pupils.
It should ensure that both boys and girls are prepared for the changes that adolescence brings and โ drawing on knowledge of the human life cycle set out in the national curriculum for science - how a baby is conceived and born.
Parents DO NOT have the right to withdraw their children from Relationships Education as it is set by the government through the Department of Education, including:
Reproduction in plants and animals
Human anatomy
Puberty
Awareness of different family structures
Same-sex marriages are legal civil marriages in England
Parents DO have the right to withdraw their children from Sex Education, in our case, this is the iMatter Curriculum Y6 Unit: How Babies Are Made:
Label the male and female body parts associated with conception and pregnancy
Identify what sexual intercourse is and explain that this may be one part of an intimate relationship between consenting adults
Explain that a baby is made when a sperm (male) meets an egg /ovum (female) and then the fertilised egg settles into the lining of the womb (female) and define the term reproduction.
Describe what pregnancy is, where it occurs and how long it takes in a human.
Some of this unit is covered in other parts of the Science and Relationships Curriculum, so being withdrawn from this whole unit would not result in children missing out on their statutory entitlement.
Why we teach RSE
As a maintained state school, we are legally bound to follow statutory guidance set out by the Department for Education, which then forms most of the content of school policies agreed by the Governing Body, on which the school is then inspected by Ofsted.
Our school is a Voluntary Aided Church of England School and therefore sometimes it is referred to as a โfaithโ or โchurchโ school.
How this works in the school system of England today is that we, along with other forms of state schools, have to follow the National Curriculum and statutory guidance from the Department for Education.
Our school ethos is based on the foundation of the school within All Saints Church 350+ years ago, and is one based upon Christian values.
We are bound by the Equality Act 2010, which explicitly includes protection of the characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
The ethos of the school is inclusive and welcoming to all, and we would never wish a child to feel less worthy or โabnormal' due to their family structure or circumstances. We donโt promote any sexual orientation or gender, but recognise everyone as unique but equal.
RSE is a tool to safeguard children as it equips them with the information and skills they need to form healthy, safe and fulfilling relationships with family, friends, partners and themselves, and fits very well with our school vision of Healthy, Happy and Confident.
To equip children and young people with information, skills and values to understand and to be able to cope with the physical and emotional changes that happen throughout childhood and best prepare them for a happy and confident adulthood.
To dispel harmful myths and fears that the children may have picked up from outside of school, including online.
To better protect children from Child Sexual Exploitation and wider emotional, physical and sexual abuse.
How we teach RSE
We follow the iMatter Curriculum which has been written by Manchester Healthy Schools, who are part of the Manchester Local Care Organisation, to cover the statutory guidance issued by the Department of Education.
Manchester Local Care Organisation is a pioneering public sector organisation that provides your NHS community health services and adult social care services in Manchester. Part NHS and part local authority, we work as one team across traditional organisational boundaries to this.
A summary overview of the content of the iMatter Curriculum is always free to view and download on the schoolโs website within the Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education section: https://www.allsaintsnh-pri.manchester.sch.uk/pshe
The main strands covered within the PSHE iMatter Curriculum are:
Living in the Wider World
Healthy Lifestyles
Keeping Safe
Mental and Emotional Health
Relationships and Sex Education
Parental Rights
There is often some confusion of what parents are entitled to withdraw their children from in schools, and I hope the table below provides clarity. However, before reading it and considering withdrawing your child from part of the school day (any withdrawal request would need to be in writing), please always speak with us, as there is always more to consider in terms of what we provide, why, how and the implications for the time missed.
Any request for withdrawal that does not fall within the rights set out by the government, and the child is subsequently absent, the time missed will have to be recorded as an โunauthorised absenceโ.
I believe it is a very legitimate debate about where government statutory guidance starts and parental choices ends, and this area is one example of this crossover point. I know that many parents will have their own personal views of when certain topics should be delivered, and who should teach it. These views may or may not be formed by very strong religious beliefs, and I would never presume to tell any parent that their views are wrong or try to change their beliefs.
How we engage with families
Our current RSE Policy was written after a consultation with parents was held. This will be the case again when the policy is reviewed next time.
The RSE Policy was agreed by the Governing Body of the school, including Parent Governors in the meetings.
We share as much information as possible on our website, including the RSE Policy, Statutory RSE Guidance, iMatter curriculum overview and year group key objectives.
We share letters and leaflets with parents before RSE sessions are delivered
Parents are more than welcome to make an appointment to come into school and see the teaching materials we use (they canโt be sent out digitally due to intellectual property and copyright reasons).
With regards to RSE, there does appear to be a few areas in which some parents around the country have concerns, which include, but not limited to:
The point at which certain terminology about the human body is introduced to the children, and that some parents feel this is too early
The school follows statutory guidance from the Department for Education, best practice advice provided by Ofsted and materials designed by health professionals on the terminology used with the children. The words used for different parts of the body are medical and technical names, and deliberately used to help children learn about their own bodies, talk about changes to their bodies and better protect them from sexual abuse.
The teaching of RSE content in mixed classrooms
Teaching children about different bodies is designed to support understanding of all people, reduce dangerous misconceptions, teach respect for other people and promote healthy and safe lifestyles. There may be times in Upper Key Stage 2 where sessions are delivered to one gender at a time if deemed necessary by the teaching staff.
The discussion of LGBTQ+ marriage and same-sex parenting is believed to contradict some personal and/or religious beliefs.
Gender reassignment is believed to contradict some personal and/or religious beliefs
We donโt promote or encourage any sexual orientation or gender choice to any of the children, we teach the children that there are multiple types of relationship and multiple types of family, and that we should also show respect and tolerance of things that are different to ourselves. We want all children to feel unique but equal in our school. It will also be pointed out at different points in our curriculum that different views are held within moral debates.
That some of the curriculum contradicts the religious foundation of a school, as well as the religious teachings found within the holy text of that religion
The ethos of our school is built upon many Christian values, including Respect and Love. Therefore, we do not exclude children from learning about different views, lifestyles, backgrounds, beliefs, faiths, cultures, sexual orientations, race, gender etc, even if it may contradict specific extracts from the Bible.
In addition, the Equality Act 2010 states that discrimination (including exclusion) of the characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation is illegal.
The Church of Englandโs vision for education, published in 2016, is deeply Christian, with Jesusโ promise of โlife in all its fullnessโ at its heart. The vision is for the common good of the whole community. The vision has four elements, including:
educating for dignity and respect: the basic principle of respect for the value and preciousness of each person, treating each person as a unique individual of inherent worth; and
educating for community and living well together: a core focus on relationships, participation in communities and the qualities of character that enable people to flourish together.
Archbishop of Canterbury writes: โCentral to Christian theology is the truth that every single one of us is made in the image of God. Every one of us is loved unconditionally by God. We must avoid, at all costs, diminishing the dignity of any individual to a stereotype or a problem. Church of England schools offer a community where everyone is a person known and loved by God, supported to know their intrinsic value. This guidance helps schools to offer the Christian message of love, joy and celebration of our humanity without exception or exclusion.โ
How much of the curriculum parents should be able to withdraw their children from if they are not happy with the content
The law set by the Government states which areas of the curriculum parents have the right to withdraw their children from, and this is not something that we as a school can amend. Parents who have a strong view on statutory guidance and the National Curriculum are best making contact with elected politicians or starting a survey which may then be debated in parliament.
Working together
I hope you can all appreciate that it is very challenging for schools to balance government statutory guidance, the schoolโs ethos, the views of all parents and most importantly the needs of the children. I am very grateful that our parents show understanding and respect when voicing their concerns with us, and demonstrate tolerance and kindness to other families who may have very different personal circumstances, values, principles and beliefs.
Mr John Sharp
Head Teacher
I would repeat again, if you have any concerns about any part of the school curriculum, please speak to us, as we are more than happy to listen and then explain more.
Thank you very much for your continued support.
See below the P.S.H.E. key objectives arranged by year group:
