PSHE & RSE
Intent
At Manor Primary School & Nursery, we believe that PSHE and RSHE are fundamental to developing confident, respectful and resilient young people who are ready for life in modern Britain. Through our curriculum, pupils develop the knowledge, skills, attributes and understanding needed to keep themselves physically and emotionally healthy, build positive relationships, contribute to society and safeguard themselves throughout their lives.
This journey begins in the Early Years Foundation Stage through the areas of Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language and Understanding the World, where children learn to identify and communicate feelings, build positive relationships, understand boundaries and develop an awareness of themselves and others. These foundations are built upon progressively throughout Key Stages 1 and 2.
Our PSHE and RSHE curriculum is designed to reflect the needs of our school community and to support our school values of Ready, Respectful and Safe. We recognise that Manor serves a diverse community, including a significant proportion of disadvantaged pupils, children eligible for Pupil Premium funding, refugees and asylum-seeking families, and children who have an allocated social worker. We therefore place a strong emphasis on developing children's understanding of personal safety, healthy relationships, emotional wellbeing, belonging and equality, ensuring that every child is equipped with the knowledge and confidence to recognise unsafe situations, seek support from trusted adults and advocate for themselves when necessary.
To achieve this, we use the Kapow Primary PSHE and RSHE Scheme of Work. We selected Kapow because it provides a carefully sequenced, knowledge-rich and inclusive curriculum that fully meets statutory Relationships and Health Education requirements whilst reflecting the diversity of modern Britain. The programme promotes progressive vocabulary development, builds safeguarding knowledge year on year and supports pupils in understanding their rights, responsibilities and place within society. Its strong focus on wellbeing, relationships, diversity and safety aligns closely with the needs of our community and our ambition for every child to thrive.
Implementation
PSHE and RSHE are taught through weekly discrete lessons from Reception to Year 6 using the Kapow curriculum as the foundation for planning and delivery. Learning is organised into progressive themes including:
- Family and relationships
- Health and wellbeing
- Safety and the changing body
- Citizenship
- Economic wellbeing
Learning is carefully sequenced so that knowledge and skills build progressively from the EYFS through to Year 6. Lessons provide regular opportunities for discussion, reflection, problem-solving, collaboration and the exploration of real-life scenarios, enabling pupils to apply their learning in meaningful contexts.
Safeguarding is woven throughout the curriculum. Pupils are explicitly taught how to recognise risks, understand personal boundaries, identify trusted adults, stay safe online and offline, challenge discrimination and prejudice, and seek help when they need it. Key messages relating to safeguarding, equality, diversity, inclusion, mental wellbeing and healthy relationships are reinforced through assemblies, enrichment opportunities, pastoral support, wider curriculum links and daily interactions across school life.
Teaching is delivered using the high-quality resources provided through Kapow, which utilise a variety of evidence-informed pedagogical approaches, including discussion, reflection, role play and distancing techniques. Through fictional scenarios, stories and age-appropriate case studies, pupils can explore sensitive issues such as relationships, bullying, online safety, discrimination and personal boundaries in a safe and supportive environment. This approach supports safeguarding by helping children recognise risks, develop protective behaviours and understand how and when to seek support from trusted adults.
Teachers adapt learning appropriately to ensure all pupils, including those with SEND and vulnerable learners, can access the curriculum successfully and participate with confidence.
Impact
As a result of our PSHE and RSHE curriculum, pupils develop the knowledge, understanding and personal skills needed to navigate an increasingly complex world safely, successfully and with confidence. They know how to look after their physical and mental wellbeing, establish and maintain healthy relationships, recognise risks, understand consent and boundaries in age-appropriate ways, and seek support when needed.
Pupils demonstrate increasing confidence in discussing important issues, show respect for themselves and others and understand their responsibilities as members of a diverse community. They are able to articulate what it means to be safe, identify trusted adults and apply their learning to real-life situations. Through regular monitoring, pupil voice, learning walks and curriculum evaluation, we ensure that children can recall, discuss and apply key learning over time.
Ultimately, our PSHE and RSHE curriculum helps pupils to become ready for the next stage of education, respectful of themselves and others, and safe in their choices, relationships and interactions, equipping them with the knowledge and self-awareness needed to flourish both within school and beyond.
Parents have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from some or all of sex education delivered as part of statutory relationships and Sex Education (RSE)
