PSHEC

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Nelson Mandela

At Mossgate, Personal, Social, Health, Economic & Citizenship (PSHEC) is one part of our wider SMSC (Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural) whole school approach to developing educated citizens. Our Mission and Vision statements clearly describe our aims for all children at Mossgate and PSHEC is a key driver in enabling our children to become educated citizens in modern Britain with the knowledge and skills to face the challenges and opportunities of a technological world which is changing rapidly. 

Mission 2022.png Vision 1 2022.png

As educated citizens, children will learn to:

  • build personal identities, confidence and self-esteem
  • identify and respond safely to risks online and in the real world
  • develop healthy lifestyle, both mentally and physically, in a modern world
  • recognise healthy and unhealthy relationships
  • know when and where to seek help and advice
  • manage and recognise feelings and emotions in themselves and others
  • grow, change and develop differently and this is normal
  • live life without judgement
  • respect different and challenge stereotypes 
  • manage money responsibly and explore different career paths
  • value our own and other peoples’ cultures and beliefs in modern multicultural Britain

 

Please also read our SMSC, Values & British Values and RE pages to develop a better understanding of our approach to developing the whole-child at Mossgate. 

 

Curriculum and Lessons 

Our PSHEC curriculum has two core strands which are taught in an age-appropriate and sensitive way with clear progression. During the first half of the autumn term, we have a whole-school health and wellbeing focus with the majority of key learning for this strand being taught. 

Health and Wellbeing

  • Mental health and wellbeing
  • Healthy relationships
  • Growing and changing bodies 
  • Drugs, alcohol and medicines
  • Friendships 
  • Naming, recognising and managing feelings 
  • Say No to Bullying

Living in the Wider World 

  • Safety: road, rail, water, first aid, Bikeability
  • Citizenship: democracy, rule of law, debate
  • Money, finance and careers
  • Online safety  
  • Media pressure 

A range of teaching and learning approaches are used to deliver PSHEC, with an emphasis on active learning and group discussion. Carefully selected books, which are mapped to our key learning, are used as a stimulus to assess levels of understanding, to generate discussion as well as providing knowledge. Class charters are agreed to ensure that the learning ethos in all classrooms are always positive for challenging complex themes. Ask-it baskets or boxes are used throughout school so children have opportunities to ask 'tricky' questions, seek advice or potentially make disclosures. 

 

We have our planned curriculum and key learning for each theme which we will follow as long as it is appropriate for the needs of the children, however, due to the nature of the subjects, there may be times when children ask questions out of the context of a planned session. Primary-age pupils will often ask their teachers, or other adults, 'tricky' questions pertaining to complex topics like families, sexuality, drugs, sex, alcohol etc. which go beyond what is planned. If children do ask about issues linked to topics, they will be dealt with appropriately and sensitively. There may be times when a member of staff does not immediately answer a child’s question, but speaks to them on their own, later or refers them to speak to their parent. Given the ease of access to the internet, children whose questions go unanswered may turn to inappropriate sources of information so we believe it is in the interest of the child to provide factual information.

 

As part of our commitment to PSHEC, we have a policy and programme of work for Relationships Education (including Sex Education) which we call Health & Relationships. Health & Relationship Education is taught with care and sensitivity and the content of the lessons will be appropriate to the pupil’s age and understanding. It also forms part of the statutory National Curriculum for Science and is a vital part of young people learning about physical, moral and emotional development. This content is taught during the Health & Wellbeing units in the autumn term. We agreed the content of our Health & Relationships Education following consultations with parents, staff, governors and children in 2019. The parent presentation slides can be viewed below from the downloads. We routinely communicate the content of our Health & Wellbeing units to parents through our different newsletters: curriculum and whole-school. 

 

Mrs H Taylor - PSHEC Subject Leader 

Updated 02.12.22

 

Files to Download