PSHE

What is PSHE?

PSHE (personal, social, health and economic) education is a school curriculum subject through which pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage their lives, now and in the future.

PSHE education helps pupils to stay healthy, safe and prepared for life – and work – in modern Britain, facing challenges and making the most of opportunities of an increasingly complex world

Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is the school subject that deals with real life issues affecting our children, families and communities. It’s concerned with the social, health and economic realities of their lives, experiences and attitudes. It supports pupils to be healthy (mentally and physically); safe (online and offline) and equipped to thrive in their relationships and careers. PSHE education helps all children and young people — the highest achievers as well as the vulnerable and excluded — to achieve their fullest potential.

 

PSHE education:

  • Contributes to physical and mental health and wellbeing, encouraging individual responsibility for health.
  • Contributes to the safety and protection of our children and young people, from staying safe online to understanding risks associated with drugs and alcohol.
  • Promotes independence, resilience and responsibility — preparing children and young people for future roles as parents, employees and leaders.
  • Supports employability by developing the personal and social skills demanded by commerce and industry.
  • Supports pupils to be critical consumers of information, and develops the skills to identify misleading news or views on social media and elsewhere.

In summary, PSHE education provides opportunities to learn about :

  • Relationships: including developing and maintaining positive relationships and dealing with negative relationships. This may include learning about bullying, consent, how to communicate effectively, inappropriate behaviour in relationships and, at a later stage, topics such as sexual coercion and grooming.
  • Developing independence, resilience and responsibility: including preparing children and young people to face life’s challenges and make the most of life’s opportunities.
  • Health: including healthy lifestyles, healthy eating and exercise; mental and emotional health; drug, alcohol and tobacco education; emergency life-saving skills.
  • Managing risk: including understanding personal safety and online safety; financial choices and risks; appreciating the value of taking risks in certain situations (e.g. entrepreneurial risks).
  • Economic wellbeing: including the role of money, influences on our use of money, gambling, careers education
  • Employability skills: including learning about enterprise, business and finance. Developing the skills and attributes to succeed at work, including communication skills and confidence.

The knowledge, skills and attributes developed through PSHE education combine to equip pupils for numerous challenges. First aid provides a good example of this in practice. Pupils can learn the practical steps (e.g. CPR) in PSHE lessons, but also develop the confidence and awareness to put this knowledge into practice and step in when faced with a real-life medical emergency.

 

Our school policy for the teaching of sex and relationships education can be found on the policies page of this website.