What does this look like at St Mark's? 

PSHE  encompasses all areas designed to promote children’s personal, social, health, and citizen development.  It gives children the knowledge, skills and understanding that they need to stay healthy and safe and develop worthwhile relationships, respect differences, develop independence and responsibility and make the most of their own abilities and those of others. 

Our PSHE Policy has been written in line with Government Guidance updated February 2020. Our approach to the PSHE curriculum is based upon the principles of the PSHE Association who advise schools on their curriculum content and improvements in the quality of their teaching. 

The PSHE Association Programme of Study covers Key Stages 1 to 5 and is based on three core themes within which there is broad overlap and flexibility.

Our pupils will be taught the three core themes of PSHE, ‘Health and Wellbeing, Relationships and Living in the Wider World through the HeartSmart programme. HeartSmart is a creative approach that we use to build character, emotional health and resilience in children. Equipping children with foundational principles and skills that will improve their mental health and relationships and academic achievement

We have adopted HeartSmart as a whole school approach and the teaching and learning within this programme actively delivers all that is needed in a PSHE curriculum.

We recognise the value of educating the heart alongside educating the mind. We use HeartSmart to do just that!

There are 5 Heartsmart principles that we follow:

• Too much Selfie isn't healthy
• Don't forget to let love in
• Don't rub it in, rub it out!
• Fake is a Mistake
• No way through isn't true

The combination of taught lessons, whole school and class worship, plus reflection times will be delivered to embed our PSHE curriculum. This approach links directly to our Behaviour and Personal Development policy and practice.

Relationships and Sex Education Policy and Lesson Plans

The Department for Education has announced changes to Relationships and Sex Education (RSE). These changes state that all schools are required to comply with the updated requirements by Summer 2021. This means that we are reviewing our RSE curriculum and policy so we can be sure our RSE provision is appropriate for our pupils based on their:

•  Age
• Physical and emotional maturity
• Religious and cultural backgrounds
• Special educational needs and/or disabilities

You will be aware that, as a part of your child’s educational experience at St Mark’s C of E Junior School we aim to promote personal wellbeing and development through a comprehensive programme of Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education that gives our pupils the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and practical skills to live healthy, safe, productive and fulfilled lives, both now and in the future. Whilst it is only Relationships Education that is statutory at primary level, the statutory guidance states: “The DfE continues to recommend 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’.

As part of implementing the RSE curriculum, schools must consult with the parents, staff and governors to ensure there is a general consensus on our approaches to policy and the curriculum content. The draft policy is written to reflect this guidance and what is considered to be best practice.

If you have any questions or wish to respond to this draft policy please email head@st@marks.gloucs.sch.uk by Friday 4th June 2021.

This Policy should be read alongside the School’s PSHE Policy and the Personal Development and Behaviour Policy.

We hope to be able to begin teaching RSE from the week commencing 14th June 2021.

Top Tips for Parents.....

Respond to your child's questions as simply and as honestly as possible.

Talk to the school about any issue which concerns you about the social and mental wellbeing of your child, as we will do everything in our power to ensure that their needs are met.