PSHE 

As a part of our children's educational experience at Loughton School, we aim to promote personal wellbeing and development through a comprehensive taught programme of Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education. These lessons aim to provide children and young people the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and practical skills to live healthy, safe, productive, and fulfilled lives, both now and in the future.

Our PSHE provision is appropriate for all our pupils and is based on their:

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

PSHE is taught in discrete weekly lessons across the school. By having the class teacher deliver these sessions, children can form strong foundations and trust in the sessions to fully engage in the process. The life skills taught in these lessons are then built upon and reinforced within the wider school curriculum.

All children begin their PSHE journey with an introduction to our school rules - being ready, respectful, and safe which is linked to understanding our school values; inspired, creative, resilient, respectful, and independent. These are the foundations to all learning at Loughton School.

The teaching of online safety in the autumn term allows children to be educated about potentially harmful and inappropriate online material. It also allows children to be independent when using technology and consider their conduct online, ensuring that they remain respectful in real life and whilst online. The four areas of risk (content, contact, conduct and commerce) are taught at an age-appropriate level so that pupils can manage their own risks when online.

National days are also observed in PSHE lessons. Educating children about the history surrounding Black History Month and International Womens days enables pupils be inspired and allows for not only representation in our curriculum, but for children to recognise the contribution and achievements of those from the past, thus making links with other curriculum areas.

Our Relationships and Sex Education is fully inclusive to meet the needs of all our pupils. Our children learn about different relationships, different families, growing up, puberty and their changing bodies. Learning about the emotional, social, and physical aspects of growing up will give children and young people the information, skills, and positive values to have safe, fulfilling relationships and help them take responsibility for their own well-being.

Please see the attachments below for our spring term safeguarding newsletter and medium term plans focusing on RSE. The link for the DFE which is referred to in the newsletter is: 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1090195/Relationships_Education_RSE_and_Health_Education.pdf

We cover the following objectives, at an age-appropriate level from the former being taught in year 3 to the latter being taught in year 6:

• being a good friend
• kind and unkind behaviours, including bullying
• teamwork and resolving disputes
• feelings we experience and how to discuss our feelings
• self-worth and self-respect
• important people in our lives
• consent and autonomy
• secrets and surprises
• growing up and physical and emotional changes to our bodies
• different families and relationships
• how babies are made and how babies are born
• differences, similarities, and stereotypes
• body image

We at Loughton School have developed our curriculum to cover human reproduction in years 5 as part of our unit on puberty and in year 6 only, as part of our science unit on human reproduction as we feel that this is more suitable for our children.

In our PSHE curriculum, we have a strong focus on mindfulness and understanding and caring for our mental health. This focus is continued throughout school in the summer term as well as during health and fitness session. It is our aim that all children know the importance of looking after our mental health and have been taught healthy and manageable ways to look after their own.

Teachers assess children against clear 'I can' statements and success criteria. Children are encouraged to self and peer assess at the end of each lesson. It is encouraged that PSHE remains vastly conversational and assessments are conducted on Insight after the lessons. Where there is recorded evidence, this should be done in PSHE books.

British Values

The department for education describe British Values as being:

• democracy
• the rule of law
• individual liberty
• mutual respect and tolerance 

We support the latest Ofsted framework which says that schools should ensure that they ‘promote tolerance of and respect for people of all faiths (or those of no faith), cultures and lifestyles; and support and help, through their words, actions and influence within the school and more widely in the community, to prepare children and young people positively for life in modern Britain’.

At Loughton School, we promote these fundamental British values through throughout everyday school life. In particular, our promotion of the school’s ethos and vision statement which guide our behaviour and thinking; spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding and our assemblies is where these values are routinely and explicitly taught. Additionally, they are taught both in stand-alone lessons and are interwoven within our immersive curriculum, including wider opportunities, which gives children real and meaningful opportunities to explore these values.

As a result, our children will develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life as valuable and fully rounded members of society who treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of background.

Democracy

Loughton School….

• Provides pupils with a broad general knowledge of, and promote respect for, public institutions and services.
• Teaches pupils how they can influence decision-making through the democratic process, which is used to vote for student voice representatives and for decisions about class treats amongst other things.
• Teaches the advantages and disadvantages of democracy and how it works in Britain.
• Encourages pupils to become involved in decision-making processes and ensure they are listened to in school.
• Holds ‘mock elections’ so pupils learn how to argue and defend points of view.
• Helps pupils to express their views.
• Teaches pupils how public services operate and how they are held to account.
• Models how perceived injustice can be peacefully challenged.

Rule of Law

Loughton School….

• Ensures that school rules and expectations are clear and fair.
• Helps pupils to distinguish right from wrong.
• Helps pupils to respect the law and the basis on which it is made.
• Helps pupils to understand that living under the rule of law protects individuals.
• Includes visits from the police.
• Teaches pupils aspects of both civil and criminal law and discuss how this might differ from some religious laws.
• Develops restorative justice approaches to resolve conflicts.

Individual liberty

Loughton School....

• Supports pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence.
• Encourages pupils to take responsibility for their behaviour, as well as knowing their rights.
• Models freedom of speech through pupil participation, ensuring protection of vulnerable pupils and promoting critical analysis of evidence.
• Challenges stereotypes.
• Implements a strong anti-bullying culture.

Respect and tolerance

Loughton School....

• Promotes respect for individual differences and discusses differences between people.
• Helps pupils to acquire an understanding of, and respect for, their own and other cultures and ways of life.
• Challenges prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour.
• Organises visits to places of worship and educational workshops about religion by people from that belief.
• Develops links with faith communities.
• Develops critical personal thinking skills.