Vision 

Our PSHE education at St Mark’s enables our children to live happy and healthy lives now and in the future. Our curriculum equips them with the skills, knowledge, confidence and understanding that they need to make informed decisions throughout their lives. By the time they leave us they are ready to make their mark on the world as responsible, active and unique members of the community.  

Our curriculum is structured around the PSHE Association’s programme for Primary Schools. It is a comprehensive programme in which knowledge and skills are built upon each year. There are three main areas which form the structure of each stage which are then broken down in to further areas:  

• Relationships 

• Families and friendships 

• Safe Relationships 

• Respecting ourselves and others  

• Living in the Wider World 

• Belonging to a community  

• Media Literacy and Digital Resilience  

• Money and work  

• Health and Wellbeing  

• Physical health and mental wellbeing  

• Growing and Changing  

• Keeping safe 

Each year group will learn skills and knowledge for each of the sub-areas which will progress year on year.  

PSHE is taught through a cross-curricular project-based approach which means it can form part of project lessons or it can stand alone. The lessons will be planned and taught based on the children’s prior learning and this is assessed at the beginning and end of each topic taught.

Our British Values are also interwoven into the PSHE curriculum and are often taught within or alongside PSHE lessons.  

In EYFS the children follow the BWMAT Long Term Progression for Personal, Social and Emotional Development. This has been created to follow the Statutory Framework for Early Years as well as the Birth to 5 Matters Document. Opportunities for PSED learning are scaffolded for children through the use of adult-led activities, enhanced provision and continuous provision. These are adapted accordingly to the needs of the cohort of children and prepare them for leading into their PSHE learning in Year 1.  

PSHE learning is accessible for all children at St Mark’s. Adaptations are made for children with SEND or EAL to ensure that it meets the needs of all.  

How is our curriculum unique to St Mark’s? 

Our curriculum covers subjects which are specific to our school and local area which are developed over and above the statutory requirements, we address any gaps in cultural awareness by ensuring that we thoroughly teach about Diversity and every child understands what this means when they have been taught it as well as how we are a diverse school. It is talked about throughout our PSHE curriculum. We also give lots of awareness to ‘Black History Month’ and this is again rolled out school wide.  

Financial awareness is a strand that goes throughout our curriculum and is a particular focus in year 6. Through this we address the high deprivation areas that are in our locality.   

Water safety is taught through PSHE and PE as our locality is by the sea so more emphasis is given to this. Similarly with many level crossings in our area, there is an emphasis on rail safety. Road safety is also addressed as over 50% of pupils walk to school daily.  

Because of the growing technological advances and the accessibility of online devices, online safety is also given great importance through our PSHE curriculum. Using past experiences, staff are able to anticipate what may need to be taught to children at different stages in their primary school life.  

At the end of Year 6 our children will be able to: 

• Know how to stay safe, healthy and happy (mentally and physically).  

• Have a sense of finance/money/budgeting  

• Challenge stereo types  

• Know how to treat people fairly  

• Know how their bodies change  

• Know where/how to get help   

• Have skills needed for gainful employment  

What does it mean to be a member of the community?  

It is greatly important to be a responsible member of the community both within and outside school. Our PSHE teaching is underpinned by values that enable our children to become successful members of the community. Being a member of the community allows children to have a sense of pride and ownership over who they are as people and gives them the confidence to pass this on to others so that they may too become valued members. This is a vital attribute that will help to guide them later in their lives when they must negotiate new challenges or join different communities. It will also equip them with important skills which they will need to use to gain employment.