Personal Social Health and Economic Education
At St Thomas’, we believe that PSHE education equips children to live healthy, safe, productive, capable, responsible and balanced lives. It encourages them to be enterprising and supports them in making effective transitions, positive learning and career choices and in achieving economic wellbeing. A critical component of PSHE education, is providing opportunities for children and young people to reflect on and clarify their own values and attitudes and explore the complex and sometimes conflicting range of values and attitudes they encounter now and in the future. At St Thomas’, we believe in creating a safe space for children to talk and to be heard. EYFS: “Children are confident to speak in a familiar group. They will talk about their ideas , and will choose the resources they need for their chosen activity.” KS1: “Children can identify successes and achievements and can tell you how they learn best.” KS2: “Children know how to overcome problems individually and as part of a group. They appreciate the similarities and differences in aspirations of young people in their own culture and different cultures.
Children will participate in a sequence of lessons. They will develop their speaking and listening skills and a better understanding of their own learning potential. Resulting in a clear demonstration of an awareness of aspirations. PSHE education contributes to personal development by helping children to build their confidence, resilience and self-esteem, and to identify and manage risk, make informed choices and understand what influences their decisions. It enables them to recognize, accept and shape their identities, to understand and accommodate difference and change, to manage emotions and to communicate constructively in a variety of settings. Developing an understanding of themselves, empathy and the ability to work with others, will help pupils to form and maintain good relationships, develop the essential skills for future employability and better enjoy and manage their lives.
Children are taught to and have to opportunity to explore these themes through ; class discussion, circle time, focused activity and the flexibility of teaching staff adapting and changing themes to meet the needs of their class. We use the guidance of the Learn for Life scheme and Ten : Ten learning resources to enhance and ensure curriculum progression is met from Nursery to Year 6 and into transition for Secondary school.
Pupil voice is important to us, and in order to support this, we have an active School Council who meet monthly to discuss, action and implement many new and existing ideas. Our School Council is democratically elected by our pupils, for our pupils.
In addition to discrete lessons, the school regularly invites outside speakers in to hold assemblies and workshops on issues that affect the children. Cafod, St Vincent de Paul Society and secondary head teachers are just some of the guests we have invited. Whole school, Key Stage and class assemblies consistently link to PSHE, British Values and SMSC.
Children may be able to reflect and compare their own hopes and dreams with other communities and individuals. A consideration of how to support others in achieving, and understanding of how to overcome obstacles and disappointments. Every class begins each day with a moment of quiet reflection. All classes follow the same timetable.
St Thomas’ is a place where the whole school community feels supported, encouraged and enabled to share and learn from each other’s views and informed opinions. Our pupils are left with life- long skills and confidence to become successful, caring and tolerant citizens. We demonstrate and learn from our core British Values, whilst celebrating the cultural diversity we have within our unique school.
Children may demonstrate an understanding of different cultural ideas, individual aspirations and beliefs.
Children may develop empathy with people who are suffering or from different socio-economic backgrounds.
Children will develop awareness of others aspirations, they may develop knowledge of pioneers who have an impact on the world.
Year 6 went to the annual Safety in Action Workshop this week.
The children learnt lots of important information to help them as they move to secondary school.
There were tents set up with lots of different scenarios on: Fire, Healthy relationships, Online Safety, Alcohol & drugs, Misinformation (extremism), Rail safety, Ladder of Risk (police), Would you rather? (peer pressure).
Today Year 6 and the student council visited Westminster Palace. They had a tour of both houses and a work shop on how laws are passed, before debating a new law. We definitely have some future Members of Parliament in the group.
