PSHE
At Sandringham and West Newton Primary Academy, we believe that Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) is crucial in enabling our children to become safe, healthy, and happy pupils, and independent and responsible members of society. The PSHE curriculum is designed to support children in understanding their personal and social development while addressing the moral, social, and cultural issues that are integral to growing up.
Our curriculum is structured around the most significant dimensions of personal development. Using PATHs resources, we create an environment in which children feel safe and secure, thereby ensuring that bullying, discrimination, and peer-on-peer abuse—whether online or offline—are not tolerated. We have established clear policies to tackle such issues promptly, consistently, and effectively.
We are committed to developing our children’s character. We define character as a collection of personal traits, dispositions, and virtues that inform their motivations and guide their conduct. Our aim is to foster wise reflection, eager learning, integrity in behaviour, and consistent cooperation with others. These traits will provide our children with essential qualities to thrive in society and are fostered through our personal development curriculum.
Promoting responsible, respectful, and active citizenship is vital for our children, as it prepares them to engage meaningfully in public life as adults. We do not merely assume that our children’s values align with those espoused by the school. Instead, we emphasise mutual exploration and understanding, recognising that values can differ from those encountered at home.
In addition to promoting equality of opportunity, we strive to create an environment where differences are embraced and individual characteristics celebrated. Our inclusive ethos ensures that all children can thrive, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.
We are dedicated to ensuring that Sandringham and West Newton Primary Academy is a nurturing, stimulating, and caring environment where high standards of behaviour and attitude are expected from all our children. Our commitment to maintaining a calm and orderly atmosphere allows for effective learning, minimising disruptions through clear routines and secure expectations. The consequences for poor behaviour are well-defined and applied consistently by all staff, aiming to recognise children’s motivation and persistence in the face of challenges. This approach lays a solid foundation for academic achievement and overall attainment.
The implementation of our PSHE curriculum integrates the statutory elements of the National Curriculum 2014 while extending learning beyond traditional academic subjects. At Sandringham and West Newton, we support diverse aspects of our pupils’ lives, starting with engaging them in rich and memorable experiences within the community. For example, children participate in meaningful activities such as a shared picnic between the Sandringham Federation schools at the Sandringham Estate.
In considering the impact of our PSHE curriculum, we take pride in fostering an inclusive environment where learners demonstrate high levels of enjoyment in their education. We ensure that all children, regardless of their abilities, achieve their full potential. Those who demonstrate high capabilities are provided with challenging tasks that deepen their knowledge, while those facing difficulties receive targeted support through tailored interventions. Such approaches have proven to positively influence children’s outcomes.
Teachers are instrumental in our curriculum’s success. They lead, monitor, evaluate, and review the implementation of PSHE, taking opportunities to enhance their knowledge and subject understanding, thus allowing them to support and improve practice further. The Enhanced Inspection Framework (EIF) approach enables a deeper collection of evidence regarding the effectiveness of PSHE education.
We believe that enjoyment of the curriculum correlates strongly with achievement, confidence, and exemplary behaviour. Children feel safe and are encouraged to try new things without fear of failure. Additionally, high-quality visits and guest speakers augment the curriculum, providing purposeful opportunities for writing and learning.
Children are afforded various opportunities to share their learning experiences with peers, parents, and the wider community through performances, competitions, and events involving other schools. These experiences foster their independence, motivation as learners, and sense of responsibility as future citizens, which lies at the core of our teaching and learning ethos.
The recent changes to PSHE, now termed Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE), echo the necessity for children to thrive in an ever-evolving, complex world where their online and offline lives intertwine seamlessly. In this context, our children must be well-equipped to navigate positive relationships, understand how to stay safe and healthy, and manage their academic, personal, and social lives in a constructive manner. Our curriculum focuses on five core areas emphasising the fundamental characteristics of positive relationships, including friendships, family relationships, and interactions with peers and adults. All staff have received training in the new RSHE curriculum to ensure that we meet our educational goals effectively.
Sandringham and West Newton Primary Academy’s PSHE curriculum is structured to create a safe, inclusive, and enriching environment conducive to personal and social development. Our commitment to fostering responsible, respectful citizens who grasp the importance of British values will prepare our children for a successful future, both in school and beyond.