PSHE and RSE at Ravenswood
Our ethos, ‘Relationships Promoting Success’, is at the heart of all we do and our values encompass our philosophy to nurture and care for those around us. We want to help children to be safe, happy and healthy, and to become responsible citizens who respect and appreciate those around them for who they are and what they can do.
It is through our PSHE/RSE curriculum that each child learns to discuss issues that are important to them as individuals and the communities they live in. Our curriculum helps children to understand their rights and responsibilities and how to deal with experiences they may encounter in the present as well as in later life. It also allows them to explore themes that help them to develop spiritually, socially, morally, culturally, physically and mentally.
A key element of our PSHE/RSE curriculum is teaching the children how to be safe in an ever-changing world. This includes safety online, staying safe in their environment and understanding how to have safe and positive relationships with others. Children develop a sound understanding of risk, with the knowledge and skills necessary to make safe and informed decisions and to recognise the importance of their mental health and well-being.
The content of the curriculum is age and developmentally appropriate. It is taught sensitively and inclusively, with respect to the backgrounds and beliefs of pupils and parents, with the aim of providing pupils with the knowledge they need. We build on the statutory and non-statutory (Citizenship) content already outlined in DfE guidance and use the ‘KAPOW’ scheme of learning to provide consistency throughout our school and support staff with subject knowledge across these themes:
- Family and Relationships
- Health and well-being
- Safety and changing body
- Citizenship (non-statutory)
- Economic well-being
- Identity (Year 6 only)
Each phase builds on the vocabulary, knowledge and skills taught in previous year groups to allow children to expand and extend their views of their place in a diverse society with British values embedded through our curriculum. PSHE/RSE teaching is supported in curriculum subjects (Science, Computing and P.E) as well as through our wider policies on behaviour, inclusion, respect for equality and diversity, bullying, safeguarding and children’s spiritual, moral, cultural and social development.
The Ravenswood PSHE curriculum incorporates an age-appropriate understanding of RSE, as set out in the statutory guidance, enabling all children to understand and develop healthy relationships with family and friends, both now and in their future lives. At the time of writing, we do not intend to teach Sex Education other than that set out as part of the Science curriculum’s statutory objectives (see below) and the non-statutory objective, ‘Changes individuals experience in puberty’ to pupils in Years 5 and 6.
Parents do not have the right to withdraw their children from Relationships Education however, they do have the right to withdraw their children from the non-statutory components of Sex Education within RSE and will be informed beforehand of the content to be covered to enable families to make an informed decision. Parents will be asked to request in writing their right to withdraw their child from this lesson. Alternative work will be given to pupils who are withdrawn from sex education (puberty) lessons.
If it is felt that any groups or individuals need to be taught aspects of sex education that go beyond what is set out in the National Curriculum for science, their parents/ carers will be informed and will have the opportunity to withdraw their child from the additional teaching.
Lessons typically involve discussion, questioning and the acquisition of key vocabulary. This ensures our children have the opportunity to make sense of their learning, are able to explore ideas and have open, honest discussions in a safe and secure environment. Teaching of PSHE will take place at least fortnightly. Teachers may also feel it necessary to teach PSHE as a result of an issue that has arisen within their own class or year group, therefore flexibility of subject coverage is needed for this. Resources such as Newsround and First News are used to supplement our scheme.
PSHE also plays an important role in our school assemblies where children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural curiosity is stimulated, challenged and nurtured.
Our children are encouraged to develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community.
Here are some examples: -
- School Council and class representatives
- Great Ravenswood Get Together picnic – families come to share their culture with food and chat on the school field
- Anti-bullying week
- Black history month/week
- Remembrance Day and poppy selling
- Harvest Festival donations
- Charity events e.g. Great North Run and Ravenswood Run, Musical Evening
- Running a stall at school fairs
- Reception and Year 6 buddies
- Volunteering
National Curriculum: Science
Statutory objectives
Key Stage 1
- identify, name, draw and label the basic parts of the human body and say which part of the body is associated with each sense.
Key Stage 2
- describe the differences in the life cycles of a mammal, an amphibian, an insect and a bird
- describe the life process of reproduction in some plants and animals
- describe the changes as humans develop to old age
Non-Statutory objective
Key Stage 2
- Changes individuals experience in puberty
PSHE/RSE Kapow Scheme Overview