PSHE & RSE

If you were to walk into a PSHE or RSE lesson at King Athelstan, you would see a positive, open space based on mutual respect and collaboration. Through our bespoke planning, we have developed a robust curriculum which meets the need of our school’s demographic. Through their time at the school, children will develop self-awareness, awareness of others and confidence. These are key building blocks in Relationship Education which centres around recognising, developing and maintaining healthy relationships from EYFS all the way through to Year 6. Effective learning will be achieved through pupils being given opportunities every year to contribute ideas for school improvement, gain an awareness of the community around them through concrete experiences (KS1) and gain awareness of the wider world through given real-life scenarios (KS2).

In addition to explicit lessons to meet the developmental stages of children in these areas, teachers will be aware of their own class’ needs and adapt teaching to best suit their pupils. There may also be occasions for teaching one-off lessons to address certain key issues which may arise during term time; a flexible approach will ensure pastoral needs are met. Children will always be encouraged to contribute their ideas to the curriculum and take ownership of issues which face their generation.

RSE: As well as Relationship Education throughout their whole school life, pupils will receive Sex Education at developmentally appropriate stages from EYFS to Year 6. In year 5, lessons will cover puberty to support children as they experience changes in their bodies and to their hormones. In year 6, children will learn about puberty again as they are experiencing more changes, as well as about human reproduction, linking well to their learning about the human body in science. (Parents and carers have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from some or all of sex education delivered as part of statutory RSE - please contact the PSHE lead if you wish to discuss this further.)

Our creative curriculum means we can weave ‘life’ lessons throughout each day, making links with the wider world and current issues when teaching other subjects and referring regularly to systems like the Zones of Regulation (a ‘toolkit’ to help pupils to recognise and manage their emotional responses); and PRIDE (a school-wide initiative focusing on Perseverance, Respect, Imagination, Delving Deep – in their learning - and Excellence in all that they do).