Personal, Social and Health Education
Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) enables children to become healthy, independent and responsible members of their Jewish community and the wider society. We encourage our pupils to play a positive role in contributing to the life of the school and the wider Jewish and secular community. In doing so, we help develop their sense of self-worth. We teach them how society is organised and governed. We ensure that they experience the process of democracy in school through the election and membership opportunities provided through the ECO Action Club and School Council Programmes.
Skills and Attitudes
PSHE education equips pupils with the knowledge, understanding, skills and strategies required 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 well-being. 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.
PSHE education contributes to personal development by helping pupils 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 recognise, 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.
The aims of PSHE are to enable the children to:
- Know and understand what constitutes a healthy lifestyle
- Be aware of safety issues
- Understand what makes for good relationships with others
- Have respect for others regardless of race, gender and mental and physical disability
- Be independent and responsible members of the school community
- Be positive and active members of a democratic society
- Develop self-confidence and self-esteem and make informed choices regarding personal and social issues
- Develop good relationships with other members of the school and wider community
- Be aware of both good and bad Middot (Character Traits) which affects their lives and those around them
These are summarised and taught in three ‘Core Themes’:
- Health and wellbeing
- Relationships
- Living in the Wider World
How PSHE is taught in our school
Sinai has based their PSHE programme of study on good ‘Characteristics’ (this is integrated into Jewish Studies, as ‘Middot’). It will be taught through cross curricular links, collective worship/Tefillah, other activities or school events (residential visits, Enrichment, special activities planned to allow the children to work together under different circumstances), ECO schools, School Council meetings, which provide links with parents and members of the outside community, and as a discrete subject by every class teacher.
We use a range of teaching and learning styles with an emphasis on active learning by including the children in discussions, investigations and problem solving activities. PSHE will be provided in a variety of ways, to reflect the age of the pupils and ensure a whole school approach to the subject:
- There will be a weekly PSHE lesson in every year group in order to develop themes and share ideas, eg. circle time, discussion, group work.
- There will be a weekly Jewish Studies lesson where the focus will be on the Middah (character trait) of the week to link into the PSHCE.
- Opportunities will be found within other curriculum areas, eg. links with drama and role play, debate and discussion in Literacy, working together in pairs or small groups, improving health in PE, environmental, health and drug issues in science and beliefs, values and practices in Jewish Studies.
- Throughout the school there will be acknowledgement of SMSC in every lesson, through the Middah of the week or through the teachers and pupils relationships with each other.
- Activities will be provided as group, class or school events and initiatives eg: community projects, school productions, assemblies for parents and friends, celebration assembly and annual residential trips for Years 5 and 6.
- At playtimes and lunchtimes opportunities exist for playing co-operatively using play equipment.
- At lunch times there are children trained as Peer Mediators to solve any playground issues involving other children.
- The children are involved when visitors come into school.
- In the Foundation Stage of the EYFS Curriculum, PSHE is related to the objectives set out in the Early Learning Goals matching the aim of developing a child’s personal, emotional, and social development.
- Much of the curriculum is delivered through oral and practical activities. Where appropriate pupils will record or investigate their work using a variety of mediums including books, internet, specific adults, eg: medical agencies, police service, fire services etc. This encourages children to develop their learning in enquiring skills and assists in equipping them for adult life.
- At the start each week, the PSHE co-ordinators will inform the children of the weekly Middah (character trait) in both KS1 and KS2 assemblies. This is a theme to focus on for the week and is discussed in PSHE lessons and throughout the week where appropriate.
