PSHE and RSE
PSHE and RSE – Curriculum Intent Statement
Purpose of the Subject
Through PSHE and RSE, we aim to equip children with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to lead healthy, safe, confident and fulfilling lives. We want pupils to understand themselves, build positive relationships, and make informed choices as they navigate an ever-changing world. Our PSHE and RSE curriculum reflects the diverse nature of our school community, ensuring every child feels seen, valued and represented. We aim to nurture compassionate, resilient and responsible young citizens who can contribute positively to their community and wider society.
Our curriculum also provides a strong foundation for safeguarding, preparing pupils to navigate an increasingly complex world with confidence and care. Lessons promote emotional literacy, resilience, and a sense of personal agency, enabling pupils to approach life’s challenges with maturity and compassion.
Alignment with Statutory Guidance
In line with statutory Relationships Education, Health Education and wider PSHE and RSE expectations, we teach children to:
- Develop healthy, respectful relationships and understand the importance of kindness, equality and consent.
- Understand physical and emotional health, including wellbeing, safety and personal boundaries.
- Recognise and manage emotions, build resilience and develop strategies for mental wellbeing.
- Understand how to stay safe online and offline, including recognising risks and seeking help.
- Explore identity, diversity, rights and responsibilities within a democratic society.
Curriculum Coverage
Our PSHE and RSE curriculum provides:
- Mirrors – opportunities for children to see their identities, cultures, families and experiences reflected in the curriculum.
- Windows – opportunities to learn about the lives, experiences and perspectives of others, both locally and globally.
We select content that is meaningful, inclusive and relevant to pupils’ lives. Units cover relationships, health and wellbeing, living in the wider world, safety, digital citizenship and personal development.
Curriculum Progression
Our PSHE and RSE curriculum is built around four interrelated strands of knowledge, supported by a spiral curriculum model that revisits key concepts with increasing complexity:
1. Procedural Knowledge (Skills for Life)
Practical skills children need to navigate real-life situations, mapped in a progression from EYFS to Year 6. Children learn to communicate effectively, manage emotions, solve problems, make safe choices, show empathy, and build healthy relationships. SOLO taxonomy supports this progression, enabling pupils to move from simple awareness to confident, independent application.
2. Disciplinary Knowledge (The “Big Ideas” of PSHE and RSE)
Disciplinary knowledge represents the conceptual frameworks that underpin personal, social and health education. These include:
- Identity – understanding who we are and what shapes us
- Relationships – building healthy, respectful connections
- Health – understanding physical and emotional wellbeing
- Safety – recognising risks and knowing how to stay safe
- Citizenship – understanding rights, responsibilities and community
- Economic Understanding – learning about money, aspirations and the world of work
These concepts are taught, revisited and applied in every year group, helping children understand how personal and social knowledge is constructed and used.
3. Substantive Knowledge (The Content We Teach)
Specific content children learn—such as friendship skills, puberty, digital safety, healthy lifestyles, diversity, democracy, money management, and emotional regulation. This knowledge is presented as clear learning outcomes that detail what pupils should know and remember. Content reflects our community, promotes inclusion, and ensures that all children feel represented and respected.
4. Substantive Concepts
Substantive concepts are recurring ideas that appear across the PSHE and RSE curriculum, such as respect, consent, identity, diversity, wellbeing, responsibility, safety and resilience. These concepts are explored in different contexts across year groups, helping children build familiarity, confidence and deeper understanding.
Repetition and Retrieval – Spiral Curriculum
Our PSHE and RSE curriculum uses a spiral approach, ensuring pupils revisit key concepts with increasing complexity:
Revisiting key concepts – ideas are encountered multiple times across the school, each time building on prior learning.
Progressive depth – content is expanded and connected, developing a richer understanding over time.
Knowledge retention – regular retrieval practice strengthens memory and prevents forgetting.
Skill development – pupils apply and refine skills in different contexts, improving critical thinking and problem solving.
Assessment
Assessment in PSHE and RSE focuses on pupils’ ability to apply knowledge, skills and attitudes in real‑life contexts. We assess pupils through:
- Discussions and reflections
- Scenario‑based tasks
- Written or creative responses
- Observations of behaviour, teamwork and decision‑making
Formative assessment is embedded in lessons through questioning, retrieval practice and interactive activities, enabling teachers to adapt teaching in real time. Summative tools, such as quizzes and knowledge catchers, help gauge how well pupils have retained key knowledge and skills over time.