PSHRE at St John XXIII Catholic Primary School

Welcome to St John XXIII Catholic Primary School's Personal, Social, Health and Relationships Education (PSHRE) programme. Our curriculum is designed to nurture the growth of every child within the Catholic context, ensuring a holistic approach to education. We aim to provide a supportive environment where children can learn about themselves, their relationships, and their responsibilities as members of a community. The PSHRE program is integral in fostering the personal and social development of our students in alignment with our Catholic values.

At St John XXIII, we believe that education extends beyond academic success. The PSHRE curriculum is carefully crafted to align with the teachings of the Catholic Church, supporting our students' spiritual and moral growth. Our lessons are age-appropriate and considerate of the diverse needs of primary-aged children, helping them to develop respect, empathy, and a deeper understanding of the ethical principles central to the Catholic faith. We encourage parents to engage with the PSHRE topics, as this partnership greatly enriches the learning experience.

The PSHRE program at St John XXIII Catholic Primary School covers a wide range of topics, including health education, emotional well-being, and religious studies, all within a Catholic framework. This comprehensive approach ensures that our students are well-prepared to make informed decisions and contribute positively to their communities. We are committed to guiding our students not only in their academic pursuits but also in their journey to become compassionate and informed citizens of the world.

Intent

‘I HAVE COME THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL’ (Jn.10.10) 

At St John XXIII, PSHRE and wellbeing support children to grow as compassionate, confident and responsible individuals. Guided by Pope Leo’s Maps of Hope, we help every child on a journey of personal development, moral growth and positive relationships, preparing them for life in modern Britain and beyond. 

Our PSHRE curriculum is carefully sequenced to build knowledge and skills over time. Children develop a strong understanding of themselves, their emotions, and how to manage relationships in a respectful and safe way. We teach age-appropriate knowledge about healthy lifestyles, personal safety, mental wellbeing, and positive choices, ensuring children can make informed decisions. 

We place strong emphasis on emotional literacy and resilience. Children learn strategies to manage their wellbeing, express their feelings, and support others. Through meaningful discussion, reflection and practical activities, pupils develop empathy, self-awareness and a sense of responsibility for themselves and their communities. 

We hold high expectations for all learners. Through inclusive teaching and targeted support, every child is enabled to succeed and to feel valued. Our aim is for pupils to leave St John XXIII with the confidence, moral strength and emotional resilience to thrive in the next stage of their education and in life. 

Through PSHRE & Wellbeing, our pupils will: 

• Communicate with confidence and clarity, expressing their thoughts and emotions respectfully and listening to others with compassion. 
• Journey as resilient learners, developing emotional strength, self-awareness and strategies to manage wellbeing. 
• Recognise their God-given dignity and potential, understanding that they are valued and that everyone deserves respect and care. 
• Step forward with ambition and purpose, making safe, positive choices and contributing responsibly to their communities. 

Implementation

At The St John XXIII Catholic Primary School, we believe that PSHRE curriculum, experienced in a safe and supportive environment, is a unique and vital contributor to a child’s physical development and well-being.   

PSHRE is taught as explicit lessons through the PSHE and science curriculums but is also embedded in other areas of the curriculum and day-to-day life of the school. In PSHRE, RSE is specifically covered in the units ‘Relationships’ and ‘Growing and Changing’ and in science ‘Animals Including Humans’ and ‘Living Things and Their Habitats’ also cover the statutory requirements; other elements are also covered in the Religious Education curriculum. 

Children are taught by familiar adults who they have a good rapport with, in order to facilitate constructive and supportive discussions around sensitive topics in a safe and secure environment. Staff have received in-house and online CPD (via Ten:Ten) to support them in responding to the needs of the individual child and support children with any questions or concerns they may have. If staff feel uncomfortable or unsure when delivering the PSHRE curriculum or dealing with individual pupil needs, they know where to seek advice and support. The PSHRE curriculum has been mapped out clearly in the progression grids for PSHE and science which ensure coverage of all of the statutory elements by the end of the primary phase; these are delivered at the appropriate stage for our children and is supported specifically by a very thorough, spiral programme of learning from Ten:Ten - Life to the Full. Life to the Full covers all of the statutory elements of PSHRE and more. 

Our high expectations of behaviour, interpersonal relationships, respect and tolerance of others reflect the British Values upheld in both our community and the wider world. Through our rigorous and progressive curriculum, children develop key skills and are prepared for the wider world beyond primary school, a world in which they can keep themselves safe and healthy and thrive with the support of the positive relationships they forge with those around them. 

Our PSHRE curriculum is developmental and as children work through the programme, year-after-year, each stage builds on previous learning.  Each module is taught in every year group and is explored at an age appropriate level. Within these modules there are units and these units will be visited twice in each Key Stage to recap and consolidate understanding. 

Module One: Created and Loved by God 

Created and Loved by God explores the individual. Rooted in the teaching that we are made in the image and likeness of God, it helps children to develop an understanding of the importance of valuing themselves as the basis for personal relationships. 

In these sessions, we explore:  

EYFS -  Children are introduced to the story of creation and they creatively explore that they are created by God out of love and for love. In ‘Me, My Body, My Health’, children will learn about their uniqueness in real terms, including celebrating differences and individual gifts, talents and abilities. In Emotional Well-Being, children will learn about likes, dislikes and self-acceptance. They will learn that actions have consequences; that when we make mistakes we should say sorry and ask for forgiveness. 

Key Stage One (Y1 and Y2) - Children learn that we are uniquely made by a loving God, that we have differences and similarities (including physical differences between boys and girls), key information about staying physically healthy, understanding feelings and emotions, including strong feelings such as anger, and the cycle of life from birth to old age. 

Lower Key Stage Two (Y3 and Y4) - Children develop their understanding of differences, respecting our bodies, puberty and changing bodies. There will be strategies to support emotional wellbeing including practicing thankfulness, and the development of pupils understanding of life before birth. 

Upper Key Stage Two (Y5 and Y6)  - Children learn to appreciate physical and emotional differences, a more complex understanding of physical changes in girl and boys bodies, body image, strong emotional feelings, the impact of the internet and social media on emotional well-being, a more nuanced and scientific understanding of life in the womb and menstruation. 

Module Two: Created to Love Others 

This module explores the individual’s relationship with others. Building on the understanding that we have been created out of love and for love, this unit explores how we take this calling into our family, friendships and relationships, and teaches strategies for developing heathy relationships and keeping safe. 

This religious understanding is then applied to real-world situations relevant to the age and stage of the children: 

EYFS – Children are taught that Jesus loves us and is a role model for us to copy in loving one another. In ‘Personal Relationships’ , children will expand their vocabulary by applying names to different family/friend relationships, consider positive/negative behaviour in relationships and learn to look to Jesus as their role model for a good friend. In ‘Keeping Safe’, children learn practical ways to stay safe inside and out, about bodily privacy (including the NSPCC PANTS message that ‘pants are private’) and the importance of talking to their ‘special people’ if anything troubles them. 

Key Stage One – Children are taught to identify the Special People in their lives who they love and can trust, how to cope with various social situations and dilemmas, and the importance of saying sorry and forgiveness within relationships. In the unit ‘Keeping Safe’, we explore the risks of being online by incorporating the ‘Smartie The Penguin’ resources from ‘Childnet’ , the difference between good and bad secrets, and teaching on physical boundaries (incorporating the PANTS resource from the NSPCC ). 

Lower Key Stage Two – The sessions here help children to develop a more complex appreciation of different family structures and there are activities and strategies to help them develop healthy relationships with family and friends; here, they are also taught simple techniques for managing thoughts, feelings and actions. 

Upper Key Stage Two – Children are equipped with strategies for more complex experiences of relationships and conflict; this includes sessions that help children to identify and understand how to respond to spoken and unspoken pressure, the concept of consent and some practical demonstrations of this, and further teaching on how our thoughts and feelings have an impact on how we act. 

Module Three: Created to Live in Community 

Finally, Module Three: Created to Live in Community explores the individual’s relationship with the wider world.  Here we explore how human beings are relational by nature and are called to love others in the wider community through service, through dialogue and through working for the Common Good. The children apply this religious understanding to real-world situations, such as the community we live in, and through exploring the work of charities which work for the Common Good. 

Please note that parents will notified by e mail when sensitive content is going to be taught so that this can be discussed and prepared for at home. 

The RSE Co-ordinator, the Executive Headteacher, the Head of School, and the Governors regularly review and quality assure the subject to ensure that it is implemented effectively. The co-ordinator will make changes to keep in line with the National Curriculum Objectives. 

All pupils from EYFS to Year 6 have a lesson fortnightly based on the ‘Live Life to the Full’ scheme of work. In addition, pupils will also have a half termly lesson based on the PSHRE calendar. 

Impact

The impact of our curriculum will be that the standards of attainment across the school will meet or exceed those which are expected of our children nationally. We continuously assess the implementation and impact of our PSHRE curriculum in order to achieve the highest outcomes possible across all year groups and ensure we provide the support that is necessary for all children to have a good understanding of the complexities of relationships and how they grow and change and a secure knowledge and skills base to navigate their way through these, now and in the future.  

Through our PSHRE curriculum, we believe we can enhance children’s education and help them to become confident individuals who have positive body awareness, an in-depth knowledge of how to keep themselves safe and healthy and who will, through respect, tolerance and understanding, forge and maintain positive relationships with a diverse range of family and friendship groups. They will gain and develop skills performing with increasing physical awareness. 

A range of methods will measure the impact of our curriculum including: 

Assessment 

• Checking children’s prior knowledge at the beginning of a unit. 
• Questioning and formative feedback during lessons. 
• Addressing gaps in learning or misconceptions as they arise. 
• Summative assessment at the end of units. 
• Summative assessment at the end of each year. 

Monitoring 

• Discussions with pupils across the school about their geography learning to give pupil voice. 
• Lesson drop-ins to see good practice. 
• Planning & book scrutiny carried out by subject leaders to give a picture of impact across the school. 
• Internal moderation and discussion of outcomes and progression across the school. 

Teaching Assistants and Interventions  

Interventions are offered to children who are entitled to the Pupil Premium Grant and children with SEND to ensure they are getting extra access to sports and lessons on healthy lifestyles.   

Partnership 

Teachers engage parents through September welcome meetings. 

PSHRE Long Term Curriculum and Progression of Skills Map

PSHRE Long Term Curriculum and Progression of Skills Map