Overview

PSHEE weaves throughout our school day and across all of our Pathways. The two main statutory areas of PSHEE are Health education and Relationship education. Keeping healthy and safe are key needs for all of our pupils and we recognise the importance of developing their understanding of what that means for them. Our learners interact with peers and adults all day and we create opportunities for them to socialise in a range of situations; it is important for them to learn how to interact and socialise appropriately for functional purposes as well as for their enjoyment.

Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) is taught across the school, taking into account the age and Pathway of each student. 

We support our students to develop their social skills as they move through the school. This may include learning how to play and work together, about online safety, or learning how to communicate when they don’t like something. In Health education we teach our students how to care for themselves and others through promoting healthy eating and exercise throughout our day and through different interventions to help mental and physical wellbeing. 

PSHEE Across the Pathways

PSHEE in the Blue Pathway is incorporated into learning through the six Pathway areas below. It is personalised,  and relationship and sex education and health education are taught in a bespoke way for each learner.

My Communication

My Communication includes learning how to show clear reactions, including acceptance or rejection and learning to make choices to show wants and needs. Students also develop their communication skills through gesture, signing, vocals, visuals, switches and speech. They develop the ability to show understanding of words signs and symbols. These skills are essential for pupils to  build relationships and maintain their health and wellbeing.

Health Education

Making choices at snack and lunch times

Communicating a need for relaxation or movement

Making choices about activities

Understanding praise and positive feedback

Relationships Education

Making choices and being able to say yes or no

Interacting with others in a kind and appropriate way

Understanding playtime rules

Communicating about stories and photos from home

Interacting with sensory stories about families and different communities

 

My Play and Social Development

My Play encompasses exploration of the environment and of a range of engaging activities. Learning through play activities is modelled as are sharing of resources and noticing others. Skills are developed in accepting interactions with others and initiating and extending interactions.

Health Education

Play circles with teddy, feeding and giving drinks

Doll play including washing and bathing and first aid play

Play using self care items

Relationships Education

Choosing a friend to say hello to

Modelling paired play and appropriate boundaries

Encouraging sharing toys in paired activities

Passing toys on and choosing who to pass them to

 

My Independence

My Independence develops learners' skills in making choices to express their wants and needs. It allows them to show rejection or acceptance of people, places and things to project autonomy.  Skills are developed in being able to explore objects and environments independently as well as accepting help where necessary and starting to complete tasks independently.  Pupils are supported in learning to regulate their own behaviour and joining in with others on their own.

Health Education

Promoting self soothing and regulating their own behaviour

Self help skills such as hand washing and personal care

Independent eating and drinking

Life skills and choosing healthy snacks

Relationships Education

Choosing who and what to play with

Modelling safe  and unsafe actions in play

Participating in turn-taking activities

 

My Body and Wellbeing

My Body and Wellbeing covers Health education in the Blue Pathway. Students explore how they can move their bodies through a variety of physical activities and test the boundaries of what their bodies can do. They learn to accept movement which is good for their body such as physiotherapy. They develop skills in self-soothing, exploring ways to calm. Learners work towards accepting help in self care and active participation where possible.

Health Education

Yoga, Soundbath, music therapy, relaxation sessions

Hydrotherapy, rebound therapy, physiotherapy

Walking and outdoor activities

Self care with songs and actions

Gross and fine motor control sessions

Structured PE, swimming, music and movement and gym sessions

Modelling care, storage and administration of medications

Body awareness sessions

Relationships Education

How are you feeling?

Human life timeline

Adult support and coaching

Body awareness, Tac Pac

Sex Education lessons

Circle Time

Understanding emotions, using Zones Of Regulation

Self-Regulation time

Mindfulness music, colouring, Yoga and relaxation sessions

The changing adolescent body

 

My Thinking

Within My Thinking, students learn about online safety through developing understanding of when they can access touchscreen and ipads and the boundaries surrounding this. Skills are developed in joint attention, sequencing and understanding first and next as well as early problem solving skills which aids progression in cooking, life skills and playground games and interactions.

Health Education

Internet controls, restrictions and boundaries    

Cutting up fruit for healthy snacks

Cooking sessions

Relationships Education

Sharing and turn taking games

 

My World

Students experience being in different areas of school and being out in the community safely. Skills include developing an awareness of danger and accepting appropriate safety measures. In addition, skills in choice-making (such as choosing which adult to stay with and communicating people and things that make them feel safe in the environment) and exploration are developed.

Health Education

Basic first aid, explaining what we are doing and why when applying first aid

Relationships Education

Students choosing who they feel safe with

PSHEE in the Green Pathway is incorporated into the six Pathway areas below. All elements of the statutory Health Education and Relationships Education (and Sex Education for secondary aged pupils) are included. We enable our pupils to develop the knowledge and skills they need so that they are able to become autonomous decision-makers, making choices in line with their interests, values and goals. Being able to make these decisions will ultimately make pupils healthier, happier, and safer. We aim for pupils to be able to make decisions that are their own as far as possible.

My Communication

The My Communication strand includes developing speaking and listening skills. These are vital to enable pupils to share their opinions, thoughts and feelings with their peers and the wider community. 

Communication skills are essential for pupils to be able to share their decision making at relevant points in their lives; whether this is who they want to play with, what they want to eat, how to say no, or sharing their relationship choices. 

Relationships Education

Sharing news and photos from home

‘All About Me’ topic

Teaching ‘Stop!’

Talking about different relationships, families, friends

Health Education

Communicating food and drink preferences and requests through PECS, AAC or speech

Describing how exercise makes us feel

Talking about our emotions

Being able to say when we feel unsafe or worried

 

My Play and Social Development

Developing relationships with others

Noticing others around us and attempting to initiate interactions with them

Functionally communicating a choice of or inviting someone to play with/communicate with

Interacting positively with peers

Leading in play directing other people

Taking turns when playing with 1 or more people

Identifying who is important to us. Friends, family, strangers

Engaging in different types of positive relationships with adults and peers

Understanding how relationships differ and using this understanding appropriately to interact with a variety of people

Having a range of positive relationships with adults and peers and being able to adapt to differences within these

Relationships Education

Taking turns

Play skills sessions

Structured games

Comic-strip type stories following incidents

Consequences which repair relationships

Peer models/ mentors

How to be kind and respectful

How to manage disagreements

Identifying what social behaviours are safe or unsafe, appropriate or inappropriate within different types of relationships

Health Education

Making safe choices about what to play with

Making safe choices about who to spend time with

Participating in games or activities led by someone else

 

My Independence

The ‘My Independence’ strand incorporates skills for making independent choices and learning to live independently, including travel and cooking skills. An important element of this is developing personal safety skills – whether this is in the kitchen, in the wider community, or within relationships. Pupils are encouraged to identify their strengths and increase their resilience by celebrating their progress and achievements. Pupils learn to be self-aware; to understand themselves, their preferences and their values. 

Relationships Education

Circle Time or Show and Tell: sharing our hobbies, interests, achievements

Encouraging growth mindset; learn from our mistakes and become more resilient.

Health Education

Learning how to look after myself - daily teeth brushing, face washing, hair brushing

Teaching about strangers and safe strangers

"People who help us" topic

Road Safety, safety around the school and other areas inc. role play and trips.

Learning simple recipes to cook healthy food

Safety in the kitchen and around the home

 

My Body and Wellbeing

My Body and Wellbeing covers:

Developing physical control of my body; developing an understanding of my emotions; understanding how our bodies grow and change; developing healthy lifestyles.

Pupils are equipped with the knowledge to enable them to make their own decisions about their lifestyle: making choices about what they eat and how they exercise.  Pupils also learn to understand and manage their emotions, and learn about the changes they will experience as they grow – including the physical and emotional changes of puberty.  Older pupils will be taught sex education in a considerate manner to best meet their individual needs; this will include dealing with touch, romantic feelings and sexual attraction, consent and contraception.

Relationships Education

How are you feeling?

Understanding emotions and using Zones Of Regulation

Self-Regulation time

Mindful music, colouring

Yoga and relaxation sessions

The changing adolescent body

Human life timeline

Adult support and coaching

Body awareness

Tac Pac

Sex Education lessons

Health Education

Experiencing a range of different types of exercise:

Soft play

Dance and action songs

PE sessions , inc. talking about heartbeats, health

Yoga and Rebound, swimming, gym, walks

Handwashing routines

Healthy/ unhealthy choices

Social stories

Support to take medications and discussions as to why they are important

 

My Thinking

‘My Thinking’ covers a range of elements such as online safety and developing problem solving skills. Pupils are taught how to navigate ICT such as ipads and laptops safely, and taught about what information is private/public and what to share online. They will learn to:

gain access to an object by asking or looking for it

solve basic problems by observing and copying

build resilience trying different strategies to solve a problem

apply a new strategy if the first one does not work

solve a problem independently

solve a problem as part of a team

use a range of problem solving techniques in different scenarios.

Relationships Education

Working together to solve a problem

Computing lessons

Understanding how online relationships differ from in person

Health Education

Internet safety

E- safety sessions

Social stories

Using problem solving skills in real-life scenarios

Comic strip social situations

What to do when you feel unsafe

 

My World

We equip our pupils with the skills and knowledge they need to live as independently as possible. This includes living confidently in the wider world. The ‘My World’ strand of the Green Pathway curriculum includes learning how to participate in the wider community, including making decisions about how to stay safe. Pupils have to learn to manage risk and make choices about safe activities and safe people while in the wider world.

Relationships Education

Learning about other people; including those from different countries, cultures or religions

Respect of others

Interacting with people from outside of familiar environments 

Conventions of manners and courtesy

Health Education

Learning how to access health services such as the GP, A&E, or pharmacy 

Recognising key people in the community such as the emergency services

Drugs, alcohol and tobacco education

Basic first aid: simple bandaging

999 script

Who to ask for help

Duchess of Ely outdoor learning programme

PSHEE in the Yellow Pathway is taught in both discrete lessons and integrated throughout the school day when learning opportunities arise.

Opportunities are presented for pupils wherever possible to:

  • Experience taking and sharing responsibility.

  • Feel positive about themselves and others.

  • Reflect on their perceptions and experiences.

  • Develop the understanding, language, communication skills and strategies required to exercise personal autonomy wherever possible.

  • Carry out or take part in daily personal living routines.

  • Make real decisions (with support where necessary so that they can act upon them).

  • Take part in group activities and make contributions.

  • Develop and maintain positive relationships and interactions with others.

  • Recognise and celebrate their achievements and successes

The Yellow Pathway use the PSHE Association Planning Framework as a basis for their curriculum planning, ensuring all statutory elements are covered.  Topics are repeated in a spiral curriculum approach as students progress through the school, so that their learning is built on based on their previous learning and current level of understanding. 

Planning is organised into 6 sections:

1.Self-Awareness  

2.Self-care, Support and Safety  

3.Managing Feelings  

4.Changing and Growing (aspects of Relationships and Sex Education)

5.Healthy Lifestyles (physically and mentally)

6.The World I Live In (Living confidently in the wider world)

 

Self-awareness

Topics in this section of the curriculum include:

  • Personal Strengths

  • Skills for Learning

  • Prejudice and Discrimination

  • Managing Pressure

We cover these areas during break times and other unstructured times as well as during lessons. We consider these areas under this particular topic: 

  • Things we are good at

  • Kind and unkind behaviours

  • Playing and working together

  • People who are special to us

  • Getting on with other

  • Personal strengths

  • Prejudice and discrimination

  • Managing pressure

During "Show and Tell", we share things which are of interest to us or special moments we have spent with our families

 

Self Care, Support and Safety

Topics in this area of the curriculum include:

  • Feeling unwell

  • Taking care of ourselves

  • Trust

  • Keeping safe

  • Feeling frightened/worried

  • Accidents and risks

  • Keeping safe online

  • Emergency situations

  • Public and private

  • Gambling

We also consider personal hygiene and teach the importance of looking after our bodies and our teeth. We deliver e-safety sessions and stress the importance of not sharing passwords or private information.

Risks are considered daily in the classroom i.e. carrying scissors in an appropriate way, safe behaviour in the classroom and in the corridors, acting safely during cookery, science or DT sessions.

 

Managing Feelings

Topics in this area of the curriculum include:

  • Identifying and expressing feelings

  • Self-esteem and unkind comments

  • Managing strong feelings

  • Romantic feelings and sexual attraction

  • Expectations of relationships/abuse

Within this part of the curriculum, pupils are equipped with the knowledge to enable them to make their own decisions about their lifestyle. Pupils learn to understand and manage their emotions and learn about the changes they will experience as they grow – including the physical and emotional changes of puberty. Older pupils will be taught sex education in a personalised and considerate manner to best meet their individual needs; this will include dealing with touch, romantic feelings and sexual attraction, consent and contraception

.

Changing and Growing (aspects of Relationships and Sex Education)

Topics in this area of the curriculum include:

  • Baby to adult

  • Puberty

  • Friendship

  • Dealing with touch

  • Different types of relationships

  • Healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviour

  • Intimate relationships, consent and contraception

  • Long-term relationships/parenthood

 

Pupils are equipped with the knowledge to enable them to make their own decisions about their lifestyle. Pupils  learn to understand and manage their emotions, and learn about the changes they will experience as they grow – including the physical and emotional changes of puberty.  Older pupils will be taught sex education in a personalised and considerate manner to best meet their individual needs; this will include dealing with touch, romantic feelings and sexual attraction, consent and contraception. 

 

Healthy Lifestyles (Physical and Mental)

Topics in this area of the curriculum include:

  • Elements of a healthy lifestyle

  • Mental wellbeing

  • Physical activity

  • Taking care of physical health

  • Healthy eating

  • Body image

  • Medicinal drugs

  • Drugs, alcohol and tobacco

The World I Live In

We equip all of our pupils with the skills and knowledge they need to live as independently as possible in the wider world. 

Topics in this area of the curriculum include:

  • Respecting differences between people

  • Jobs people do

  • Rules and laws

  • Belonging to a community

  • Diversity/rights and responsibilities

  • Managing online information

  • Taking care of the environment

  • Preparing for adulthood

  • Managing finances

This is taught in lessons and integrated throughout the day whenever opportunities arise. 


Qualifications

Learners in the Blue and Green Pathways complete ASDAN Lifeskills Challenges in either the Sixth Form or LINC . 

Yellow Pathway students work towards ASDAN's Level 1 Personal and Social Effectiveness (PSE) qualification.  


Impact

We judge the impact of our PSHEE curriculum through conversations with parents/carers and students; through observations of our pupils out in the community, in workplaces and in school and through Evidence for Learning.

Our PSHEE curriculum has led to students being able to:

  • Form and sustain positive and appropriate relationships with a range of people, widening their options on leaving school
  • Form and sustain caring friendships, improving their wellbeing and ability to socialise
  • Understand intimate relationships and consent
  • Understand and look after their physical and mental health as independently as possible to lead healthier lifestyles
  • Keep themselves safe and know what to do to help keep others safe - both online and in everyday life
  • Understand the community they live in, showing respect and understanding of people with any of the protected characteristics

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