PSHE Education (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) is a planned programme of learning through which children and young people acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to successfully manage their lives – now and in the future. As part of a whole-school approach, PSHE Education develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society.

PSHE is a non-statutory subject however the subject makes a crucial contribution to schools' duties. According to the National Curriculum, every school needs to have a broad and balanced curriculum that:

• promotes the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school;

• prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life;

• promotes British values and children's rights.

We believe PSHE education is an important and necessary part of all pupils' education. In our school, it is a key element of school life and, as well as explicit teaching sessions which will draw on good practice and national recommendations, it will be built into many aspects of the wider curriculum.
At Bournville Village Primary School, our six core values underpin everything we do. These values are: respect, responsibility, collaboration, challenge, compassion and integrity.

Furthermore, the wellbeing and mental health of our children is vital; the introduction of the myHappymind programme in September 2024. MyHappymind is an NHS-backed curriculum in primary schools, secondary schools, and nurseries which is focused on building resilience, self-esteem, and happiness in children.

From September 2020, primary schools in England also need to teach Relationships and Health Education as compulsory subjects and the Department for Education strongly recommends this should also include age-appropriate Sex Education. Schools also have statutory responsibilities to safeguard their pupils (Keeping Children Safe in Education, DfE, 2024) and to uphold the Equality Act (2010).

In our school, PSHE education is delivered in a way which is accessible to and inclusive of all pupils. These lessons will involve a variety of teaching methods and interactive activities to encourage pupil engagement. We aim to create a safe and supportive climate for learning in which all children can thrive, feel able to ask questions and discuss issues openly.

All of our pupils will participate in weekly PSHE education lessons and these will be taught by staff who are trained in delivering the specific content of the lessons. Ground rules will be established in class and pupils will be reminded regularly of these. Special consideration will be given when teaching particularly sensitive content; staff will be fully aware of the children in their class and how they might relate to the lesson content, providing extra support to enable participation. Each class has a question/worry box which gives pupils the option of writing down their questions and receiving an answer on a one-to-one basis, rather than in front of the whole class.

We use, and subscribe to, the PSHE Association Programme of Study (Question based model). The PSHE Programme of Study was produced in consultation with a wide variety of agencies and practitioners to meet the needs of today's pupils and is regularly updated to meet these changing needs.

• Relationships

• Health and Wellbeing

• Living in the Wider World

We are now a myHappymind school!  As a whole school programme grounded in science and dedicated to building positive mental wellbeing, myHappymind helps children understand how their brains work and creates a culture that helps to build children's resilience, confidence, and self-esteem. myHappymind also teaches the children how to self-regulate and manage their emotions in stressful times, allowing them to be their very best selves! 

• Meet Your Brain: Understanding how your brain works and how to ensure we look after it so that we can manage our emotions and be at our best. Growth mindset is a key part of this too.  

• Celebrate: Understanding your unique Character Strengths and learning to celebrate them. This is a fantastic module for building self-esteem.  

• Appreciate: Understanding why gratitude matters and how you can develop gratitude as a habit. Gratitude is key to well-being and resilience and we're all about making it a lifelong strategy! 

• Relate: Understanding why positive relationships matter and how to build them. We're focussed on the building blocks of good relationships and friendships.  

• Engage: Understanding how to set meaningful goals that matter and how to stay resilient in times of challenge. This module is all about building self-esteem and resilience too 

You can find out what the children have been learning and further support the development of these good mental health habits at home through the My Happy Mind parent app.  The app includes lots of free resources including videos so that you can follow along with the children's learning as well as breathing exercises, stories and fun activities that you can do together at home.  

If you have any questions about myHappymind, please contact our Pastoral Lead, Steph Kovacs via [email protected], or alternatively telephoning the main school office. 

Should you have any questions about PSHE at Bournville Village Primary School, please contact the subject leaders: Karen Spinks and Haleigh McCabe.

[email protected]

[email protected]