PSHE and RSE

Intent

At Earlham Primary School, we believe that Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education and Relationships, Sex Education (RSE), supports our children to stay healthy, safe and prepared for life in an increasingly complex world, which presents children with many opportunities, challenges and responsibilities, whilst growing up.

We aim to deliver a rich and balanced curriculum that helps children to achieve their academic potential and to prepare them with the essential knowledge, skills, and attributes they need to manage their lives, now and in the future.

Our core and British Values are embedded within our school culture and underpin everything we do, ultimately, our aim is to prepare our children for a better future that celebrates and respects diversity and differences whilst understanding the needs of our individual pupils. We believe it is imperative for children to be given the tools to be successful. Through carefully planned and resourced lessons, which support social, moral, spiritual and cultural development, we are providing them with the essentials of safeguarding issues and emotional well-being, in an environment that is respectful, safe and supportive.

By the time children reach Year 6, our PSHE and RSE lessons will have encouraged children to become self-reflective, develop their voice and strengthen their identity and self-esteem, by giving them the opportunity and confidence to contribute to society in order to become an active and good citizen.

Through Relationships Education (and RSE), schools should teach pupils the knowledge they need to recognise and to report abuse, including emotional, physical and sexual abuse. In primary schools, this can be delivered by focusing on boundaries and privacy, ensuring young people understand that they have rights over their own bodies. This should also include understanding boundaries in friendships with peers and also in families and with others, in all contexts, including online.

Pupils should know how to report concerns and seek advice when they suspect or know that something is wrong. At all stages it will be important to balance teaching children about making sensible decisions to stay safe (including online) whilst being clear it is never the fault of a child who is abused and why victim blaming is always wrong. These subjects complement Health Education and as part of a comprehensive programme and whole school approach, this knowledge can support safeguarding of children.

Please see the full statutory guidance here

Relationships education (Primary) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Overview and implementation

PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) education is a school subject through which pupils at Earlham, develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to keep themselves healthy and safe, and prepared for life and work. At Earlham, we aim to develop skills and attributes such as resilience, self-esteem, risk-management, team working and critical thinking in the context of some core themes: health and wellbeing, relationships and living in the wider world (including economic wellbeing). PSHE learning is essential to personal development, behaviour, and welfare and safeguarding and underpins all the subjects we teach at Earlham.

Staff follow the PSHE association Scheme of Work for PSHE and RSE as whole school schemes, to plan their lessons and are in accordance with Curriculum expectations as well as RSE Guidance for 2026. This includes delivery of topics on online safety, relationships and sex education. There will be parent consultation meetings to share the PSHE/RSE Curriculum in the Summer Term of 2026.

The Curriculum is split into 3 themes and is taught so topics are delivered to match the maturity and needs of the pupils, as they move up the year groups:

Autumn Term – Relationships
Spring Term – Living In the Wider World
Summer Term – Health and Wellbeing

Through this, we place strong emphasis on emotional literacy, building resilience, nurturing mental and physical health and mindfulness. This allows children to advance their emotional awareness, concentration and focus. Our children also engage in enhancing experiences such as World Mental Health Day, Anti-Bullying Week, E-safety day.

At Earlham, Personal Social Health Education (PSHE) including Relationships Sex Education (RSE) is at the heart of our school ethos and runs throughout all that we do. All year groups are taught regularly timetabled PSHE / RSE lessons with adults whom the pupils are familiar with, trust and adhere to the school’s policy and Teacher’s standards including British Values.

Lessons are adapted to meet the needs of each individual class and pupil and to deal with issues as they arise. Lessons are delivered in a way that ensures that our children feel safe and encourages participation by using a variety of teaching approaches with opportunities to develop critical thinking and relationship skills. Pupil voice is collected and used to ensure lessons meet the needs of our pupils. Assemblies, themed days, visits and visitors are used to support and enrich the subjects being taught. We work in partnership with parents/carers informing them about what their children are learning. We give parents voices to be involved and aware of what we are teaching children.

Earlham’s lessons:

-promote safe, equal, caring and enjoyable relationships. Discussion points around real-life issues appropriate to the age and stage of pupils, including friendships, families, consent, relationship abuse, sexual exploitation and safe relationships online.

- give a positive view of human sexuality, with honest and medically accurate information, so that pupils can learn about their bodies and sexual and reproductive health in ways that are appropriate to their age and maturity.

-gives pupils opportunities to reflect on values and influences (such as from peers, media, faith and culture) that may shape their attitudes to relationships and sex, and nurtures respect for different views.

-includes learning about how to get help and treatment from varies sources which range from, the school nurse and other health and advice services, including reliable and trusted information online.

-fosters gender equality and LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans) equality and challenges all forms of discrimination.

-meet the needs of all pupils with their diverse experiences - including those with special educational needs and disabilities.

Earlham Primary School

PSHE and RSE

Intent

Overview and implementation

Whole School Curriculum Map

Overview and progression document