PSHE/RSE

Intent

At Kielder Primary School and Nursery, PSHE and RSE play a central role in supporting pupils’ personal development, wellbeing and preparation for life in modern Britain. Our curriculum is guided by the PSHE Association Programme of Study and is designed to help pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to stay safe, healthy and happy, build positive relationships and become responsible, active members of their communities.

PSHE at Kielder is ambitious and inclusive. It is carefully planned to meet the needs of all pupils, including those in mixed-age classes, and to support children’s emotional, social and moral development alongside their academic learning.

A key strength of our PSHE curriculum is its clear progression in personal, social and emotional knowledge, vocabulary and ways of thinking. Pupils are explicitly taught how to use appropriate language to describe feelings, relationships, rights, responsibilities and choices. This enables them to talk about sensitive topics with increasing confidence, accuracy and maturity as they move through the school.

PSHE strongly supports our Thrive and Excel @ Kielder Framework by developing pupils’ wellbeing, communication, resilience, reflection, empathy and responsible decision-making. Pupils are encouraged to understand themselves, respect others, reflect on their choices and take positive action to support their own and others’ wellbeing.

Implementation

PSHE and RSE are delivered through carefully sequenced units across Reception to Year 6, following the three core themes of the PSHE Association Programme of Study:

• Health and Wellbeing

• Relationships

• Living in the Wider World

These themes are revisited and built upon so that pupils develop secure understanding and increasing independence over time.

Each unit clearly sets out:

• Core knowledge related to health, relationships and life in modern society.

• Key vocabulary, including Tier 2 disciplinary vocabulary (e.g. respect, responsibility, choice, safety, rights, diversity, equality, resilience, wellbeing) and Tier 3 topic-specific vocabulary (e.g. bullying, puberty, consent, democracy, addiction, discrimination).

• Progressive ‘I can’ statements, showing increasing maturity, reflection and application across year groups.

• Planned opportunities for discussion, role play and reflection, enabling pupils to explore real-life scenarios in a safe and supportive environment.

This structure and progression are clearly set out in the Whole-School PSHE Curriculum and Vocabulary Framework.

Knowledge, Vocabulary and Conceptual Progression

A defining feature of PSHE at Kielder is the explicit and structured progression in how pupils use personal, social and emotional vocabulary.

Across the school, pupils develop increasing confidence and accuracy in using:

• Tier 2 disciplinary vocabulary to talk about feelings, relationships, choices, safety, fairness, diversity, equality and wellbeing.

• Tier 3 topic-specific vocabulary linked to specific areas of learning, such as bullying, puberty, consent, democracy, addiction and discrimination.

Progression frameworks clearly show how pupils move from recognising and naming basic feelings and relationships in EYFS, to explaining, evaluating and justifying decisions using precise PSHE vocabulary in upper KS2. This ensures that pupils are not simply learning about PSHE topics, but are developing the language and thinking skills needed to reflect, reason and make informed choices.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching and learning in PSHE at Kielder is discussion-rich, reflective and rooted in real-life contexts. Lessons are carefully structured to create a safe and supportive environment where pupils feel confident to share ideas, ask questions and explore sensitive topics appropriately.

Teachers model respectful language and listening, supporting pupils to express thoughts clearly, consider different viewpoints and reflect on how actions affect themselves and others. Role-play, scenarios, group discussion and guided reflection are used to help pupils apply learning to real-life situations.

In mixed-age classes, teaching is carefully adapted to ensure that content is age-appropriate and pitched correctly for different developmental stages. This ensures that younger pupils build foundational understanding, while older pupils deepen thinking, take greater responsibility and engage with more complex issues.

Safeguarding, Wellbeing and RSE

PSHE and RSE make a vital contribution to safeguarding and wellbeing at Kielder. Pupils are taught how to:

• Recognise and manage emotions.

• Build healthy and respectful relationships.

• Understand personal boundaries and consent in an age-appropriate way.

• Keep themselves safe, including online and in the community.

• Know how and where to seek help and support.

RSE is taught in line with statutory guidance and the PSHE Association Programme of Study. Content is delivered sensitively, with clear progression and appropriate communication with parents and carers.

Assessment, Proof of Progress (POP) and Inclusion

Assessment in PSHE focuses on pupils’ understanding, reflection and application of learning. This includes:

• Ongoing formative assessment through discussion, observation and reflective activities.

• End-of-unit Proof of Progress (POP) tasks, which provide evidence of what pupils know, understand and can apply in relation to PSHE and RSE themes.

• Use of written reflections, discussions and scenario-based activities to demonstrate progression over time.

POP tasks are used to identify strengths, gaps and next steps, allowing teachers to revisit key concepts, reinforce vocabulary and adapt teaching to meet pupils’ needs.

SEND pupils are supported through scaffolding, adapted activities and additional adult support, ensuring access to the same ambitious PSHE and RSE curriculum.

Impact

The impact of our PSHE and RSE curriculum is seen in pupils who:

• Demonstrate secure understanding of how to look after their physical and mental wellbeing.

• Build and sustain respectful, positive relationships.

• Use PSHE vocabulary confidently to explain feelings, choices and responsibilities.

• Show empathy, respect and understanding of diversity and difference.

• Make informed, responsible decisions in a range of situations.

• Understand their rights and responsibilities within school and the wider community.

• Show resilience, confidence and reflective thinking when faced with challenges.

Assessment information, POP tasks, pupil voice, discussions and observations demonstrate that learning builds securely over time and that pupils are developing strong personal, social and emotional understanding.

Through our PSHE and RSE curriculum, pupils leave Kielder Primary School and Nursery as confident, caring and responsible young people. They demonstrate the TEK Framework competencies of wellbeing, communication, resilience, reflection and responsible decision-making, and are well prepared for the personal and social challenges of secondary education and life beyond school.