In an ever-changing world, the role of PSHEE within a whole school approach to pastoral care and wellbeing has never been more important. The now well-established link between happy, confident pupils comfortable in their surroundings and their subsequent academic achievement has been presented with unprecedented challenges.

PSHEE is the planned provision that promotes pupils’ personal, social and emotional development, as well as their health and wellbeing. The PSHEE curriculum plays a vital role in assisting the Rose Hill School mission statement: ‘A Rose Hill child’s learning experience is one of aspiration, adventure, and achievement in a nurturing caring school’.

At Rose Hill School, pupils receive a comprehensive education across the strands of Relationships, Health and Wellbeing and Living in the Wider World incorporating the recent statutory guidance for Health and Relationships Education. Pupils are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need in order to lead confident, healthy and independent lives. We aim to help children understand how they are developing personally and socially and tackle many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up.

We endeavour to give pupils an understanding of the rights and responsibilities that are part of being a good citizen and introduce them to some of the principles of prudent financial planning and understanding, therefore, developing a secure sense of identity in order to function well in the world. Careers Education is taught in Year 7 and 8 to help our pupils build knowledge, develop self-help skills, manage change and build the resilience needed to deal with success and failure. Lessons intend to prepare pupils to make informed choices at Year 9 by developing core skills that will equip them to research and manage their own career pathways. This is supported by a Key Stage 3 enrichment programme which invites speakers from a range of employment to speak directly to pupils.

We believe that the personal, social and health development of each child, in conjunction with their citizenship skills, has a significant role in their ability to learn. We value the importance of PSHEE in preparing children for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life. In addition, we believe that a child needs to learn about the many emotional aspects of life and how to manage their own emotions.

School based PSHEE complements and helps children and young people make sense of what is implicitly and explicitly learnt at home from parents, carers, family, friends and wider society. This is an important part of their personal development.

A variety of teaching and learning strategies are used to deliver PSHEE at Rose Hill School, which consider pupils’ age, development, understanding and needs. Emphasis is placed upon pupils learning in a safe, secure climate to be able to explore their own and others’ attitudes, values and skills. Because PSHEE education works within pupils’ real-life experiences, it is essential to establish a safe learning environment. Clear ‘ground rules’ and a confidentiality policy, that is understood by all, are important elements of creating this.

Effective PSHEE lessons involve a high level of interaction where each pupil has planned opportunities for learning through:

• The development of a trusting relationship between the teacher and the pupils enabling the consideration of sensitive issues to take place;
• Collaborative and interactive work;
• Circle time activities;
• Research and presentations using a variety of media;
• Opportunities for reflection;
• Challenge within a safe environment;
• Respect for each other’s contributions;
• Building on current experience and using first-hand experiences to achieve positive ends.

The COVID – 19 pandemic presented challenges never so great for school children in recent generations. Two considerable periods away from school saw pupils isolated from friends, teachers and face to face interaction. The need for PSHEE and its pastoral systems to not be prescriptive was crucial. At this time, the ability to adapt to address the needs of pupils was critical.

Flexibility within a thorough and rigorous curriculum enables proactive responses relevant to the world pupils are growing up in. This is continually evident in the teaching of PSHEE at Rose Hill with recent global events, such as the war in Ukraine, being addressed to provide pupils with knowledge, understanding and reassurance.

A whole school approach to the subject is vital: we believe that PSHEE teaching will not impact upon beliefs and behaviour if school systems, structures, experiences and expectations do not support classroom learning. The Rose Hill School Promise based on five keys for success (organisation, getting along, confidence, persistence and resilience) is embedded into pupil culture encouraging positive behaviours in all aspects of school life.

Duncan Stacey

Head of Upper School & PSHEE.