PSHE & RSE at Longlands Primary School
Intent
Our intention at Longlands Primary School is that, when children leave us, they have the knowledge, skills and attitudes that they need to navigate the complexities of life in the 21st Century with the understanding and emotions to be able to play an active role in society. We want our children to be equipped to make informed choices now and in the future around their health, safety, wellbeing, relationships that will support them in becoming confident individuals.
What do we want for our pupils?
- Develop a confidence in sharing their own thoughts and opinions with others.
- Develop skills and characteristics to keep themselves healthy and safe.
- Develop an attitude of a responsible global citizen.
- To show tolerance of others’ beliefs, religions and life choices.
- To build positive, respectful relationships with other people.
Implementation
All pupils access regular PSHE/RSE lessons in 5 areas of learning which include: families and relationships, health and wellbeing, safety and the changing body, citizenship and economic wellbeing. We also deliver ‘No Outsiders’ lessons which provides all year groups with access to issues on diversity, equality and equal opportunities at an age-appropriate level through texts. We also teach the principles of Zones of Regulation to all pupils.
Each year group has an introductory lesson that provides the opportunity for children and teachers to negotiate expectations and responsibilities for the lessons. These are useful to refer to as the year progresses to create and maintain a safe environment for learning,
Visitors such as the fire service and community support officers provide additional learning to complement our PSHE curriculum. Assemblies are planned to cover topics that would benefit the whole school and deal with issued not just directly in the school community but also in the wider world. Incidental lessons that take into consideration current events are introduced to help pupils understand issues that may be causing some concern or has been widely covered in media channels.
Impact
We firmly believe that a meaningful PSHE curriculum is the key to children becoming confident, tolerant and able to utilise their learning within their daily lives from dealing with friendship issues to resilience to making healthy choices and knowing where and how to get help when needed.
Children can approach a range of real-life situations and apply their skills and attributes to help navigate themselves through their life. From exposure to a range of global issues and problems, children can build tolerance and a sense of responsibility of being a global citizen as well as developing an awareness of different lifestyles that people may live while being respectful and tolerant towards those leading different lives to themselves.
Click here for our Long Term Plan
Click here for the overview of our Curriculum Progression
Physical Literacy
Physical literacy is a notion that views a person’s mind and body as a whole, and that by developing the child through a combination of areas (physically, emotionally and cognitively) they will grow up to be physically active.
The International Physical Literacy Association describes physical literacy as “the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life.” (IPLA, 2017)
The theory is that by blending different areas, such as the physical competence of a skill set, the confidence to want to use it, the motivation to want to use it, the knowledge of the activity, rules, tactics, how to be healthy, etc., and the understanding of when and how to use it, we begin to develop a value and a love for being physically active throughout our lives.
Although it starts from birth, the most important window for children to become physically literate is through their primary school years. It is dependent on several factors:
- The support systems around the child; parents, teachers, peers – Positive influences; role models, people encouraging and aiding physical activity.
- Positive experiences that the child encounters within and around physical activity.
- The physical environment around the child to offer a wide variety of opportunities and experiences.
- Age and ability appropriate activities and challenges for the child to achieve success and develop a feeling of worth.
With the right support and opportunities, this will lead the child, teenager, and then adult, to making and wanting to make good decisions about their health and own physical wellbeing. It will lead to an active life and choosing to be active for internal reasons.
Can physical literacy be taught?
Physical Literacy cannot be taught. It is a by-product of exposure to many and varied physical opportunities and challenges. In school, it is the outcome of high-quality Physical Education and school sport. It helps primary school children to become competent and confident movers from an early age, whilst helping them understand movement, motivating them to move and understand why they need to be active. Failure to develop their movement skills will subsequently reduce their interest and ability to take part in physical activity and will limit their mobility skills into adulthood.
If a child cannot throw and catch a ball, they will lack the confidence to play in front of others which will deter them from playing in the future. Just like children who do not learn to read become adults who won’t read.
To ensure we are developing physically literate children we must think about why and how we teach primary school PE. Creating an environment where children want to be physically active, where children are confident to participate without shaming, and where relationships are built between pupil and teacher to help motivation, is far more fundamental than delivering a lesson to create the next elite performer. That is not to say that elite sport does not have a place. There are routes and pathways for elite athletes, and these should be challenged and explored appropriately, but teaching Physical Education should be more about developing the whole child rather than developing the next England hockey player.
Developing physical literacy outside of PE
Physical literacy can also be developed outside of curriculum time. Increasing experiences through breakfast, lunch and after school clubs provides opportunity to try different activities and learn different skills or practise skills in different ways. Learning through play is a valuable part of physical literacy. Maximising opportunities through resources, equipment, and activities, not only for early years provision, but throughout Key Stage One and Key Stage Two during break times.
Offering competition throughout the key stages can also help motivate children. Competition drives some people, and although the concept of physical literacy is about the intrinsic drive and internal value of being physically active, competition can sometimes be the beginning of that, or the early connection.
Conclusion
The goal of having our next generation physically literate would have a huge impact on future society. Encouraging a nation of people to be active, and them wanting to be active, could be the answer to so many health problems. Not to mention the economic, financial, and medical benefits for the world. Know that if you can provide opportunities for children to build motivation and confidence through appropriate age and stage development, and that you can build their physical competence, as well as knowledge and understanding, you are positively contributing to the physical literacy concept.
To watch at home
Reception/Year 1 lesson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N072H-1d-DU
Year 3 lesson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Snun7GdEWqM
Year 6 lesson
PSHE & RSE at Longlands Primary School
