PSHE helps to give pupils the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to lead confident, healthy, independent lives, and to become informed, active, responsible citizens.
PSHE is delivered throughout the Federation through the PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) programme. This programme is designed to promote social competence, awareness and understanding, as well as facilitating educational processes in the classroom.
The PATHS curriculum within the Federation is embedded across the school from Reception to Year 6. We have ensured that all EYFS & KS1 classes have access to feeling faces within the classroom to allow the children to show us how they are feeling throughout the day. All classes and MSAs use a traffic light face system to support behaviour and a gold face is used at the end of each week to praise those children for excellent behaviour and good work. Each day a child in every class is selected as the PATHS Special Person. This child has special responsibilities and privileges and receives a compliment slip as part of the PATHS programme. Compliments come from both the staff and their peers and they take this home to then be added to by their family. All classes have a PATHS notice board promoting the Federation Golden Rules, PATHS’ pupil of the day/Special Person, our British Values poster and a collection of compliments, received by the children. The Federation has an additional rule to the Golden Rules which is the PATHS rule: ‘To treat others the way you want to be treated’
PATHS lessons are taught weekly throughout the Federation. These lessons are designed for each year group and contain activities using pictures and photographs. The lessons use a range of teaching methods such as stories, role play, puppets and adults modelling behaviour to the children. The lessons are relevant to the children’s individual experiences as they encourage pupils to recall personal experiences, feelings and thoughts to make informed choices. Teachers evaluate and assess the children in PSHE/PATHS termly and keep evidence of pupil voice in a class book.
Within the EYFS continuous provision to develop each child’s personal, social and emotional skills is evaluated daily through observations.
The PSHE objectives are supplemented throughout other curriculum areas and activities, including RSE and assemblies.
Learning about British Values
We actively promote British values in our school at an age appropriate level: democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs. Throughout the Federation we consider what this means to us, to the people who live in our communities and around the country as a whole.
These British Values link closely to our golden rules.
Please see PowerPoint.
PATHS
Reception & Year 1
This term Twiggle the turtle and his friends have visited each week to talk about different types of feelings and emotions, and how they make us feel inside. Twiggle has taught the children how to recognise and manage their own feelings, and how to recognise the feelings of others.
During PATHS lessons over the spring term we have been learning about feeling calm & relaxed, excited and tired. The children have talked about their own experiences, listened to their friends, and thought about how our faces (and sometimes our bodies) change when we experience one of these feelings. The children catorgrised the feelings we have been discussing throughout the year into ‘comfortable’ and ‘uncomfortable’. This helped us to work out how best to deal with them. We also discussed the importance of sharing and how to solve simple friendship problems when they arise.
Twiggle taught the children a calming down technique to use at school and at home.
- STOP
- Take a deep breath
- Talk about the problem
Twiggle has also introduced the children to his friends – Henrietta the hedgehog, Duke the dog and Daphne the duck. He read them a story about being a good friend and gave us all posters for our classrooms.
During the PATHS lessons we have talked about the importance of giving compliments to others, and how receiving a compliment can make us feel. We make sure each class ‘Special Person’ receives a compliment slip every day.
Year 2
The Year 2 children have been recapping and expanding on the feelings they have learnt about in Reception and Year 1. The children have been asked to discuss their own experiences, and role play different scenarios.
In Year 2 the children were introduced to the ‘Traffic Light Control Signals’ at the beginning of the year as a strategy to use when they feel they may need to calm down. Each class has been given a poster to display in their room.
This term the children have discussed a wide range of themes:
Feeling angry
Surprised – Expected and uncomfortable surprises
What it means to be private
Keeping secrets
Friendships and feeling lonely
Feeling shy
Feeling embarrassed
What are manners?
The children in Year 2 have also been thinking about how they can problem solve for themselves when an issue arises within their friendship group or during their learning.
Year 3
This half term, year 3 have been learning about control signals in PSHE as part of their PATHS lessons. They have been learning strategies to help them control their emotions, when something goes wrong and they feel angry. The traffic lights help them to stop and take time to think about how they are feeling and what they need to do next. Look at their super posters to learn some of the tips that they have come up with, to help them manage their feelings. This helps them think about the consequences of their next actions and helps them to make the right choices.
To start the year, Year 3 children are fostering a positive environment and working on developing their self-esteem. They are taught the basic emotions that they might feel, how to manage them and ways to express themselves.
Throughout the year, they develop their understanding of emotions in terms of establishing better relationships and improving self-control, self-awareness and anger management.
They also consider transitions, ready for the end of the school year.
Year 4
Year 4 pick up on and extend the topic of feelings and relationships. They learn about how to make good decisions and solve problems, thinking through the consequences and thereby being more independent and resilient. They also learn about responsibilities and caring for others.
Year 5
Problem solving is a valuable skill to have, through our lives. Children are taught the stages that they need to go through in various scenarios. They consider how to make and keep friends as well as being responsible and caring for others. They also have time to reflect on their goals and establish their sense of identity.
Year 6
Year 6 pick up on the emotions and relationships theme by looking at conflict resolution and respect. They are taught skills to help them study and develop their organisational skills. To finish off their time in Junior School, they think about dealing with endings and transitions to new settings.