Personal, Social and Health Education

What does this look like in PSHE?

At English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, we deliver a fully integrated and holistic programme in RHE/PSHE that truly enables children to be aspirational, curious and engaged learners. We make links to the British Values ensuring we are fully inclusive.

Curriculum Intent:

We have adopted Life to the Full by Ten Ten Resources to structure our schemes of work, ensuring clear progression across all strands of the subject. We deliver the full programme over three terms each year using a spiral curriculum. This means key topics are revisited and built on over time—for example, the full Key Stage 1 programme is taught in both Year 1 and Year 2.

Each term, we revisit Protective Behaviours as part of the Warwickshire Taking Care scheme. This approach helps everyone understand their right to feel safe and take responsibility for their own well-being. We explore the idea that responsibility is not about blame or punishment, but about our ability to respond. We discuss the difference between being responsible for ourselves and to others and learn to recognise the physical signs—called Early Warning Signs (EWS)—that tell us when we don't feel safe. These signs are universal, making Protective Behaviours relevant to everyone. We also explore the second key theme: “We can talk with someone about anything, even if it feels awful or small.” We look at the importance of talking, what might happen if we don’t, and how to build a trusted support network. We discuss what makes someone a good person to talk to and how to let them know we need help.

As children grow and develop socially, morally, culturally, and spiritually, their understanding deepens. Repeating and progressing through topics helps them build on previous learning. Sessions can be adjusted depending on the needs of the class—some may be skipped if not relevant or revisited with more focus if needed.

We are a Growth Mindset school, committed to high expectations and helping children take pride in their achievements while owning their learning. We encourage every child to aspirational, curious, and engaged in their learning, working hard to become responsible citizens at school, home, and beyond. We strive for excellence, support one another, embrace diversity, and celebrate each other’s talents through a curriculum built on these core values.

Curriculum Implementation:

Each lesson focusses on a manageable step of new learning based on three Modules which are based on the Model Catholic RSE Curriculum:

MODULE 1: Created and Loved by God

MODULE 2: Created to Love Others

MODULE 3: Created to Live in Community

What a typical lesson looks like:

Flashback: an opportunity for pupils to retrieve and build upon previously acquired skills, through a ‘Last Lesson, Last Unit, Last Year, Challenge’ approach.

Teach it: introduction to new learning with live modelling and explicit addressing of potential misconceptions.

Practise it: Children are given the opportunity to practise and use new skills. Learning can be independent and collaborative, all pupils participate through active learning strategies.

Prove it: Children apply new knowledge and skills. They make choices, explain ideas, select, categorise, classify information, investigate problems, evaluate and justify giving reasons for their ideas.

Dig deeper: Children can take their learning further and outside of the classroom or research around the area taught.

Assessment

Learning is captured through:

• Pupil voice
• Lesson drop ins
• Book scrutiny
• Data drops

Curriculum Impact:

The impact of PSHE teaching at English Martyrs will ensure our children will…

• embrace the challenges of creating a happy and successful adult life
• have the knowledge that will enable them to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships
• build their self-efficacy
• be able to put their knowledge into practice as they develop the capacity to make sound decisions when facing risks, challenges and complex contexts
• develop resilience, to know how and when to ask for help, and to know where to access support
• have a deep understanding and uphold the Christian beliefs in the unique dignity of the human person made in the image and likeness of God
• will reflect Gods beauty and understand they share in God’s divine creativity

Monitoring, Evaluation and Review

English Martyr’s approach to Monitoring, Evaluation and Review in PSHE which comprises of the following:

• Learning walks and lesson drop ins
• Pupil voice
• Book trawls
• Data analysis