Life Skills – Edward Peake

Subject Leader – Mrs K Corby

Introduction

At Edward Peake School, personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) enables our children to become healthy, independent and responsible members of a society. It aims to help them understand how they are developing personally and socially, and tackles many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up. We provide our children with opportunities for them to learn about rights and responsibilities and appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society. Our children are encouraged to develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community.

We believe that the purpose of PSHCE education is to build, where appropriate, on the statutory content already outlined in the national curriculum, the basic school curriculum and in statutory guidance on: drug education, financial education, citizenship, personal safety, relationship and sex education (RSE) and the importance of physical activity and diet for a healthy lifestyle.

At Edward Peake, we believe that PSHCE plays a vital part of education and needs to be taught weekly. This enables staff to ensure full coverage of PSHCE (including RSE) is taught to each year group. PSHCE is integral to the development of children’s values in order for them to become a positive citizen in a forever changing community. PSHCE is also an important part of collective worship, where children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural curiosity is stimulated, challenged and nurtured.

Intent:

The intention of the Life Skills curriculum is to equip pupils with essential skills for life so that pupils can stay safe and healthy, including online. Pupils have the knowledge and skills to build and maintain healthy relationships and are able to assess risk and make safe and informed decisions now and in the future. The Life Skills curriculum ensures every child is offered challenging and engaging learning experiences with Christian values at heart.

Our main aims are to:

Live: Ensure pupils develop as independent, confident and successful learners so that they can make an active contribution to society and their communities, as well as making informed and safe decisions within their own lives
Love: Ensure pupils are prepared for the next stage of their education and broaden pupils’ horizons through developing the knowledge, skills and attributes to manage life’s challenges
Learn: Develop an understanding of self and the importance of physical and mental wellbeing and to support pupils in recognising risks and how to ask for or receive support

The Life Skills curriculum has three core concepts threaded throughout. These are: Health and Wellbeing, Relationships and Living in the Wider World. The curriculum has been designed with these concepts in mind to ensure that all pupils benefit from a well structured approach to their learning in Life Skills.

The Life Skills curriculum allows equal opportunities for all pupils, regardless of their starting point or any possible barrier to learning. Life Skills allows pupils to enhance their understanding of themselves, their communities and the wider world. Pupils’ cultural capital is expanded as Life Skills provides opportunities for pupils to learn about and explore cultures beyond their own.

Implementation:

Pupils are encouraged to broaden and deepen knowledge of Life Skills whilst showing a positive attitude to learning. The intent is implemented in Life Skills through a series of discussion, questioning, explanation and research. The Life Skills curriculum is designed and implemented so that it builds on prior knowledge and prepares pupils for the next stage in their learning. Vocabulary is available during learning time and is built upon throughout the curriculum. Pupils are given time at the beginning of lessons to display their existing knowledge and are given opportunities at the end of lessons to reflect and review what they have learnt.

	Live: Ensure pupils develop as independent, confident and successful learners so that they can make an active contribution to society and their communities, as well as making informed and safe decisions within their own lives	Love: Ensure pupils are prepared for the next stage of their education and broaden pupils’ horizons through developing the knowledge, skills and attributes to manage life’s challenges	Learn: Develop an understanding of self and the importance of physical and mental wellbeing and to support pupils in recognising risks and how to ask for or receive support
In the classroom	MTPs have sequenced objectives – schemes to have a balance between Health and Relationship Education for all year groups, and Sex Education for Year 7, 8 and 9. Citizenship is taught through Living in the Wider World. Opportunities to discuss and collaborate with peers Consistent expectations for pupils and their attitudes to learning A clear focus on Christian and British values	Development of pupils’ cultural capital through celebration of diversity and multiculturalism Sequenced learning with prior learning revisited and built upon. Opportunities in lessons to explore aspects of local, national and world issues, stigmas and misconceptions, and to explore ethnicities, cultures, traditions and religions	Quality first teaching Stimulating learning activities Opportunities for open discussions with teachers and peers Broad, balanced and knowledge-rich curriculum offering MTPs give opportunities for a range of skills to be taught and enhanced such as using vocabulary to articulate thoughts and feelings, applying knowledge through written tasks and review of prior and new learning
Out of the classroom	Appropriate & challenging home learning. Access to online resources & knowing where & how to get support.	Close links with feeder schools Visits from members of the wider community & world of work. Staff CPD on recent changes to the curriculum.	Opportunities to contribute to the school community. Pupil voice contributes to understanding of how communities and society works.

Impact:

Pupils achieve academically, are ready for their next steps in education and have high aspirations for their future.

Live: Ensure pupils develop as independent, confident and successful learners so that they can make an active contribution to society and their communities, as well as making informed and safe decisions within their own lives	Love: Ensure pupils are prepared for the next stage of their education and broaden pupils’ horizons through developing the knowledge, skills and attributes to manage life’s challenges	Learn: Develop an understanding of self and the importance of physical and mental wellbeing and to support pupils in recognising risks and how to ask for or receive support
Pupils are able to question confidently and support their responses. KS2 pupils attain broadly in line with national averages, given their starting points Progress across the four years is at least good Pupils, regardless of backgrounds, are prepared for the wider world and are able to apply knowledge and skills to social situations	Pupils are prepared to move from one year group to the next KS3 pupils are secondary ready Pupils learn about self-worth and what goals and aspirations they want to pursue now and in the future Pupils are able to manage risks and use positive strategies for challenges and change	Pupils have high aspirations for their future Pupils are prepared for the wider world Pupils extend their cultural capital Pupils will have a greater appreciation of the world as a community and the diversity within it Pupils will be able to reflect on their decisions and the impacts they may have