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PSHE

We currently use the curriculum framework called SCARF, this is supported by a yearly visit from the Life Bus. SCARF provides the framework for a whole-school approach to improving children’s wellbeing and progress, based on five values: Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience, Friendship. SCARF provides a whole-school teaching framework centred on the ‘Growth Mindset’ approach – promoting positive behaviour, mental health, wellbeing, resilience and achievement. The SCARF values are brought to life through stories of Harold the giraffe and his friends, songs, films, and thought-provoking and fun activities. As children get older, while they still cherish Harold, themes about wellbeing and relationships are explored in greater depth and resources are tailored to their age group.

SCARF provides a strong foundation for children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural education (SMSC) and development; it is at the heart of the SCARF curriculum.  SCARF provides a robust framework for promoting a positive ethos and values cross the school community, contributing significantly to British Values education, both explicitly and implicitly.
The focus across the three themes of:

  • Health and Wellbeing
  • Relationships
  • Living in the Wider WorldThese themes help foster and develop children’s responsibility for their own actions; respect for the actions and beliefs of others; an understanding of how each individual is protected by the rule of law; and how everyone can make a positive contribution to society through the democratic process.Throughout the course of the year the PHSE curriculum is enhanced through participation in:
  • Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE)
  • TRIP: a life skills programme which aims to equip and prepare young people for adolescence
  • Whole school awareness days/weeks, e.g. Anti-Bullying Week, Children’s Mental Health Week etc.

Relationship and Sex Education

We are required to teach Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) as part of our PSHE curriculum. High quality RSE helps create a safe school community in which our pupils can grow, learn and develop positive, healthy behaviour for life. RSE should be provided for all children, in a manner which is appropriate to their age and development, as part of a wider teaching programme which emphasises the importance of family life and personal development. Such teaching falls within the framework of National Curriculum Science, which includes aspects of Life and Living Processes.

Our aims of Relationship and Sex Education at St James’ C of E Primary School are:
* To ensure RSE is part of a child’s broad, balanced curriculum, integral to the basic curriculum of the school and part of the child’s all-round development.
* To enable pupils to understand the qualities of healthy relationships based on Christian principles, including the importance of marriage and lifelong commitments as a basis for sexual relationships.
* To prepare children for healthy relationships in an online world.
* To understand how to stay safe, know the importance of boundaries and how to report abuse or feelings of being unsafe.
* Help pupils develop a positive and secure personal identity, a sense of their own value and feelings of confidence and empathy.
*Create a positive culture around issues of relationships and sexuality.
*To ensure that all understand the importance of respecting others and accepting those who differ yet challenging those behaviours and attitudes which exploit others and do not reflect Christian values.
* To know how to ‘love your neighbour’ even when we might disagree.
* To value and respect all family units and dynamics as outlined in ‘Valuing All God’s Children’ (Church of England, 2007).

The majority of RSE will be taught in the Summer Term, however other links may happen throughout the year. Parents will be given prior notice of any specific programme of Relationships and Sex Education and be given an opportunity to view any teaching materials with the teachers concerned. The Governors will continue to review their policy on Sex Education in light of the new National Curriculum and parents will be kept informed of any changes.

Please see the RSE policy below for any further information that you may require. If you could like to discuss this further, please call the school office and ask to speak to Miss Dunne (PSHE Subject Leader).

Mental Health and Well-Being

As a school, we believe that our Mental Health and Well-Being is of utmost importance. We strive to make our school a safe haven for all children, in a caring and happy atmosphere.

With this being so, we celebrate various days throughout the year to further support and raise awareness our Mental Health and Well-Being, along with raising money for charities that are close to our hearts!

PSHE Curriculum At St James Church Of England Primary School

PSHE in Action St James'

Yr2 PSHE SCARF - Life Ed Visit

The Life Education Service visited school today and we had a great time in Year 2 finding out about feelings and the human body. There was even a surprise visit from our old friend Harold the Giraffe.

Yr2 PSHE SCARF - Life Ed Visit

Yr3 PSHE SCARF - Life Ed Visit

This half-term, Yr3 had the pleasure of welcoming back our friend Steven from Life Ed. Steven talked to us all about our bodies, the signals our brain sends around our bodies, the importance of looking after our bodies and then we got a special visit from Harold the Giraffe.

Yr3 PSHE SCARF - Life Ed Visit

Religion and Belief Equality Badge & the Race Equality Badge

Miss Dunne’s amazing hard work showed how we promote equality throughout our school by achieving the accreditation of Religion & Belief Badge and Race Equality Badge. Well done to all our school family for their support as we continue to work towards more amazing awards.

Religion and Belief Equality Badge & the Race Equality Badge

Our PSHE programme of study – SCARF (Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience, Friendship) aims to equip our pupils with the knowledge, understanding, skills and strategies required to become healthy, independent and responsible members of society. Our curriculum intends to develop the whole child through carefully planned and resourced lessons that foster pupils’ knowledge and skills necessary to grow personally and socially, to protect and enhance their wellbeing, to stay safe and healthy, build and maintain successful relationships and become active citizens, who are able to responsibly contribute to our diverse society. SCARF promotes a deep understanding of British Values, developing appreciation of others and their value in society, as well as build positive views of themselves, so as to develop their self-worth, a strong sense of identity and become confident citizens by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community. All the topics support social, moral, spiritual and cultural development and provide all pupils with appropriate and essential safeguarding knowledge to enable them to know they can ask for help.

The SCARF programme of study is fully in line with the learning outcomes and core themes of the PSHE Association scheme of work. It covers all the required objectives and follows the three core areas of Health and Wellbeing, Relationships and Living in the Wider World. It also fulfils the requirements of the 2020 Statutory Relationship and Health Education which enables all pupils to build good, safe and healthy relationships now and in their future lives.

At St James’ Church of England Primary School, we have a clear and comprehensive programme of study for PSHE – SCARF. This is a high-quality, inspiring curriculum with excellent enrichment experiences to enable pupils to develop essential life skills.  It is designed to be taught in thematic units with a spiral approach, ensuring themes can be revisited and pupils can recall and build upon previous learning, exploring the underlying principles of PSHE education regularly at a depth that is appropriate for the age and stage of their education.  All lessons include supporting materials, including building a rich bank of vocabulary, a curiosity for learning, and fostering imagination and learning. SCARF takes into account pupils’ multiple intelligence and learning styles: visual, auditory and kinesthetic (VAK) and this is reflected in the units of work and every lesson. We aim to deliver our PSHE curriculum in a creative way by using strategies such as role play, music, singing, discussion, debate, games, etc. These strategies enable pupils to build upon our Christian values  of Endurance, Forgiveness, Koinonia, Peace, Thankfulness and Trust.

SCARF links well with our clear and comprehensive RSE scheme of work. The curriculum follows the Diocese requirements. PSHE is an important part of our school assemblies where pupil’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural curiosity is stimulated, challenged and nurtured. Our key focuses include themes such as Picture News, antibullying, online safety and reinforcement of our school values. The curriculum also provides supportive resources to extend pupils’ learning at home.

Assessment for learning opportunities are built into each unit, which enables self-evaluation, reflective learning, allowing teachers to evaluate and assess progress. It also offers a tool for summative assessment, creating opportunities to record and track achievement.

The SCARF programme of study provides our school with an effective framework for pupils’ wellbeing. Pupils are enabled to develop the vocabulary, confidence and resilience to clearly articulate their thoughts and feelings within an environment that encourage openness, trust and respect and know when and how they can seek the support of others. They will apply their understanding of society to their everyday interactions, from the classroom and the school to the wider community they are part of. SCARF actively supports our school which prioritises physical and mental health, providing pupils with the skills to evaluate their own wellbeing needs, practice self-care and contribute positively to the wellbeing of those around them.

Our PSHE provision has a positive impact on the whole child, including their attainment and progress, by mitigating any social and emotional barriers to learning and build on their self-esteem. In our school we use SCARF as a tool to promote wellbeing, safeguarding and SMSC outcomes. We believe that through the effective delivery of the SCARF curriculum we enable pupils to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to succeed at school and in the wider world.

Miss C Dunne

PSHE Co-ordinator

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Miss C Dunne

PSHE Co-ordinator