PSHE
At Westwood, we believe that PSHE has the power to enhance the health and well-being of children, their families and the wider school community. We understand that unmet emotional needs, lack of social skills and poor mental health issues can create barriers to learning and life opportunities, therefore, we endeavour to provide PSHE learning which addresses these challenges. We hope to develop our children’s social skills so that they can they can form strong and positive relationships with peers and adults. We strive to grow their emotional literacy so that they have the tools and language to discuss their emotions. We want to nurture positive relationships with themselves and others. We seek to develop children’s resilience and confidence so they are able to cope with the challenges in their daily lives, both now and in the future. We believe Mindfulness can act as a tool to develop emotional health and hope to equip our children with tools to be more aware of their thoughts and feelings and develop strategies to regulate and manage these. We hope to equip our children for happy, healthy lives by supporting personal development and improving their capacity to learn and their life chances.
RSHE (Relationships, Sex & Health Education)
The Department for Education announced changes to Relationships and Sex Education following nationwide consultation. These changes came into effect from September 2020 and all schools are required to comply with the updated requirements. Due to COVID 19, schools have been able to delay this until the summer term 2021. The statutory guidance can be found here.
The new guidance focuses on healthy relationships and keeping children safe in the modern world. It also covers a wide range of topics relating to physical and mental health, well-being, safeguarding and healthy relationships. Learning about the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up will give children and young people the information, skills and positive values to have safe, fulfilling relationships and help them take responsibility for their own well-being.
Consequently, from September 2020, Relationships, along with Health Education, became statutory, and formed part of the National Curriculum. For Secondary schools, Sex Education also became statutory. The DfE do recommend that all primary schools should have a sex education programme tailored to the age and the physical and emotional maturity of the pupils.
Where schools provide Sex Education at Key Stages 1 and 2, parents will have the right to withdraw their child from Sex Education but not from statutory Relationships Education, Health Education or what is taught in the Science National curriculum.