Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education

The Laurus Primary PSHE & Citizenship curriculum aims to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes children need to protect and enhance their wellbeing and to independently thrive in a time of rapid change, with new and unpredictable opportunities and challenges constantly emerging.

Spiritual Moral Social and Cultural Development (SMSC)

SMSC is essential for children and young people’s individual development, as well as the development of society as a whole.

Children’s spiritual development involves the growth of their sense of self, their unique potential, their understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, and their will to achieve. As their curiosity about themselves and their place in the world increases, they try to answer for themselves some of life’s fundamental questions. They develop the knowledge, skills, understanding, qualities and attitudes they need to foster their own inner lives and non-material wellbeing.

Moral development involves children acquiring an understanding of the difference between right and wrong and of moral conflict, a concern for others and the will to do what is right. They are able and willing to reflect on the consequences of their actions and learn how to forgive themselves and others. They develop the knowledge, skills and understanding, qualities and attitudes they need in order to make responsible moral decisions and act on them.

Social development involves children acquiring an understanding of the responsibilities and rights of being members of families and communities (local, national and global), and an ability to relate to others and to work with others for the common good. They display a sense of belonging and an increasing willingness to participate. They develop the knowledge, skills, understanding, qualities and attitudes they need to become active citizens within their community.

Cultural development involves children acquiring an understanding of cultural traditions and heritage, and the ability to appreciate and respond to ‘the arts’. The children will acquire a respect for their own culture and that of others, an interest in others’ ways of doing things and curiosity about differences. They develop the knowledge, skills, understanding, qualities and attitudes they need to understand, appreciate and contribute to culture.

At Norris Bank Primary School, we believe the importance of SMSC is central to the development and growth of pupils as people and at the heart of what teachers would say education is all about. Within these topics and throughout the curriculum we also promote British Values.

British Values

In support of the Department for Education (DfE) document: Promoting fundamental British values as part of SMSC in schools, Departmental advice for maintained schools, November 2014.

At Norris Bank Primary School, we value the diversity of the backgrounds of all pupils, families and the wider school community and strongly believe in upholding British values through all aspects of our school provision.

The DfE states that there is a need:

“To create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs”.

Our school reflects British values in all that we do. We aim to nurture our children on their journey through life so they can grow into safe, caring, democratic, responsible and tolerant adults who make a positive difference to British society and to the world and the wider world.

What is meant by British values?

Learning about British values forms a key part of children’s spiritual, moral, cultural and social education. The five British values that the Government has identified for schools to focus on are:

  • Democracy
  • The rule of law
  • Individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
  • Developing personal and social responsibility
  • Respect for British Institutions

How should we help our children prepare for adult life as citizens of Britain?

  • Develop their self-confidence and self-esteem.
  • Develop their understanding of right and wrong, and their respect for the law.
  • Encourage them to take responsibility for their behaviour.
  • Encourage involvement in the community and wider society.
  • Encourage respect for the public services and institutions of Britain.
  • Promote tolerance of and respect for all cultures and faiths.
  • Encourage participation in the democratic process.

How does our school develop children’s understanding of British values?

Democracy

Democracy is evident within the school. We have a school council whose members are elected by their peers. Our school council makes decisions on aspects of school life to the benefit of fellow pupils. Pupil-voice conferencing adds choice and opinion to curriculum matters, and some topics are chosen by the pupils voting for them. All classes develop class rules or charters, which are prominent in each classroom. Many areas of the curriculum are in themselves a study of democracy and how it works, e.g. Ancient Greeks. At the core of democracy is the idea of fairness, which is a key area of PSHE.

We elect new school councillors every new academic year. This is a wonderful opportunity to take part in making decisions within the school. Each class has one representative and a stand-in candidate in case their class representative is absent for meetings. Meetings take place within the school day.

If your child would like to take part in the election during the Autumn term, they will need to prepare a short speech to share with their class to explain why they would make a good school councillor. This should be no longer than 2 minutes and does not require any PowerPoint or poster- type material to be produced.

Select the link below for a list of questions/ideas your child could use for this. The children in the class will elect a candidate and results will be given to the children in October.

The Rule of Law

The importance of laws, whether they be class charters, the school rules, or the laws of our country, is reinforced in our school. The rules for individual classes and the school are relevant and valued by the children and adults of the school and are referred to when dealing with behaviour. School assemblies regularly address the responsibility that each child has to follow rules, both in and out of school.

Visits from the police and fire services reinforce the importance of rules in the wider world. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken.

Individual Liberty

Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, in their work and play, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. Children become increasingly self-aware and confident. We take every opportunity to participate in large events, such as sports tournaments and musical concerts, so that our children get the opportunity to be part of larger communities. Children are encouraged to take risks and develop the confidence to ‘have a go’ and so increase the chances of experiencing success. There is high participation in sport and music. All pupils are given the freedom to make choices.

Mutual Respect

We encourage mutual respect within the school and the wider community. Our weekly celebration assemblies highlight the great work, behaviour and attitudes which we value at Norris Bank Primary, and they illustrate the support and respect that individuals have from the whole school community. Circle times and class discussions allow all pupils to express themselves and to be listened to. We take the values of respect into our community, with events such as visits at Christmas to our local church, and celebrating national days such as Remembrance Day, Mothers’ Day, and significant religious days. Our class charters, as well as our school rules and behaviour policy, support the idea of mutual respect. Pupils are trusted to be respectful of others when receiving visitors to the school and showing them around.

Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

We work hard at Norris Bank Primary to expand the horizons of our children, so that they understand their place in our diverse society. Assemblies and discussions about tolerance, prejudices and prejudice-based bullying have been followed and supported by learning in RE and PSHE. Our RE curriculum covers the Jewish, Hindu and Muslim faiths, as well as Christianity. PSHE covers bullying, disability, and difference, appropriate to the children’s levels of understanding. The school has strong links with the local church, with assemblies led on a termly basis. We also teach Spanish across KS2 so that our children learn about other languages and cultures.

In all our provision, both academic and otherwise, we endeavour for our school community to develop an understanding of British values and a strong desire to uphold them both now and as future British citizens.