PSHE/RSHE
The modern world asks a lot of our children. At Hill Avenue we believe that the personal, social, health and economic education that they receive here, underpins their ability to deal with whatever life may require of them, both now and in the future. We also aim for our children to have agency in our world and know that they can change it for the better!
We start...
with the individual- children learn to recognise their own identities, likes and dislikes, communities and organisations. They are given the tools to adopt healthy lifestyles- both mentally and physically- habits which will see them through into adulthood. We use visitors, such as the school nurse, to help us deliver informative and factual information about changes that all children will experience as they grow. They are taught how to value their self-esteem and how to protect themselves from harmful influences. This fosters independence and responsibility.
We move...
onto interactions with others. We impart how to make and maintain healthy friendships as well as how to recognise when these friendships have become unhealthy or have run their course. We explore how we all have something different and unique to offer in a variety of situations as well as teaching strategies to deal with unkind or bullying behaviour (both on and offline) and how to be a good friend when our peers find themselves in these situations. We learn how to be positive allies and how to recognise, and safely challenge, those with prejudicial views. At Hill Avenue we look after each other.
Looking outward...
we aim to give the children the tools to critically assess the world around them. We provide them with the skills necessary to evaluate news sources for accuracy and bias; to be able to spot, ‘fake news.’ We inspire them with the work of famous advocates for justice and change and learn of the positive work of charities. Children will then realise that they are not passive consumers of information and events- they can actively understand and improve the world around them!
We prepare...
our children for the world of work, we learn about a variety of jobs from an early age and encourage children from all backgrounds to strive to be the best that they can be. We expose them to real-life job adverts and career pathways so that they can start planning for their fantastic futures and have a realistic understanding of how these goals are achieved. We address the nature of climate change and how we can all take positive steps to improve the environment around us.
All of the above is delivered in a way that will be purposeful and useful for our children. At the beginning of each term, we send out parental fact sheets to each year group, which outline the key themes of that term’s learning and the resources which will be used. We also suggest some questions that children may ask after their learning so that parents can be prepared for some interesting discussions and debates at home!
We use a variety of methods designed to engage the children and to help them practice skills that they can then apply successfully in real-life situations. This may take the form of discussing real-life scenarios and giving advice to the characters involved. Children may also write instructions on how to be a good friend, or how to navigate the internet safely. They may debate or act out a short play which gives advice to peers or younger children. They can apply their research skills to find information which they know to be accurate and then present it to their peers. We can also tailor the curriculum to the particular needs of a class should a need arise to address particular behaviours or stories in the news. This flexible approach means that children do not have to wait to be given the tools to deal with life as they experience it.
Fundamentally, we believe that all of our children are entitled to a fantastic future and aim to give them the inspiration, tools and hunger to aim high and achieve their goals for themselves and the world in which we all live.
PSHE
POLICY
LONG
TERM
PLAN
RSHE
POLICY