Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education (PSHCE)

What we provide at Whetley Academy:

  • Children take part in weekly PSHCE lessons using Jigsaw
  • We have a trained and accredited Thrive practitioner who supports the academies approach to SEMH
  • Wednesday assemblies are an opportunity for us to come together to sing as a school, debate and also celebrate achievements

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development of pupils at Whetley Academy including British Values.    

The Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development of our pupils has always been at the heart of the education offered at Whetley.  Our Academy approach to SMSC is embedded in the Delta ethos of mutual respect, partnership working and collaboration; an approach that we believe is fundamental to a full and positive participation in life in modern Britain.  

Examples of how fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs, have been actively promoted across school and include include:

  • Academy ethos statements;
  • Student Voice activities;
  • Citizenship lessons;
  • Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)programmes;
  • Religious Education (RE) lessons;  
  • Healthy schools initiatives;
  • Discussion within curriculum subjects;
  • After school clubs;
  • Assemblies;
  • Charity work;
  • Sporting events;
  • Themes days or weeks; and
  • Educational visits and other Learning Outside the Classroom.   

We support the spiritual development of our pupils to enable them to develop their:

  • ability to be reflective about their own beliefs, religious or otherwise, that inform their perspective on life and their interest in and respect for different people’s faiths, feelings and values;
  • sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them;
  • use of imagination and creativity in their learning; and
  • willingness to reflect on their experiences.

We support the moral development of our pupils to enable them to develop their:

  • ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong, and to apply this understanding in their own lives and, in so doing, respect the civil and criminal law of England;
  • understanding of the consequences of their behaviour and actions; and
  • interest in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues, and being able to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues.

 We support the social development of our pupils to enable them to develop their:

  • use of a range of social skills in different contexts, including working and socialising with pupils from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds;
  • willingness to participate in a variety of communities and social settings, including by volunteering, cooperating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively;
  • acceptance and engagement with the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs;

 We support the cultural development of our pupils to enable them to develop their : 

  • understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and that of others;
  • understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures within school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain;
  • knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to develop Britain;
  • willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic, sporting and cultural opportunities;
  • interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity,
  • tolerance towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities.

Through the range of activities offered we aim to enable our pupils to develop their:

  • self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence;
  • their acceptance of responsibility for their behaviour;
  • their understanding of how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality in with the Academy is situated and to society more widely;
  • respect for their own and other cultures;
  • respect for other people, with particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010; and
  • respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic process.    

These are the skills and attitudes we believe will allow our pupils to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.

Relationship, Sex and Health Education (RSHE)

All primary school children will be required to learn about relationships and health. Relationships and Health Education comprises two distinct areas:

  • Relationships
  • Physical health and mental wellbeing

Schools will have a lot of freedom to decide how to teach the new curriculum, but must teach in a way that is:

  • Appropriate for children’s ages and development stage.
  • Sensitive to the needs and religious backgrounds of the children in the school.

Teaching Relationships at Whetley

The Relationships part of the new curriculum will teach the children what they need to learn to build positive and safe relationships:

  • With family.
  • With friends.
  • Online.

Schools should teach in a way that is appropriate to children’s ages and will look at the following questions:

  • What is a relationship?
  • What is friendship?
  • What is family?
  • Who can children look to for support?

By the time a child finishes primary school, they will have been taught about the following in Relationships Education:

  • Family and people who care for them.
  • Caring friendships.
  • Respectful relationships.
  • Online relationships.
  • Being safe.

Physical and Mental well-being at Whetley

The physical health and mental wellbeing part of the new RSE curriculum will teach the children how to:

  • Make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing.
  • Recognise issues in themselves.
  • Recognise issue in others.
  • Seek support as early as possible when issues arise.

By the time children finish primary they will have learnt the following:

  • Mental wellbeing.
  • Internet safety and harms.
  • Physical health and fitness.
  • Healthy eating.
  • Facts about drugs, alcohol and drugs and the risks
    associated with them.
  • Health and prevention of illness.
  • Basic first aid.
  • Changes to the adolescent body.

Below you can find a link to our schools RSE Policy.