PSHE and Citizenship
Our PSHE and Citizenship curriculum incorporates the statutory DfE guidance for Health Education and Relationships Education, while also extending far beyond it.
PSHE at Christ Church is delivered in two different but interconnected ways. First, we provide child-initiated PSHE, which responds to children’s actions and the questions they ask. This approach leads to meaningful learning that supports pupils in navigating life both in school and within their wider communities. Through circle times and class discussions, we cover topics such as kind hands, privacy, hygiene and online safety and develop key PSHE skills—including resilience, problem-solving and how to build and maintain relationships. Our anti-bullying work includes training our Year 5’s and 6’s to be anti-bullying champions in our school and playgrounds.
In addition, the whole school dedicates a whole week to PSHE each term, as we have found this approach has the greatest impact on children and families by immersing them in the PSHE content and skills:
- Autumn term: Positive relationships and diversity
- Spring term: Keeping healthy and safe
- Summer term: Living in the wider community and being a good citizen
During these weeks, there is a strong emphasis on helping children understand how to stay safe in a range of situations and how to manage risks, as well as developing awareness of global citizenship, sustainable development and British values. These weeks are enriched through a variety of workshops (e.g. visits from the police, fire brigade, and NSPCC) and educational visits (e.g. Heath Hands volunteering and trips to the Houses of Parliament) in order to make the learning as memorable and real life as possible. Each PSHE week also includes parent workshops and homework activities to reinforce and extend children’s learning at home.
Our RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) provision forms part of both PSHE and Science teaching across the school, with a particular focus in Year 5 during the summer term. Our RSE policy and resources have been comprehensively reviewed in consultation with parents, governors, staff, and pupils, in line with DfE statutory guidance.
In addition, we run a whole-school Happiness Project every two years, focusing on mental health and emotional wellbeing, which complements our PSHE provision in this area.
Click here for more information on our Happiness Project.
