PSHE at St Catherine's
At St. Catherine’s we believe that the emotional well-being of our pupils underpins everything that they learn. Along with parents and carers, we have a responsibility to prepare the children in our care for their lives as adults who will form the society of tomorrow. We believe that our children should leave primary school able to make and develop positive relationships, confident in the choices that they make for themselves and aware of their own learning needs in order to reach their full potential in all areas of adult life.
The main objectives of teaching PSHE in school are to empower children to:
- Take responsibility for themselves and their environment
- Develop positive self esteem
- Understand cultural and social equality and diversity
- Consider moral and social dilemmas
- Seek advice and support when they face challenges
- Engage responsibly in opportunities for learning and developing relationships
At St Catherine’s we seek to provide a rich and broad experience which encompasses many aspects of the PSHCE curriculum. Personal and social morals are made explicit daily through the ethos of the school and children are actively encouraged to develop high moral expectations of themselves and others around them. Teaching of concepts often arises from a direct need within a particular cohort or group of pupils.
Children at St Catherine’s all belong to a democratic organisation through their involvement in their class council meetings which then feed into a democratically formed school council.
The SEAL programme is used in school to support teaching of areas of PSHE where necessary.
PSHE is an integral part of many curriculum areas taught at St Catherine’s School. The RE curriculum is firmly interwoven with personal, social and emotional issues. The nature of RE teaching in the school provides pupils with regular opportunities to discuss and express their own views as well as the views of others. Through these opportunities, they are also taught to value and respect the opinions and beliefs of other people that they relate to. When studying culturally and socially diverse texts during Literacy lessons, pupils are encouraged to discuss their own morals and the beliefs expressed by authors and characters. During PE and Science lessons, children are given the opportunity to reflect on their own health and ways in which to ensure that they grow into healthy adults through regular exercise and a balanced diet. Christian meditation provides pupils with the opportunity to experience peace and calm within themselves, allowing them to develop this skill for later life.
During the summer term, all pupils follow an age appropriate course of sessions that deal with the issues surrounding sex and relationships. In KS1 and lower key stage 2, the children cover friendships and the difficulties that they might encounter. They also learn about life cycles and animal reproduction. At Upper Key Stage 2, the pupils begin to learn about the responsibilities of becoming a young adult and will discuss subjects such as secure finances and becoming a parent. The scheme that we follow is deeply rooted in Catholic teaching and is endorsed by Clifton Diocese Education Department.