Personal, Social and Health Education
General Principles – The School Ethos
West House School is a happy and vibrant community in which pupils enjoy their learning and make the most of the many opportunities offered. Our aim is to encourage all members of the school community to demonstrate respect for themselves and each other.
The PSHE Policy seeks to extend this commitment beyond the immediate environment in preparing pupils for the personal and social challenges that will potentially lie in their future. Furthermore, matters of health are addressed through a variety of means within the wider curriculum.
Aims
The delivery of the PSHE curriculum at the school is specifically designed to give pupils the opportunity, encouragement and motivation to:
- Recognise their own worth.
- Become increasingly responsible for their own learning and to learn collaboratively.
- Reflect on their own experiences and learn from them.
- Explore a variety of spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues.
- Consider their rights and responsibilities, both as individuals and members of communities.
- Learn to acknowledge and respect differences and similarities between people.
- To consider and appreciate points of view other than their own.
- Develop appropriate relationships.
- Compete fairly and win and lose with dignity and respect for competitors.
- Recover from setbacks and persist in the face of difficulties.
- Manage strong feelings such as frustration, anger and anxiety.
- Deal with and resolve conflict effectively and fairly.
PSHE has a fundamental role to play in the development, maintaining and raising of each pupil’s self-esteem. Through the structured programme, pupils will have opportunities to consider the things that they have learned successfully as individuals or in groups. They will be encouraged to express their own ideas in a climate where all opinions are given the value that they deserve.
PSHE is delivered in a variety of ways. The Programme of Study is based on the Primary National Strategy – ‘Excellence and Enjoyment: Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL). However, this is complemented by a carefully planned and structured system of assemblies and citizenship lessons for older pupils. Moreover, a culture of support and genuine care is actively promoted throughout the school in the normal every day activities and interaction that exists.