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RSHE and PSHE

Education for Safeguarding

RSHE and PSHE

Intent

At Maidenbower Infant school and Nursery we believe that ‘what happens early, matters for a lifetime’ and we recognise that Personal Social Health Economics Education (PSHE) including Relationships Sex and Health Education (RSHE) should be at the heart of our school values and ethos and run throughout all that we do, every day.   

 Our PSHE/RSHE curriculum is aligned closely with our school values and aims to support our children to be curious, have a good understanding of themselves, to be kind, have empathy, an ability to work with others and form and maintain positive relationships treating everyone equally with tolerance and respect. We aim to achieve this through an ambitious, relevant, progressive, and engaging PSHE/RSHE curriculum which inspires, nurtures, and develops all pupils' personal and social skills, values, and knowledge and understanding to support them to become successful citizens in the wider world.   

 We have high expectations and aspirations for all our children at Maidenbower Infant School and Nursery. We plan and adapt our PSHE/RSHE curriculum to ensure it meets the needs of all the children so that when they leave our school, they are well equipped with the essential knowledge and cultural capital to succeed in the next stages of their education and beyond. We want our children to develop independence, be ambitious, have high aspirations, a belief in themselves and realise that anything is possible if they put their mind to it.   

Our PSHE/RSHE curriculum will support our Pupils to:  

  • make informed choices.  

  • know how to keep themselves safe and healthy.  

  • develop happy and healthy relationships.  

  • build and develop their self-esteem and self-identity and be the best they can be.  

  • recognise we live in a diverse world and to embrace this.  

  • develop a positive, happy and healthy mind.  

  • identify when they need to seek help and how to do this.  

  • understand ways to reduce anxiety.   

  • To stay safe online 

  • become responsible members of society who demonstrate respect and tolerance and who are prepared  to face and manage the challenges and opportunities of an ever-changing modern Britain.    

  • develop their understanding of the fundamental British values of democracy, individual liberty, the rule of law and mutual respect and tolerance.   

  • develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community.  

  • help pupils to understand the importance of their physical and mental health, understand emotions and feelings and have strategies to help them become resilient and confident so they are ready for the transition to the next stage of their education. 

Why does Relationship and Health Education have to be taught as part of the PSHE Curriculum?

From September 2020 The Department for Education (DfE) made Relationship and Health Education compulsory for all primary schools in England and Relationships, Sex and Health Education compulsory in all secondary schools in England. In addition the DFE provided updated statutory guidance in July 2025 for Relationships education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education which has been used to inform this policy. The changes aim to ensure our children are equipped with the skills and understanding to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships to support them to create a happy and successful adult life. Relationships and Health Education is taught within our whole-school PSHE Curriculum.

Implementation

Personal Social Health Economics Education (PSHE) including Relationships Sex Health Education (RSHE) is at the heart of our school values and ethos and runs throughout all that we do, every day. As well as it being embedded as part of our ethos, PSHE/RSHE at Maidenbower Infant School and Nursery is delivered and taught through a carefully sequenced, relevant, and progressive scheme of learning which brings together the British Values, Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC), personal, social, health, relationships, emotional literacy, social skills, and citizenship into a comprehensive curriculum. Consultation with all stakeholders including pupil and parent voice ensures our PSHE/RSHE curriculum is well adapted and bespoke to our school to meet the needs of all our children. Our curriculum is designed to prepare children for life, helping them to know and value who they are, understand how they relate to other people and keep them safe in our ever-changing world. There is a strong emphasis on emotional literacy, building resilience and nurturing mental and physical health. It includes mindfulness to allow children to advance their emotional awareness, concentration and focus.  

To ensure children know more and remember more over time, our PSHE/RSHE curriculum ensures that learning from previous years is revisited and extended, adding new concepts, knowledge and skills, year on year as appropriate. It is important that skills are taught but also applied during consecutive years, thereby building on knowledge and experience. Lessons are carefully considered and well adapted to meet the needs of each individual class / pupils including those children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) and to deal with issues as they arise.   Lessons are delivered in a way that ensures pupils feel safe and encourages participation by using a variety of teaching approaches with opportunities to develop critical thinking and relationship skills. Lessons and school ethos consistently promote safe, equal, caring and enjoyable relationships and we discuss real-life issues appropriate to the age and stage of pupils, including friendships, families, consent and safe relationships online. 

Pupils are taught regularly timetabled PSHE/RSHE lessons by a member of Maidenbower Infant School and Nursery staff with whom the pupils are familiar. Staff follow our tailor-made whole school curriculum to plan their lessons which has been devised to support our vision in PSHE/RSHE and to ensure the progression of knowledge and skills across the year groups from EYFS to KS1 and beyond. This is based on West Sussex’s Education for safeguarding Guidance (E4S) ensuring the Statutory RSHE curriculum is taught and uses the DFE Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education Statutory guidance July 2025 for governing bodies, proprietors, head teachers, principals, senior leadership teams, teachers:  

Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education guidance

The statutory guidance for Relationships Education and Health Education applies from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) onwards. In Reception, learning is delivered through the EYFS PSED curriculum and daily interactions as well as discrete lessons, using age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate activities. Children begin to learn about positive relationships, feelings, personal safety, self-care and healthy development in ways that are suitable for their age and understanding.

The Curriculum is based on the four cornerstones of West Sussex Education for Safeguarding (E4S);

Digital & Media Literacy (DML)

Physical Health & Wellbeing (PHWB)

Emotional Health & Wellbeing (EHWB)

Relationship and Sex Education (RSE)

Definitions of the E4S 'Cornerstones'

 

Impact

What difference is the curriculum making to our pupils?

We are very proud of the PSHE/RSHE work that we deliver at Maidenbower Infant School and Nursery, the evidence being seen through the well-rounded, confident, tolerant and independent pupils that leave us at the end of Year 2. The pupils’ attitude, behaviour and demeanour around school, within lessons, at playtimes’ and out in the community demonstrates the respect, tolerance and high aspirations that our pupils have of themselves and each other. Pupils leave us ready for their next step into Junior school and are armed with skills, knowledge and understanding that they can take forward into adulthood. Our pupils leave us prepared for life in an ever-changing modern Britain. They have the tools they need to succeed, keep themselves safe and thrive. 

By the end of Key Stage 1 children will…

  • Be able to form strong, positive relationships.
  • Know that families are important for children growing up because they can give love, security, and stability.
  • Know that every family is different, and they should respect those differences and know that other children’s families are also characterised by love and care.
  • Have a secure understanding of physical health and wellbeing.
  • Be aware of boundaries with relationships and be able to recognise when something is wrong.
  • Know ways to keep safe in different situations.
  • Have the knowledge of what do and who to go to if they feel unhappy or unsafe.
  • Be able to approach a range of real-life situations and apply their skills and attributes to help navigate themselves through modern life.
  • Be on their way to becoming healthy, open minded, respectful, socially and morally responsible, active members of society.
  • Recognise and apply the British Values of Democracy, Tolerance, Mutual respect, Rule of law and Liberty.
  • Be able to understand and have a range of strategies to help them manage their emotions.
  • Have respect for themselves and others.
  • Have a positive self-esteem.
  • Have a foundation of knowledge of how to stay safe online.
 
  1. RSHE and PSHE policy pdf

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