PSHE / RSE at Lark Hill Primary School
At Lark Hill, we believe that a high-quality Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education does far more than teach children about safety and relationships, it helps them make sense of themselves, their emotions, and the complex world they live in. Using the carefully designed “Equity Education Disrupting Disadvantage” curriculum, our PSHE lessons are designed to build emotional literacy, inspire self-reflection and empower our children to grow as resilient, empathetic individuals.
Our goal is to nurture reflective, active citizens who have the confidence to express their feelings, make safe and responsible choices and build a deep, meaningful understanding of their place within our diverse school and wider global community.
Our PSHE learning is deeply rooted in our four core school values:
- Respect: We teach children to value diversity, understand protected characteristics, and respect the lived experiences, feelings, and boundaries of others.
- Responsibility: By learning about personal safety, digital citizenship, and decision-making, children connect PSHE directly to our golden rule: Look after each other, look after our school, look after yourself. They learn how to take responsibility for their own physical and mental well-being.
- Creativity: Children engage creatively with PSHE through collaborative discussions, role-play, interactive scenarios and visual tools like the Zones of Regulation.
- Challenge: Children are challenged to navigate peer pressure, evaluate risks online and offline and tackle complex social questions with empathy and critical thinking.
How We Teach PSHE: Our Approach
PSHE at Lark Hill is taught regularly as a dedicated, planned subject, and is seamlessly reinforced through assemblies, pastoral support, and our everyday classroom routines. Our trauma-informed, inclusive “EEd” curriculum splits PSHE learning into two critical areas:
- Substantive Knowledge (Knowing the Facts): Children learn vital, age-appropriate facts about physical health, mental well-being, the human life cycle, personal safety, law and digital spaces.
- Disciplinary Knowledge (The Skills for Life): We do not just ask children to memorise rules. We teach them the skills to apply this knowledge. Children learn how to regulate their emotions, resolve conflicts, assess risk, communicate boundaries and confidently seek help when they need it.
A Spiral Journey of Growth
Our curriculum follows a spiral model, meaning key themes are revisited year after year. Every time a child encounters a concept, such as safety or relationships, they build upon what they learned previously, growing their emotional resilience and life skills from early years up to Year 6.
What PSHE Looks Like in the Classroom
We want our lessons to feel safe, predictable and inclusive for every child at Lark Hill. PSHE is taught in separate year groups not classes across the school.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
In EYFS, the PSHE curriculum is delivered through well-chosen activities and routines planned to reflect children’s immediate experiences, interests and emotional needs. Many of the resources used include photographs, stories, and sensory objects in continuous provision to help children build their first emotional vocabulary, understand basic routines and learn to play cooperatively.
Key Stage 1 (KS1)
In Key Stage 1, children develop a secure awareness of themselves and those around them. They study change, explores simple relationships and learn how to identify their feelings. Children learn about personal safety, boundaries and how to look after their physical bodies. These concepts are placed within an accessible, everyday framework as they are introduced to ideas like kindness, fairness and mutual respect.
Key Stage 2 (KS2)
In Key Stage 2, children build upon the concepts introduced in KS1, widening their understanding to include the local community and the wider digital and physical world. They tackle deeper issues of peer pressure, safety online, physical changes during puberty and their rights and responsibilities in society.
Inclusive & Safe
Our PSHE lessons are visual and structured, ensuring that all learners, including those with SEND, SEMH, or EAL needs can access the full curriculum. We focus heavily on collaborative talk, structured tasks and vocabulary scaffolding; utilising consistent lesson routines and the Zones of Regulation to ensure every child feels emotionally secure.
British Values Statement
British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs are promoted throughout the PSHE curriculum and wider school life. These concepts are taught progressively, where units on Identity, Values and Belonging and Responsibility and Choices, where pupils develop understanding of fairness, rules, rights, responsibility and life in modern society.
Connecting to our school values and vision.
We tie our learning back to our school community via our whole school “thought of the week” which is introduced in Monday morning assembly and revisited on a Friday.
Progressing Through the Early Years
Goldcrests | Two-Year-Olds: The Immediate Now
At this stage, PSHE is entirely sensory and rooted in the present moment. The goal is to build the language of routines, self-care and basic emotional awareness.
|
Term |
Knowledge |
Skills |
|
Autumn |
Knowing the sequence of their immediate day (e.g. arrival, snack time, home time). Recognising their own coat, bag, and key adults. Knowing their own likes, dislikes and being able to make choices. To be tolerant of others in their space. What this looks like: Expressing preferences through pointing and reaching. Experiencing transitions e.g. saying goodbye, moving to group time. Exploring nursery alongside their key person. Taking turns when directed by an adult. Playing alone happily around other children. Experiencing different emotions. |
Beginning to respond to basic routine cues. Noticing "now" versus "next". Make choices. Express wants and needs non-verbally. |
|
Spring |
Noticing basic physical differences in people around them (e.g., baby vs. adult). Becoming more confident in their sense of self. Begin to engage with others. What this looks like: Expressing preferences, using gesture and sound. With adult support begin to manage transitions. Play with increasing confidence on their own in the setting, their key person supporting their play. Observe and begin to take part in modelled turn taking. Play alongside other children with adults supporting interactions. Adults will validate and label children’s emotions. |
Beginning to use gestures, sounds and some single words to express physical wants, needs or feelings (e.g., "more", "stop"). |
|
Summer |
Understand and manage simple personal transitions (e.g. transitioning to the big room). Develop their play alongside others, learn to be with others. What this looks like: Expressing preferences and making decisions, using gesture and sound. Managing transitions with some independence. Playing with increasing confidence on their own, their key person nearby to support negotiation with other children. Children will be supported with turn taking. Children play alongside other children with adult support. Adults will validate and label children’s emotions. |
Anticipating the next step in a familiar daily or routine. Beginning to hear and experience basic vocabulary of emotions. |
Nursery (Ages 3–4): My Life and Feelings
In Nursery, children begin to build their own sense of identity, recognise their emotions and explore relationships with peers.
|
Term |
Knowledge |
Skills |
|
Autumn |
Understanding the structure of a week (nursery days vs. home days). Recognising that they are individuals who have preferences, can make choices and express themselves. What this looks like: Independently selecting activities. Developing a sense of responsibility, with adult direction. Becoming confident with their key person and group. Beginning to follow the rules and boundaries with adult support. Developing confidence to come into the setting. Using some Makaton and vocabulary to express how they feel when modelled by adults. |
Using words like "before" and "after" to describe their routines. Looking at photos of themselves to notice how they have grown. Independently selecting activities, expressing preferences and demonstrating a growing self-confidence. |
|
Spring |
Learning about different family celebrations and traditions (e.g., birthdays, Diwali, Christmas) what makes us who we are. Developing a growing sense of self. Having more understanding of how I or others may be feeling. What this looks like: Independently selecting activities to achieve a goal. Developing a sense of responsibility, with reduced adult intervention. Becoming confident with a wider range of people (children and familiar adults). Playing in pairs and small groups. Finding solutions to conflicts, often with adult support. Becoming independent, following the rules and boundaries. Developing confidence and assertiveness within the setting. Beginning to understand how they feel and use vocabulary to express it. Beginning to understand how others feel, beginning to show empathy. |
Beginning to name simple emotions (happy, sad, angry). Retelling simple personal experiences. Developing a range of vocabulary to express my emotions. Developing skills of negotiation and problem solving within my friendships when supported by san adult. Developing skills of empathy. |
|
Summer |
Understanding that they can do more things for themselves now than when they were younger. Being more independent and resilient. Knowing who I am, what I like and setting my own boundaries with my friends e.g. telling them “no, I don’t want to play that game.” Knowing how I feel and some strategies to support me to feel better. What this looks like: Independently selecting activities to achieve a planned goal. Developing a sense of responsibility. Becoming confident with a wider range of people. Playing in pairs and small groups extending their ideas. Finding solutions to conflicts. Becoming independent, following and carrying out the rules and boundaries. Developing confidence and assertiveness within the setting. Understanding how I feel and using vocabulary to express it. Understanding how others feel, being empathetic. |
Using some words to express wants and feelings to adults and peers. Being able to play as part of a group, negotiating and problem solving with my peers. Being empathetic towards others and trying to help where I can.
|
Reception (Ages 4–5): Our Well-being and My Wider World
- Autumn: My Community: exploring annual community events and understanding their place within their school and wider family.
- Spring: Healthy Habits & Safety: learning basic hygiene routines, healthy habits, and exploring what makes them feel safe or unsafe.
- Summer: My Relationships & Transitions: becoming familiar with people who help us in the community, learning to seek help and preparing for the transition to Key Stage 1.
The EYFS End Goal: By the end of the Reception summer term, children are expected to achieve the Early Learning Goal (ELG) for Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED). This means they can manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs, express their feelings sensitively, maintain positive relationships with peers, and show resilience and focus in their learning.
The Primary Curriculum Journey (Years 1–6)
Key Stage 1 (KS1)
Year 1: Kindness and Connection
- Autumn: Kindness & Friendship: discovering what makes a good friend, how our actions impact others and how to play cooperatively.
- Spring: My Relationships: identifying different types of families, exploring how we care for one another and establishing caring friendships.
- Summer: My Body & Keeping Healthy: understanding basic hygiene (handwashing, teeth brushing) and the importance of sleep and exercise.
Year 2: Safety and Growth
- Autumn: Safety First: exploring safety in the home, road safety, and identifying trusted adults both in and out of school.
- Spring: My Wellbeing: using the Zones of Regulation to identify, name, and express a wider range of emotions safely.
- Summer: Growing Up: recognising how our bodies change as we grow, learning correct anatomical names for body parts and understanding personal privacy.
Lower Key Stage 2 (LKS2)
Year 3: Belonging and Conflict Resolution
- Autumn: Belonging & Identity: exploring what makes us unique, appreciating diversity within our classroom and understanding our shared values.
- Spring: Navigating Conflict: learning how to resolve disagreements peacefully, identifying bullying and knowing how and when to report concerns.
- Summer: Caring Relationships: digging deeper into friendships, distinguishing between healthy and unhealthy relationships and understanding boundaries.
Year 4: Identity, Power and Fairness.
- Autumn: Identity & Self-Worth: developing self-respect, identifying personal strengths and understanding how our minds and moods work.
- Spring: Power & Fairness: exploring rules, laws, democracy and how our local actions contribute to a fair environment free of stereotypes.
- Summer: Digital Safety & Wellbeing: introducing online boundaries, understanding age ratings, managing screen time and safe communication.
Upper Key Stage 2 (UKS2)
Year 5: Influence, Responsibility and Puberty
- Autumn: Influence & Respect: evaluating how media, peers, and advertising can influence our decisions, thoughts and body image.
- Spring: Responsibility & Choice: exploring the consequences of our choices, peer pressure and managing physical/digital risks.
- Summer: Puberty & Self-Care: sensitive, statutory unit focusing on physical and emotional changes, menstruation, reproduction and personal hygiene during puberty.
Year 6: Choice, Responsibility and Lifesavers
- Autumn: Responsibility & Choices: investigating peer pressure, risk assessment, making responsible choices and the impact of thoughts and feelings on our behaviour.
- Spring: Digital Influence & Online Safety: navigating online relationships, digital responsibility, protecting privacy and identifying safe vs. unsafe secrets online.
- Summer: Safety, First Aid & Transition (UPKS2 Additional Unit) Learning emergency situation responses, basic first aid concepts (including calling emergency services), body ownership and mental strategies to build resilience for the transition to secondary school.
Measuring Impact: How We Know What Children Have Learned
The impact of our year-group specific PSHE curriculum is measured dynamically to ensure that safety rules and emotional toolkits are fully understood and embedded.
The PSHE Reflection Book
At the front of the class PSHE floor book, we have class self-reflection pages where the children use post it notes to show what they know and then after the topic, what they have learnt.
In each class, we have an enlarged self-reflection display which sits on the PSHE working wall and is completed collaboratively with pupils at the end of each session.
Class Reflection & Toolkits
Every PSHE lesson begins by recalling previous learning, revisiting our safety rules, emotional strategies, and vocabulary. Classrooms display the zones of regulation and we have areas around school that are utilised to support with emotional regulation.