Personal Development at Perranporth School

RSHE – Relationship Education
PSHE
(wider safety, economic understanding, understanding of technology and media)
British Values
RSHE -Sex Education
(PSHE)
Character
Inclusion and Equal Opportunities
RSHE – Physical Health and Mental Wellbeing
Wider Opportunities
Citizenship
SMSC Spiritual, Moral, Social, Cultural

Relationship Education:

Perranporth School works hard to develop positive, respectful, healthy relationships. Relationships are integral to the Relationship Policy (positive behaviour policy), and as the basis of how we support children to develop at our school.

Children are taught PSHE explicitly through lessons using ‘Lifewise’ as a resource, as well as complemented through assemblies and class discussion:

Families and people who care about me:

Relationships can give love support and security, characteristics of a committed, healthy family life, respect for a difference in family set ups, unhealthy family relationships

Caring relationships

Friendships are important in making us feel happy and safe, characteristics of friendships, how to resolve difficulties, trust and how to seek help in unhealthy friendships

Respectful relationships

Respecting those different physically, personality, background, courtesy and manners, self respect, bullying, stereotypes and consent

Online relationships

People can behave differently online, how to maintain respectful relationships and how to report if there is a unhealthy or unsafe relationship, how data is shared

Being safe

Understanding boundaries (including online), privacy, unsafe and safe contact (including Bubbles to Protect), recognise and report feelings of feeling unsafe,

Relationship education is statutory and the 32 statements are found here

Children with SEND are supported to get the information they need.

Inclusion guidance and terminology to support staff with reference to LGBT relationship – here

PSHE

As well as Relationship & Sex education, other aspects of PSHE teaching and learning includes: 

Wider safety

How to minimise common risks: road, safety, medicines, strangers. At Perranporth School we also have visits from the RNLI, Police, Fire Officers.

Economic

Through our Lifewise units, children are taught about making sensible choices with money, how to keep it safe, savings, taxation and pensions.

Technology and media

Different forms of media and their impact, reliability of online content, risk in sharing content. Online safety from a part of the computing curriculum (Purple Mash) and is supplemented by Natterhub units too.

British Values

The 4 aspects of British Values are part of our school ethos, explicitly taught in assemblies and modelled in our relationships and processes. Children are encouraged to discuss the importance of each aspect and why each is important and we often reference assembly stories or issues back to our British Values to help us better understand them. .

  • Democracy

Democracy is practised at Perranporth when children have the opportunity to stand and vote for positions of responsibility – Diamond 6 and School Parliament Members. Democracy is explored in depth during children’s learning on Ancient Greece, what it means and how it started.

  • Rule of Law

Our school Diamond Rules are well established and referred to as positive markers of our relationships with one another. We ‘Show good manners at all times’, ‘Take care of everyone and everything’ and we ‘Follow instructions with thought and care’. Children understand that we have rules to keep us safe and happy. We often relate our school rules to the law and understand that we have laws in our country to keep us safe.

  • Individual Liberty

Children understand that because of the sensible nature of law making (i.e. to keep us safe) we have the freedom to make our own choices. As long as we respect the rights of others, then we are free to pursue our ambitions, free from limitation and discrimination. In the UK our Human Rights are protected by law. At Perranporth, we encourage children to have passions and be passionate. We encourage them to have views and to make their own decisions and stand up for what they believe in.

  • Tolerance and Respect

Children at Perranporth have the understanding that mutual respect is understanding that we do not all share the same beliefs and values. We help children to understand and respect the values and beliefs of others whilst not imposing our own. For our children in their immediate context, it is possibly about having a view on a particular issue, or liking a particular style of music, and ensuring that a lack of respect is appropriately challenged. In the wider context, staff are aware of the largely monocultural catchment of Perranporth and challenging stereotypes, ensuring that correct information is learnt and exposure to diversity across the curriculum is crucial to our children’s lives.

Sex Education RSHE:

Perranporth School seek to use the very best resources to support the learning of Relationship & Sex Education. The resources which our school use are taken from Lifewise, NSPCC and Medway.

Lifewise provides clear lessons on consent, gender identity, sexuality and LGBTQ+ relationships. We have also provided our teacher with valuable information on supporting children with SEND to better understand relationships and sex education which we have built into the curriculum.

All the resources showing progression through from EYFS to Y6 will be found on the school website.

Sex Education is not compulsory BUT puberty, naming external body parts, human development from birth to old age and reproduction in animals must be taught to all pupils because it is part of the Science National Curriculum in primary schools.

Through our Science curriculum and Sex Education sessions, children are given information to help them understand and prepare for adolescence. As appropriate, gender identity is discussed sensitively and respectfully. Correct vocabulary is always used and misconceptions are addressed.

Consent is prioritised as a focus for discussion. The law and unhealthy relationships are discussed when appropriate.

Any safeguarding concerns will be reported to the DSL/DDSL and parents/carers if necessary.

The Relationship & Sex Education policy has been shared with parents for consultation.

Character

At Perranporth we take great pleasure and pride in celebrating when children achieve great things. Whether these be small steps or great feats, children know that our Celebration Assembly is an opportunity to share our achievements. It is clear from this ethos that success and achievements comes as a result of hard work, determination and resilience.

Progress leading to achievement is celebrated, rather than solely attainment. whether this is in the classroom, in sport, music or socially, there are many ways to excel and there is an ethos of being the best that you can be – in fact, this is even part of our school song!

In the relationship policy, it is clearly that the level of aspiration is high – in terms of behaviour, manners,  courtesy, respect, as well as approaches to learning. All staff are responsible for ensuring that these high expectations are consistent in all areas of the school, regardless of job role, age of children and time of day.

We work hard to ensure movement around the school is calm and orderly. Children are able to respond quickly to signals to quieten for instruction and for pulling everyone together.

We’re proud of our school uniform and encourage children to show pride in their personal appearance, their learning environment and their school. We expect children to be polite to one another and when speaking to adults around school too. Tidy presentation of learning in books is something we encourage all children to aim for and support those who find this challenging. There is a consistent promotion of pride in belonging to our school community.

Inclusion, Equality and Diversity

Children at Perranporth School understand that no one should be treated differently/less favourably because they belong to a specific group. It is also discussed that it may appear that some groups of children are treated unfairly, but children with different needs may need different levels of support. 

The 9 Protected characteristics are introduced through the wider curriculum, as well as through English, in particular class readers, in which groups with protected characteristics are often represented and explored.

The Equality policy is key in developing an understanding of inclusion across the school.

The 9 Protected Characteristics are:

Age, Disability, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Reassignment, Marriage and Civil Partnership, Pregnancy and Maternity, Race, Religion and Belief

These are often shared with children in a broader sense through our class stories and assemblies. Themes from the 9 Protected Characteristics are discussed and explore with children as points of learning and ways building positive relationships with one another. An example of this would be our World Religion day learning and celebrations. On this day children learn about different aspects of world religions, the beliefs of others and how important it is to respect these.

RSHE – Physical Health and Mental Wellbeing

Physical health and mental wellbeing education is statutory part of RSHE curriculum and the statements are  found here click here

Children are taught explicitly through PSHE lessons, using ‘Lifewise’ as a resource, as well as complemented through assemblies and through class discussion

Mental wellbeing

There is a normal range of emotions people feel, children are taught a vocabulary linked to feelings, benefits of physical wellbeing on mental wellbeing, self care, recognition of loneliness, bullying impacts  mental wellbeing,

Internet safety and harms

The internet has many benefits, the importance of screen time discussion, respectful online behaviour, and can have a negative affect on mental health. How to report concerns.

Physical health and fitness

Benefits of a healthy lifestyle, risks associated with unhealthy lifestyle, how to report risks or concerns

Healthy eating

Balanced diet and risks associated with unhealthy diet,

Drugs, alcohol and tobacco

Facts about harmful substances and the risks involved with them.

Health and prevention

Recognise early signs of illness, dangers of the sun exposure, sleep, oral hygiene, personal hygiene and vaccinations

Basic first aid

How to call for emergency services, concepts of basic first aid

Changing adolescent body

Puberty, physical and emotional changes, menstruation.

Citizenship

During our whole school assemblies and at other times too, we teach children that each member of our school is special and valuable. Through this, we aim to develop a common understanding of why schools need rules – to make people feel safe and happy (see British Values – Rule of Law). The language of the school is that we are all make mistakes and that ‘Perranporth School is a safe place to make mistakes’. Things go wrong, plans don’t always work out and we mess up sometimes. It is how we deal with them, move on and put it right, as well as being honest about the part we played, which is important.  We talk about honesty and integrity, and the ‘gut’ feeling in the stomach when something is not right, and where to seek help or guidance.

Being part of a democracy (linked to British Values) is a crucial part of being a British Citizen.

There is also an understanding shared within the community, not only in Perranporth but in the national community, that people belong to different ethical, religious or pressure groups and may have views and beliefs which may not be aligned to our own. Embracing positive aspects of a range of backgrounds can only enhance our own community and give opportunity to learn more. Being in a largely monocultural community, staff are aware to present children with opportunities to discuss different identities within a community and inspire curiosity to find out more. 

Contributing as a citizen is explicitly referenced to throughout the year: Harvest Festival, School Litter Pick Days, Comic Relief, Sports Relief and Children in Need, as well as visiting the elderly for Christmas musical afternoons. Year 6 contribute to the Summer Fayre buy organising stands to raise money.

In the history, geography and RE curriculum, the importance of society and citizenship is learned, as well as groups which have different beliefs. Debate and discussion are encouraged, within the safe and explicitly taught boundaries of the classroom, showing tolerance, acceptance, respect as well as appropriate challenge.

Wider Opportunities

At Perranporth School there are a range of different school clubs which children can sign up to termly. There is a range of sporting, art, media, IT, and musical opportunities and several more. Staff support children who may have different needs to have places to enhance their personal development, as well as overcoming any social barriers, or difficulties with parental engagement. There is a fair distributed participation across all vulnerable groups, and across the range of activities which can be accessed.

Clubs also give an opportunity for staff to share their strengths and passion, and to work with children who may have strengths within these areas as well as developing new areas of strengths and interests.

Each term there is at least one opportunity for each year group to go on an educational visit to enhance their Green Curriculum learning. Children in Year 6 look forward to their annual residential trip too. Families with who are financially disadvantaged are given free access to school clubs and supported to attend the residential so that no child misses out on these experiences.

SMSC

Spiritual: faiths and values are not only taught explicitly through our RE Curriculum, but also celebrated in assemblies and the cultural diversity within each classroom through the staff knowledge of the children. Creativity is celebrated and children have the opportunity to appreciate the natural world we live in, awe and wonder through the extensive outside environment, our Forest Classroom and the beautiful local area (beach, coast, dunes). Additionally, through our PE Curriculum and our focus on ‘healthy body, health mind’ we teach children how important physical activity can be to spiritual wellness. Specialist visitors, trips and experience days all help to provide children with spiritual opportunities.

Moral: Through the relationship policy and the school ethos, there is an understanding of right and wrong, humans make mistakes, but also honesty, integrity and doing the right thing. All staff are involved in challenging behaviours which appear not to be right, and support children in understanding different options in behaviour. Children know that there are consequences for behaviour. Our school approach to behaviour is positive. We focus on improving behaviour and support in getting it right in the future, opposed to a focus on sanctions.

Social: Positive relationships are at the foundation of our school. We invest considerable time and energy in building and teaching positive relationships with all of our children and families. One of our core Diamond Rules is we ‘take care of everyone and everything’. This positive relationship culture helps our children develop strong social connections respectful relationships. Perranporth also supports children and staff to work and learn as a team, using others to improve their own performance and learn from one another.

Cultural: The Perranporth School community are aware of the lack of cultural diversity within the school, but also celebrate Cornish culture and how this shapes us: festivals, traditions and deep history. Staff are aware to present positively and knowledgeably about a range of culturally religious, ethnic and socio-economic communities as part of our curriculum learning, assemblies and experience days.