Intent 

Our PSHCE and SMSC education is designed to support pupils’ social, emotional, behavioural and educational development. Both teachers and support staff work as one to facilitate a person-centred therapeutic approach, in line with our CARES360 curriculum, to ensure we support the overall development of the child, including their emotional and mental wellbeing. 

Developing our pupils’ social skills and teaching them about healthy living, compassion, autonomy, respect, empathy and support, helps prepare them for modern life in Britain and enables them to make positive life choices as they move forward in their academic journey. 

Implementation 

One weekly formal lesson is not enough for children in our setting which is why it is interwoven into all aspects of our curriculum and modelled by all members of staff. We carefully connect PSHCE education and pupils’ SMSC development across the curriculum, with all staff playing a vital role in this. 

Although some topics/themes are planned for, due to the nature of our pupils and their lived experiences, if a topic arises that needs to be addressed, the ordering of the teaching needs to change to ensure the learning is current and views can be challenged/taught through a neutral lens. It is important to develop our pupils’ understanding, to challenge and support in a nurturing way, to ensure their life skills, communication skills, understanding and appreciation of others’ opinions and beliefs are respected and heard. 

To compliment this, we also offer pupils’ therapeutic interventions and fulfilling the objectives in our tailored body of work at all key stages, we aim to offer SMSC opportunities in a variety of ways: 

Spiritual Development 

• Support the pupils’ ability to be reflective about themselves. 

• Support the use of imagination and creativity in their learning, providing the children with some autonomy of choice. 

• Promote being willing to reflect on their experiences and be thoughtful of their actions. 

Moral Development

• It is important to help develop the understanding of what is right and wrong. 

• It is important to help develop respect for the rule of law in modern Britain. 

• It is important to understand the consequences of their behaviour and their actions. 

Social Development

• Develop a range of social skills in different contexts. 

• Develop a resilience and willingness to participate and cooperate well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively. 

• To understand and engage with fundamental British values of democracy, mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs. 

Cultural Development

• Understand and appreciate a range of cultures and faiths, within school, the local area and the United Kingdom.  

• Have knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system. 

• Have positive participation to artistic, sporting and cultural opportunities. 

• Improve understanding of, and show respect for, other faiths and cultural diversity. 

Timetabled interventions for therapeutic and academic needs, alongside daily reflection opportunities allow us to focus on the social and emotional needs of our children. It enables us to use principles such as Bruce Perry’s ‘Neuro-sequential Model’ – we regulate – relate – reason. This helps create an environment that supports fragile nervous systems and allows our pupils to learn about their needs and what helps them.  

Many aspects of the PSHCE curriculum occur within other aspects of the curriculum too. Our PSHCE curriculum is taught, in line with the PSHE Association body of work, formally twice a week however discrete SMSC lessons and career sessions for KS3/4 are also included that combine our values and are centred around the child, their current emotional wellbeing and support. We want our pupils to thrive in their future so: 

• They develop compassion, kindness and empathy for others no matter background, religion or gender. 

• They develop confidence so they can make the most of their abilities, build on their self-esteem, set goals and celebrate their achievements. 

• They can prepare to play an active role in society and develop their awareness of the communities to which we belong. 

• They develop a healthy, safe lifestyle and know how to stay safe in person and online. 

• They can develop, and maintain, healthy relationships and respect the differences of others. 

• They develop social skills, including managing conflict and making positive choices, and having restorative conversations, including online as part of e-safety education. 

• They develop their anti-discriminatory understanding including and understanding bullying, cyber-bullying, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and religious tolerance. 

• They are prepared for life in modern Britain and have knowledge of fundamental British values, including cultural diversity, mutual respect, the rule of law including marriage, democracy, what is right and wrong, consequences, a range of faiths, religions and values in Britain including the protected characteristics. 

• They have opportunities for reflection, thinking, discussion and formal debate. 

• They have opportunities to support peers, community and charities. 

• They have enrichment opportunities to trips, visitors and experiences that will bring the curriculum to life e.g. artists, religious settings, cultural enrichment and social such as sporting events/activities. 

• They have opportunities to experience links between services such as the police, national health service (NHS), fire service to focus on communities, health and safety, right and wrong etc. 

• They understand personal health, boundaries and how to stay healthy, such as nutrition, cleanliness and exercise. 

• They develop their understanding of risk and keeping safe in everyday life, including online, and knowledge about and preventing knife crime, first aid training and sexual health and relationships workshops. 

• They have an understanding of business and enterprise through project work, community days (including three CARES Days – one per term) and charity fundraisers. 

• They experience carefully planned and scaffolded activities so all pupils can begin to view and understand themselves in the contexts of wider society, in a structured and supportive way. 

• They develop an understanding of the importance of tolerance and equality whilst challenging prejudice and discrimination. We teach specific lessons which promote tolerance of different family structures and recognise that whilst not everyone’s families are the same, they should all be respected and valued equally as part of an inclusive community. This is tackled sensitively based on the nature of our children and their varying life experiences. 

• Morning and lunch ‘Breaking Bread’ are opportunities to promote healthy eating alongside practising social skills and building that sense of belonging and community. 

• Breaks promote the development of social and personal skills like turn-taking, sharing and making positive, healthy choices. 

  
  

All teaching is balanced and unbiased. Teachers must never promote partisan political or religious views in the teaching of any subject. Where political views are brought to the attention of pupils, teachers always offer a balanced presentation of opposing views.