Our Personal, Social, Health and Emotional (PSHE) and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum aims to equip children with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to thrive in an ever-changing world and to confidently navigate the opportunities and challenges of life in the 21st century. At Lord Street Primary School, promoting positive physical health, emotional wellbeing and mental health is central to our curriculum. It begins with our youngest learners in the Early Years, where Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) underpins all learning, and continues progressively throughout Key Stages 1 and 2. PSHE is recognised as a key subject area and is a priority within our whole-school approach to personal development, ensuring that every child develops the confidence, resilience and character needed to flourish.

Our curriculum provides the building blocks for healthy, respectful relationships, helping pupils to understand themselves and others, both offline and online. Children develop an understanding of emotional wellbeing, physical health, personal safety, citizenship and responsible decision-making, enabling them to become active, informed and compassionate members of society. Teaching about mental wellbeing is woven throughout the curriculum so that pupils develop strategies to manage emotions, seek support when needed and build resilience. Through high-quality PSHE education, children are empowered to make informed choices, manage risk, value diversity and contribute positively to their communities.

Kapow PSHE & RSE

At Lord Street Primary School we follow the Kapow Primary PSHE and RSE curriculum. The curriculum has been carefully designed to meet the statutory requirements for Relationships Education, Health Education and Sex Education, while also reflecting the non-statutory guidance from the PSHE Association. It provides a progressive, knowledge-rich and skills-based curriculum that enables pupils to revisit and deepen their understanding through a spiral curriculum, ensuring they know more and remember more over time. Learning is organised through age-appropriate enquiry questions that encourage pupils to think critically, discuss important issues and apply their learning to real-life situations.

The curriculum is built around six key concepts which are revisited and developed across each year group:

• My Healthy Self – developing emotional wellbeing, healthy lifestyles, resilience, self-awareness and positive mental and physical health.
• Connecting with Others – building healthy relationships, respecting diversity, understanding families, friendships, personal boundaries and communication.
• Online World – developing digital citizenship, media literacy, online safety and responsible use of technology.
• Citizenship – understanding rights, responsibilities, democracy, community, sustainability, financial education and preparing for life in modern Britain.
• Health Protection and Growing Up – learning about hygiene, health protection, puberty, body changes and making informed decisions about personal health.
• Staying Safe – recognising risks, managing emergencies, first aid, road, water and online safety, consent and seeking support from trusted adults.

These key concepts are taught progressively across all year groups, allowing children to revisit prior learning whilst extending their knowledge and understanding as they mature. The curriculum reflects the changing world children are growing up in, including contemporary issues such as online influence, misinformation, targeted advertising, digital wellbeing, consent, body confidence, mental health, financial responsibility and active citizenship.

Alongside the planned curriculum, pupils' personal development is further enriched through assemblies, pupil leadership opportunities, themed days, visitors, educational visits and wider curriculum experiences. Careers awareness, financial capability, British Values, protected characteristics and community engagement are woven throughout school life, enabling children to understand their role within both their local community and the wider world.

We believe that by going beyond the statutory requirements, our curriculum develops confident, respectful and resilient young people who are well prepared for the next stage of their education and for life beyond primary school. Our curriculum also complements our Computing curriculum, ensuring pupils develop the knowledge and critical thinking needed to stay safe and thrive in an increasingly digital world, reflecting the expectations of the DfE's Education for a Connected World framework.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

Within the Early Years Foundation Stage, Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) is recognised as one of the three prime areas of learning and forms the foundation for children's future success. Strong relationships, emotional security and positive interactions enable children to develop self-awareness, manage their feelings, build resilience and form positive relationships with others. Through carefully planned provision children learn to recognise and regulate emotions, develop independence, build friendships, understand healthy lifestyles and begin to take on challenges with confidence.

Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2

Throughout Key Stages 1 and 2, pupils build progressively on their understanding through carefully sequenced units based around enquiry questions. They learn how to:

• develop healthy relationships and positive friendships;
• understand and manage their physical, emotional and mental wellbeing;
• recognise and respond to risks both online and offline;
• keep themselves and others safe;
• understand their rights and responsibilities as citizens;
• make informed choices and develop resilience;
• respect diversity, equality and the views of others;
• prepare for the physical and emotional changes associated with growing up.

Learning is progressive and age-appropriate, enabling children to continually revisit, strengthen and apply their knowledge and skills in increasingly complex contexts.

Evidence and Assessment

Our PSHE and RSE curriculum has the potential to make a lasting difference to pupils' lives. The curriculum develops the knowledge, skills and attributes that enable children to build positive relationships, make responsible choices, maintain healthy lifestyles and contribute positively to society. Learning is assessed formatively throughout lessons through discussion, reflection, retrieval activities and end-of-unit assessments, allowing teachers to monitor both knowledge and understanding.

The impact of the curriculum is also evident through pupils' behaviour, attitudes and personal development. We evaluate how well children demonstrate our school values by showing respect for others, resolving conflict positively, making safe choices, understanding healthy relationships, managing emotions, contributing to school life and recognising how to seek help when needed. Through this, we ensure our pupils leave Lord Street as confident, respectful, resilient and responsible young people, fully prepared for the next stage of their education and for life in modern Britain.

Subject Leaders

Subject leaders will conduct deep dives, which include lesson drop ins, pupil interviews and book looks to measure the impact of our teaching, based on how much children can remember. Subject leaders will meet with their counterparts from our other trust schools and will moderate the work and monitoring outcomes from their setting to ensure that standards are exceeding the expectations.