PSHE, Relationships and Health Education

At Whitefield Primary School, we use the PSHE Association Programme of Study as our scheme of learning for Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) and Relationships and Health Education (RHE). Our curriculum is planned to meet the requirements of the Department for Education's statutory Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education guidance, which came into effect from September 2026. The PSHE Association's 2026 Programme of Study incorporates the statutory RSHE requirements alongside wider PSHE education, providing a coherent and progressive programme of learning. (GOV.UK)

Relationships Education is compulsory for all pupils in primary education, and Health Education is also a statutory requirement in state-funded primary schools.

Our approach at Whitefield is to provide children with the building blocks for positive, respectful and safe relationships, enabling them to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to keep themselves and others safe. The curriculum is carefully sequenced and age-appropriate, recognising that children begin developing relationship skills from the start of their education. It supports pupils to develop kindness, respect, self-respect, honesty, trust, resilience and responsibility. (GOV.UK Assets)

Across the primary phase, children will learn about:

• Families and people who care for them, including the importance of loving, safe and caring relationships and respect for different family circumstances.
• Friendships, including how to develop and maintain caring friendships, manage disagreements and conflict, recognise when a friendship is making them unhappy or uncomfortable, and seek help when needed.
• Respectful and kind relationships, including listening to others, communicating effectively, managing feelings, respecting boundaries, understanding personal needs and preferences, and treating others with dignity and respect.
• Bullying and unkind behaviour, including online bullying, the impact of bullying, the responsibilities of bystanders and how to seek help.
• Online relationships and safety, including understanding that the same principles of kindness and respect apply online as they do face-to-face, recognising risks associated with online contact, protecting personal information and knowing how to report harmful content or contact.
• Personal safety and safeguarding, including understanding privacy, appropriate and inappropriate contact, bodily autonomy, recognising harmful or unsafe behaviour, identifying trusted adults and knowing how and where to seek help.
• Emotional and mental wellbeing, including recognising and managing feelings, developing resilience and knowing when and how to ask for support.

The revised 2026 guidance places particular emphasis on helping children to recognise risks and harms, including abuse and unsafe online contact, while ensuring that teaching is preventative, protective and does not cause unreasonable alarm. Children are taught that abuse is never their fault and that they should continue to seek help until they are heard. (GOV.UK Assets)

We recognise the importance of teaching children about both online and offline relationships. Children are supported to understand that online interactions should be respectful and that they should exercise care when communicating with people they do not know. They learn about privacy, sharing personal information and images, harmful content and contact, and where to go for advice and support. This complements our wider safeguarding and computing provision.

Our PSHE and Relationships and Health Education curriculum sits alongside the Science curriculum and contributes to our wider Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) education. Through this curriculum, pupils are encouraged to develop the knowledge, character and personal skills needed to contribute positively to school and wider society.

Pendle Community Approach

“Pendle Schools, Churches and Mosques are committed to ensuring that children receive accurate and factual information about themselves, their bodies, other people and the wider world including how to get on with other people and how to keep themselves safe and healthy. We believe that this should be delivered in an open, honest and non-judgemental way which will provide children with an awareness of the wider world, in order for them to become good citizens, have healthy relationships and to develop respect, tolerance and understanding of others.”

Within the Pendle community, and in accordance with the DfE statutory guidance, our PSHE and Relationships and Health Education programmes are designed to help children from all backgrounds develop positive and safe relationships, understand how to keep themselves and others safe, and develop the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in modern Britain and make a positive contribution to society.

In consultation with Faith Leaders and Governors, as representatives of our school communities, we recognise the importance of ensuring that sensitive topics are approached in an age-appropriate, respectful and carefully sequenced way. The DfE guidance recognises that schools should take account of pupils' circumstances, needs, maturity and local context when planning and delivering RSHE. (GOV.UK Assets)

Schools within Pendle have developed their own curricula within the framework of the national statutory requirements. Schools will use their curriculum overviews and professional judgement to determine when and in which year group particular topics are introduced, ensuring that learning is appropriately sequenced and fits within the design of their wider curriculum.

At Whitefield Infant School, our curriculum is clearly mapped to demonstrate progression across the primary phase. Sensitive and potentially challenging topics are introduced at an appropriate age and revisited as children develop in knowledge, understanding and emotional maturity. We will consider the needs of our pupils when planning and delivering lessons and will adapt our approach where appropriate, including for pupils with additional needs.

We will also maintain an open and transparent relationship with parents and carers. Parents will be able to understand what is being taught, access information about the curriculum and, where appropriate, view relevant curriculum materials. Our Relationships and Health Education provision will be reviewed regularly to ensure that it remains responsive to pupils' needs and aligned with statutory guidance. The DfE guidance specifically expects schools to engage and consult parents when developing and reviewing their Relationships Education policy and to be transparent about the materials used. (GOV.UK Assets)

Overall, our aim is to ensure that every child at Whitefield receives a coherent, progressive and age-appropriate PSHE and Relationships and Health Education curriculum which enables them to understand themselves, develop healthy and respectful relationships, recognise and manage risks, seek help when needed, and grow into safe, responsible and caring members of their community.