PSHEe
This core theme covers personal, social health and economic education (PSHEe), including sex and relationship education and drug education (including alcohol, tobacco and volatile substance abuse).
In November 2008 Healthy Schools issued PSHE education guidance. The introduction to this document explains that PSHEe encompasses personal, social and health education at Key Stages 1 and 2, and personal, social, health and economic education at Key Stages 3 and 4.
PSHEe provides pupils with the knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes to make informed decisions about their lives. While it is possibly the most challenging of the four core themes, it provides much of the foundation for Healthy Schools status. The aim of our work to support you to gain National Healthy School Status is to challenge you to go much further in extending and strenthening PSHEe.
Every Child Matters
PSHEe can contribute significantly to the school's work around Every Child Matters and there is an increasing body of practical guidance and support from the QCDA to develop and improve PSHEe across all the Key Stages.
The PSHE Association was formed to raise the status, quality and impact of PSHEe, and to provide help and support to teachers and other PSHEe professionals.
The Youth Intervention Officers (Devon and Cornwall Police) are using resources from Get Your Head Round It.
SEAL and PSHEe
A full, timetabled, whole school implementation of Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) can provide a substantial part - but not all - of a planned programme of PSHEe. The PSHEe programme needs to include more of the knowledge aspects of drugs, alcohol and tobacco education, Sex and Relationships Education, healthy living, staying safe and Citizenship.
SEAL helps children and young people to develop skills and attitudes of confidence, self-esteem, risk awareness and risk management, assertiveness and awareness of their feelings and how to deal with them appropriately and effectively. All of these skills can help them make informed and strong, safe choices including those around drugs, alcohol, sex and relationships and risky behaviours now and in the future.
Our 'mini-sites' for Drugs and SRE cover these aspects of PSHE in more detail.
The relationship between SEAL, PSHEe and Healthy Schools
The government published a short paper on the relationship between SEAL, PSHEe and Healthy Schools. The paper highlights the common approaches of the three programmes and shows that they make a major contribution to schools' achievement of the Every Child Matters outcomes as well as statutory responsibilities. Download the paper.
Ealing has done a good, comprehensive PSHE scheme of work, read more.
PSHEe in a secondary school
At one of our good practice events, Sue Le Marchard gave a presentation showing how PSHEe is taught throughout Newquay Tretherras School, from Year 7 through to Year 11. Download Sue's presentation PSHE in a Healthy School.