Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) and Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE)

At Pield Heath House School, PSHE and RSHE are an essential part of our curriculum and our commitment to helping every young person “Live Life to the Full.” Our programme is carefully designed around the individual needs, abilities and experiences of our students, enabling them to develop the knowledge, skills, confidence and understanding they need to live safe, healthy, fulfilling and increasingly independent lives.

Our PSHE and RSHE curriculum is taught through a combination of planned lessons, practical experiences and opportunities throughout school life. Learning is adapted across our different curriculum pathways so that every student can engage meaningfully, communicate their views and make progress at their own level.

We use the Ten:Ten, PSHE Association and Equals schemes of work, where appropriate, to support the planning and delivery of our curriculum. These resources are carefully selected and adapted to ensure that the content we deliver is consistent, does not conflict with our school’s Catholic ethos or other curriculum provision, and is appropriate to the age, developmental stage and cognitive profile of our pupils.

Our Catholic ethos and values

As a Catholic school within the Diocese of Westminster, our RSHE provision reflects and supports the spiritual life, values and ethos of our school community. Our teaching is aligned with the Diocese of Westminster’s approach to Relationship and Sex Education, ensuring that learning promotes dignity, respect, compassion, responsibility and the value of every individual.

Where appropriate, we use Ten:Ten Resources to support our RSHE teaching. These resources provide age- and developmentally-appropriate opportunities for students to explore relationships, growing and changing, personal identity, wellbeing, consent, dignity and respect, while supporting the Catholic ethos of our school.

Our approach recognises that every young person is unique. Teaching is carefully adapted to reflect students’ developmental levels, communication needs and individual circumstances, while maintaining a clear focus on safeguarding, dignity, personal autonomy and preparation for adulthood.

What do our students learn?

• Relationships and friendships – building positive relationships, recognising trusted people, developing social skills and understanding how to treat others with kindness, dignity and respect.
• Consent, boundaries and personal safety – understanding personal space, appropriate and inappropriate touch, privacy, body autonomy, consent and how to recognise when something does not feel right.
• Communication and self-advocacy – developing the confidence and skills to express choices, feelings, needs and preferences, including through AAC, symbols and other forms of communication.
• Emotional wellbeing and resilience – recognising and managing emotions, developing self-esteem, building resilience and knowing how and where to seek help.
• Healthy lifestyles – exploring physical health, personal hygiene, puberty, healthy relationships, nutrition, exercise, sleep and looking after our mental wellbeing.
• Relationships and sexual health – providing age- and developmentally-appropriate learning about growing up, bodies, relationships, consent, personal care and keeping safe, within our Catholic ethos and values.
• Living in the wider world – developing an understanding of rights, responsibilities, equality, diversity, British Values, community participation and the wider world around us.
• Economic wellbeing and preparation for adulthood – developing practical skills around independence, decision-making, money, work, community access and preparing for life beyond Pield Heath.

Learning through real experiences

At Pield Heath, we believe that personal development is most meaningful when students have opportunities to experience and practise what they learn. PSHE and RSHE therefore extend beyond the classroom.

Students are given opportunities to develop their skills through community visits, practical activities, workshops, assemblies, themed events, visiting professionals and everyday experiences within school. These experiences help students apply their learning to real-life situations and develop greater independence, confidence and personal accountability.

Our curriculum also incorporates resources and approaches such as SoSafe, Talk Touch Triangle, Building a People & Relationships and OK, Consent, supporting students to understand relationships, boundaries, appropriate touch and how to communicate when they need help.

Students are explicitly taught how to recognise a concern, identify trusted adults and report something that makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe. This preventative approach forms an important part of our safeguarding culture and helps students to develop the confidence to speak up and seek support.

Developing confident and independent young people

PSHE and RSHE are closely connected to our wider Personal Development and Preparation for Adulthood curriculum. We want our students to leave Pield Heath with more than academic qualifications: we want them to have the confidence, communication skills, knowledge and practical experience to make choices, build positive relationships, participate in their communities and take increasing ownership of their lives.

Through a carefully structured and personalised programme, we support every young person to develop independence, social engagement, personal accountability, autonomy, dignity and self-belief, enabling them to flourish both within our school community and beyond it.

To see the PSHE & RSHE Curriculum Map click here