Intent
At Great Corby School and Nursery, we encourage each individual child to become a successful life-long learner by igniting their curiosity, developing their love for learning and instilling a desire to achieve. Our whole school RSHE scheme of work is called SCARF. SCARF is a progressive PSHE and Wellbeing programme.
Teachers use the SCARF scheme to teach RSE ‘relationship and sex education,’ internet safety, staying safe online, safeguarding, mindfulness and British values. RSHE is a subject through which our pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage their lives, now and in the future. These skills and attributes help our pupils to stay healthy, safe and prepare them for life and work in modern Britain. The Government’s statutory safeguarding guidance for schools: Keeping children safe in education; statutory guidance for schools and colleges states that:
‘Governing bodies and proprietors should ensure children are taught about safeguarding, including online, through teaching and learning opportunities, as part of providing a broad and balanced curriculum. This may include covering relevant issues through personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), through sex and relationship education (SRE).’
Aims:
- To provide a curriculum that is broadly based and balanced and which meets the needs of all pupils.
- To make good provision for personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) for our children, drawing on good practice.
- To promote the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and society, and prepare pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.
Implementation
We are passionate about the vital role that RSHE plays in supporting our pupil’s development so we teach RSHE in discrete weekly lessons from Nursery through to Year 6. Our RSHE curriculum is delivered through the SCARF programme and is broken down into six strands:
- Me and my relationships (Autumn 1 term)
- Valuing difference (Autumn 2 term)
- Keeping myself safe (Spring 1 term)
- Rights and responsibilities (Spring 2 term)
- Being my best (Summer 1 term)
- Growing and changing (Summer 2 term)
Children explore these strands year-on-year, building a toolkit of strategies and knowledge which they apply in scenario-based lessons, giving them the opportunity to ask questions and practise the skills in a safe and caring environment.
Understanding Mental Health and Wellbeing
We are incredibly passionate about equipping children with the skills and knowledge to develop positive mental health, including strategies to support themselves if they are feeling low or anxious. All children are encouraged to reflect on the way they are feeling and use the ‘Zone of Regulation’ boards in their classroom to record the ways their feelings change throughout the school day.
We recognise that, for some children, developing positive mental health and wellbeing is incredibly challenging and that for some, additional focussed teaching needs to be put in place to close this gap. We provide a wider range of nurture programmes within school through the deployment of skilled and caring teaching assistants and our ELSA trained staff. All staff work closely with the Senior Mental Health Leader and class teachers to provide early intervention for those who need it. Each of these interventions help our children to understand themselves, their emotions and how to be successful in the world both in and outside of school.
Impact
It is evident when walking around school that the development of the whole child is central to the work that we do – children are well-cared for and the development of relationships, social, emotional and health needs is a strength.
Children at Great Corby school are able to talk confidently about how to keep themselves safe both in and around school as well as online. They care for each other, accept differences and support their peers in a way that demonstrates that their core values match those of the school’s and staff.
As children progress through the school, their ability to articulate their feelings develops. Children at Great Corby school are reflective and articulate when discussing their emotions. Using scenarios within their learning means that children can apply transferrable skills, preparing them to meet unknown situations with confidence. Where additional support is required to develop any area within a child’s personal, social, emotional or health needs, intervention is swift and effective.
