The world in 2023 is an ever-changing, exciting and sometimes scary place and it is therefore vital that schools are preparing children to deal with the opportunities and challenges they face now and in the future. With this in mind, it is arguable that PSHE education is one of the most important subjects in the curriculum. Through a well-taught programme, children should have the opportunity to explore themselves, how they relate to others and their place in the wider world. Of course, this all needs to be taught in a safe learning environment and in an age-appropriate way to support children but not expose them to inappropriate content. In this blog post, we will consider some of the key areas that need to be covered in each primary key stage and how you decide what to cover and when, to build an effective spiral curriculum which includes knowledge, skills and attitudes. 

Since September 2021, schools have been legally required to teach Relationships, Sex (secondary only) and Health Education (RSHE) to all children. These areas are all part of PSHE education and there is an expectation that they will be delivered as part of a wider PSHE education programme. In primary schools this will often include Citizenship education as well. Primary schools can also decide if they wish to teach age-appropriate sex education.  

Children’s Mental Health Week is an important date on the calendar and provides us with the opportunity to discuss some important topics in the classroom. Launched in 2015 by the children’s mental health charity, Place2Be, Children’s Mental Health Week takes place each year to encourage children (and adults) to talk about how to maintain and support their mental health.

PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education) is a hot topic in the UK educational system right now. Portions of PSHE were made compulsory in 2020, but there’s little direction on exactly how to teach and plan these elements of PSHE.

Personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) is an integral part of a child’s education. PSHE is currently a non-statutory subject. However, the Department for Education does expect all schools to teach PSHE to their students. And, some parts of PSHE are compulsory; for primary schools, it is compulsory to teach relationship education and in state-funded primary schools it is also compulsory to teach health education.

When it comes to teaching content, there's an abundance of maths and English resources available. However, when searching for PSHE resources, you can quickly draw a blank, leaving teachers with a mountain of PSHE prep to do.