At Benhall Infant School we understand the impact of mental and physical health on a child’s ability to access their learning across the curriculum.  Learning how to create and maintain healthy lifestyles and relationships is a key focus of our PHSE curriculum.

It is crucial for children to have access to quality adult-child interactions that focus on following the child’s lead in so that the children feel safe and confident to tackle sometimes emotive topics.  Relationships Education and Health Education (RHE) is a statutory component of the curriculum in primary schools.   Children and young people need to know how to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way.  We want the subjects to put in place the key building blocks of healthy, respectful relationships, focusing on family and friendships, in all contexts, including online. This will sit alongside the essential understanding of how to be healthy.  Teaching about mental wellbeing is central to these subjects, especially as a priority for parents is their children’s happiness. We know that children and young people are increasingly experiencing challenges, and that young people are at particular risk of feeling lonely. The subject content will give them the knowledge and capability to take care of themselves and receive support if problems arise.  We will help to foster pupil wellbeing and develop resilience and character that we know are fundamental to children being happy, successful and productive members of society. Central to this is purple learning, where our children are encouraged to:

• believe that they can achieve goals, both academic and personal
• stick to tasks that will help them achieve those goals, even when the reward may be distant or uncertain
• recover from knocks and challenging experiences

This will be complemented by development of personal attributes including kindness, integrity, generosity, and honesty.

Key features of effective PHSE

Features of effective teaching of PHSE have been identified as those that define effective early years practise. 

These are:

• Following the child’s lead
• Providing safe, nurturing environments
• Providing language models for children to copy
• Modelling and explaining the meaning of new vocabulary
• Having high expectations for all
• Ensuring that teaching focuses on the whole child
• Collaboration with child’s family

How we teach PHSE

• In Pre-School, children are provided with safe nurturing environments which enable them to feel secure as they build independence and relationships in a wider range of situations.  Children have a key worker who is responsive to their key children’s needs.  The pre-school adopts an extended family approach and our children join either Gold or Silver family when they join pre-school so that they can build strong relationships with a smaller number of children and adults.  Like all good families our two pre-school families meet to extend the social interactions our children have.  Children are taught social and learning behaviours with the help of our Behaviour Superheroes.
• At school, children continue to develop their independence and social skills as a natural part of the day.  Purple learning is the golden thread that runs throughout our school, promoting a growth mindset.  The children learn about the Benhall Tool Kit that supports their learning when they join us in Reception and become proficient users of all the learning tools within it by the time they leave our school.
• We have three school rules that capture how a community can work together.  Our children and staff are committed to being Ready, Respectful and Safe.  These rules are referred to throughout the day and our children are supported in understanding what these words look like in action through our collective reward system.
• Classes hold class meetings to discuss the focus question from our PHSE curriculum but they are also called by teachers or the children if there is an issue that needs to be discussed for example disruptive behaviour in continuous provision, unsafe play on the playground or a wider issue such as worries over war or the environment.
• Each week we hold a Purple Learning assembly where a key focus is discussed.  This focus is shared with parents in our newsletter.  We celebrate purple learning in our celebration assembly each Friday.

Our PHSE teaching is often in the moment and responds immediately to circumstances that the children are facing in their day.  The teaching of skills and knowledge happens all over the school using a variety of tools including greeting each child positively, opportunities for restorative conversations and fresh starts, assemblies, online safety events, supporting charities (locally, nationally and worldwide), the daily mile, offering healthy meals and snacks, use of pupil premium and sports premium, inviting visitors and class meetings.

 The child’s progression as a citizen

At Pre-school, I am a mini citizen where I am proud to belong to my family and pre-school family (Gold or Silver).  I enjoy talking about how I belong and the people that I have formed positive relationships with.  I play collaboratively with my friends and try my best to follow the rules.  I love that I am becoming more and more independent as I learn to perform activities of daily living as part of my daily routine.

I am able to:

• talk about myself and how I compare to my friends, family and other communities
• begin to make the right choices 
• initiate my own play
• begin to share resources and take turns
• wait for something  
• identify different emotions
• usually wash and dry my hands 
• dress myself with help  
• talk about how equipment and tools can be used safely
• respond to focused and meaningful praise
• select and use resources with support
• talk to my friends when playing and learning
• speak in a small group.  

In reception, I am an early citizen who likes nothing better than to chat about my friends and family.  I am proud to belong to my family and school.  I understand the rules and I am keen to demonstrate that I can follow them.  I support my friends to feel happy and safe at school.  I take pride in myself and always do my best to show that I am a purple learner in all aspects of my development and learning.

I am able to:

• join in with family customs and routines
• show an awareness of own culture and others cultures
• show a developing respect for myself, others and property  
• show a sense of belonging in my own community
• name some people who can help me
• begin to be in control of my own actions
• be aware of the school and class rules and can stick to them most of the time  
• usually adapt my behaviour to suit different situations 
• say how I feel at certain points
• resolve minor disagreements through listening to each other to come up with a fair solution
• talk about and identify my feelings in different situations
• be a purple learner and know how my attitude affects my learning
• understand that there needs to be agreed values and codes of behaviour for groups of adults and children to work together harmoniously
• know some strategies to manage my feelings and begin to use these to maintain control 
• listen to others’ suggestions and plan how to achieve an outcome together without adult help
• stand up for myself appropriately
• stop and think before acting
• speak confidently in a large group talk about the things I enjoy and am good at, and about things I don’t find easy
• take risks  
• describe myself as a purple learner
• know what I need to learn and where to find it
• name strategies I can use if I don’t know how to do something (Benhall Toolkit) 
• be resourceful in finding support when I need help or information.  

In KS1, am a citizen who has developed a sense of self and belonging.  I respect myself and others and I am proud to talk to others about the people, things and places that are important to me.  I am curious about others and understand that their culture and beliefs might be different to mine and that is ok.  I look after myself with increasing independence and love to help others.  I am an excellent role model for early and mini citizens and my family and teachers are really proud of the purple learner I have become.

I am able to:

• introduce myself and tell you about my place in my family, school, and the local community
• Explain the meaning of our school rules “ready, respectful and safe.” 
• Show you examples of when I and others are being ready, respectful and safe.” 
• Explain how I can manage my emotions, including who helps me
• Use my own or my classroom’s wheel of choice
• Lead my own learning
• Demonstrate to others how to be ready, respectful and safe
• Negotiate and compromise to resolve conflict
• Form collaborative, respectful and caring relationships
• Take responsibility for my own needs
• Strive to be the best I can be
• Respond positively to the high expectations of others