Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)

The aim of PSHE is to help give young people the knowledge, skills and understanding they require to lead confident, healthy and independent lives. At St. Edmund's, our pupils take PSHE both in the Junior School and the Senior School, throughout their Fifth Form years, giving them the opportunity to look in depth at topics such as how we organise society and how we approach the moral and social issues which affect us all.

PSHE is delivered in a variety of ways to the different age groups. Younger children will explore issues such as personal hygiene, nutrition, friendship and caring; this is done in a safe and secure environment with their form teacher, allowing them to grow in confidence and develop interpersonal skills. In the later years of the Junior School they will start to explore topics such as drugs and alcohol, bullying, puberty and the changing nature of the relationship between the sexes.

This education continues in the Senior School where we build on the earlier topics and also cover issues such as sex and sexuality, relationships and boundaries, conflict management, parenting issues, animal welfare, and food and diet.

Teaching of PSHE is conducted by a wide range of individuals with differing skills and specialisms, and pupil groups will rotate amongst these teachers to ensure that they benefit from this range of experience and knowledge. When it is appropriate, we will teach pupils by gender, so that a more open and relaxed discussion of topics can be facilitated.

Our PSHE syllabus is designed to equip pupils with the knowledge they need to cope with the increasingly complex world around them. The role of our PSHE teachers and leaders is not to teach pupils what to think, but to ensure that they will be able to make informed choices on these important issues, as the time comes.