Our intent is that children at Straits Primary School develop tolerant, respectful young people, prepared for their future lives and ready to take their role within society. PSHE also develops their understanding of health, safety and fitness. Our PSHE programme enables our children to become healthy, independent and responsible members of a society. It aims to help them understand how they are developing personally and socially, and tackles many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up. We provide our children with opportunities for them to learn about rights and responsibilities and appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society. Our children are encouraged to develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community. As a result of this they will become healthy, independent and responsible members of a society who understand how they are developing personally and socially, and give them confidence to tackle many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up. We provide our children with opportunities for them to learn about safety, rights and responsibilities and appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society.

The national curriculum states clear objectives with regards to the curriculum:

Every state-funded school must offer a curriculum which is balanced and broadly based and must cover key areas:

• promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, and
• prepare pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.
• make provision for personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), drawing on good practice.

In addition, The Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education (England) Regulations 2019, made under sections 34 and 35 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017, make Relationships Education compulsory for all pupils receiving primary education. They also make Health Education compulsory in all schools except independent schools. Therefore, parents do not have the right to withdraw their child from Relationships or Health Education but for the parts of the primary curriculum which cover Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) parents have the right to request their child be excused from this aspect.

The focus of Relationships Education in primary schools should be on teaching the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships, with particular reference to friendships, family relationships, and relationships with other children and with adults. The focus of Physical Health and mental well-being in primary schools should be on teaching the characteristics of good physical health and mental well-being. Teachers should be clear that mental well-being is a normal part of daily life, in the same way as physical health.

The statutory guidance Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education details how this should be taught.