Helsby Hillside Primary SchoolPersonal, Social and Health Education
Intent - What Do We Aspire for Our Children?
Our Curriculum Intent for Personal Development
Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education, which includes Relationships Education, encompasses a range of essential skills, knowledge, and attributes that contribute to various aspects of a child’s development. Consisting of both statutory and non-statutory elements of learning, as recommended by the DfE, PSHE serves as a framework for fostering positive behaviour, promoting mental health and well-being, building resilience and facilitating academic achievement. It equips children with the necessary skills to navigate the online world safely, develop healthy and secure relationships, interpret media messages critically, challenge extreme views and develop skills and attributes needed for present and future situations.
The provision of PSHE in our school aligns with our broader objectives of nurturing confident and successful learners who possess creativity, resourcefulness, and problem-solving abilities. The school’s curriculum and culture prioritise the social and emotional development of pupils throughout all subject areas. Our PSHE program is designed around recurring themes, that follow a spiral curriculum approach, to achieve the following objectives:
We recognise the strong connection between students’ health, well-being, and academic progress. The essential skills and positive attitudes developed through comprehensive Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education play a crucial role in ensuring that children become effective learners.
Curriculum Implementation
Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education is delivered using the SCARF scheme, which provides a comprehensive, progressive framework to support pupils’ wellbeing, relationships, and personal development. SCARF covers five key themes—Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience, and Friendship—that underpin all learning and contribute to the holistic development of every child.
PSHE lessons are taught weekly, following a well-structured, age-appropriate programme that builds knowledge, skills, and attitudes in a safe and inclusive environment. Each unit includes engaging activities, discussions, and opportunities for reflection, enabling pupils to develop emotional literacy, social skills, and a positive mindset.
The scheme integrates statutory requirements for Relationships and Health Education and promotes British Values alongside mental health awareness and online safety. Regular assessment and teacher feedback ensure that learning is responsive to the needs of all pupils. Through SCARF, we aim to empower children to make informed choices, develop healthy relationships, and grow into confident, responsible members of their communities.
The No Outsiders scheme complements our PSHE curriculum by actively promoting understanding, respect, and celebration of diversity within our school community. It teaches children about different identities, families, cultures, and abilities through inclusive stories and discussions, helping to foster empathy, challenge discrimination, and create a safe, welcoming environment where every child feels valued and included.
My Happy Mind is a whole-school programme designed to support children’s mental health and wellbeing through positive psychology and neuroscience. It teaches pupils practical strategies to understand how their brain works, manage their emotions, build positive relationships and develop resilience. Through engaging lessons, interactive activities and a focus on everyday habits, children learn skills such as gratitude, mindfulness and self-belief that help them feel happy, confident and ready to learn. Every year group from Early Years to Year 6 has a separate version of the curriculum, with Year 6 focussing on transition. The content is structured against the five modules shown in the myHappymind system image. Each Year group works through the 5 modules allowing for a whole school culture to build. There are also lessons on neurodiversity to enable the whole school community to better understand and embrace diversity.By embedding the My Happy Mind curriculum across school, we aim to give every child the tools they need to thrive both in the classroom and beyond.
The Five My Happy Mind Modules:
The myHappymind curriculum is grounded in scientific research and helps children to:
- Feel happier
- Know what to do when they feel worried or stressed
- Improve their focus and learn more
- Achieve more of the goals that they set for themselves
- Develop better relationships with friends and families
- Feel great about who they are and have positive self-esteem
We would love for you to carry on the learning at home too. You can download the Parent App to learn all about the Science of Happiness and also access a range of games, songs, Happy Breathing resources and much more at home. Take a look inside!
https://myhappymind.lpages.co/myhappymind-parent-app-introduction/
