Personal, Social and Health Education

This page was updated: September 2022
Next update due: September 2023
Subject Lead: Laura Geraghty

This area includes health education, promoting good behaviour and developing children’s awareness of themselves and others in the community. Our work in PSHME is often incidental but always essential. It involves children in learning to keep themselves fit and healthy; developing a set of values and beliefs, including respect for ourselves, for others and for the environment. PSHME includes drug education aimed at encouraging children to recognise the dangers of drugs and how to assert themselves against negative influences and pressures. We aim to teach children how to recognise and avoid addictive or harmful substances and how to keep themselves safe and healthy.

Citizenship is taught mainly through whole class and group discussion. It concentrates on developing children’s knowledge and understanding of their roles and responsibilities and how to make a positive contribution to their community. They also learn about democracy and how local and national government works.

At John Ball we have adopted the practice of ‘circle time’, dedicated to developing the ability to listen to others express their views and to discuss and debate current ideas and issues. Circle time is frequently used to support PSHME and Citizenship education.

Sex education

Schools are able to decide whether or not to teach sex education and we include sex education as part of our curriculum. Before a class studies sex education formally (normally in KS2) parents are informed and are invited to view the materials which will be used by a class. At other times if children ask teachers questions relating to sex or sexuality, it is our policy to answer their questions honestly and with regard for our equality policies.

We will always try to inform you about the kind of questions your child is asking so that you may also respond to them. Parents are entitled to withdraw their child from formal sex education if they so wish, but we cannot withdraw a child from playground chatter, so we do hope that as many children as possible are able to take part in the lessons.

Relationships and Sex Education Policy

See our SRE information letters for 2022/2023 below:

Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6