St StephensPersonal Development 
(PSHE/RSE/SMSC)
Intent
At St Stephens CP School we are passionate about providing an engaging and creative education which strives for excellence in every child. Children’s Personal Development is embedded through our Personal, Social, Health and Economics (PSHE), Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education (SMSC) curriculums. We believe that our curriculum instils a sense of belonging and well-rounded children who feel secure within themselves and within the school. Most of all we intend for our children to be happy and proud children who are able to successfully achieve. As a school we recognise every child has a talent and that we are all diverse, including the families and life experiences which we have had. We view every child as an individual who deserves the best possible education so they can achieve excellence. We encourage children to develop their own opinions and express these in different ways through our links with Philosophy for Children (P4C).
We are always trying to improve what we offer our children and welcome parents' views and ideas towards PSHE/RSE/SMSC, where parent consultations take place annually to ensure that we create and sustain an effective partnership between parents and school staff.
All schools in England must show how well their pupils develop in SMSC, PSHE and RSE.
A Breakdown of SMSC
Spiritual Development
Exploring beliefs and experiences; respecting faiths, feelings and values; enjoying learning about oneself, others and the surrounding world and using imagination, creativity and reflection.
Moral Development
Recognising right and wrong; respecting the law; understanding consequences; investigating moral and ethical issues and offering reasoned views.
Social Development
Use a range of social skills; participating in the local community; appreciating diverse viewpoints; participating, volunteering and cooperating; resolving conflicts; engaging with the five British Values of democracy, the rule of law, liberty, respect and tolerance.
Cultural Development
Appreciating cultural influences and the role of Britain's parliamentary system;
participating in cultural opportunities; understanding, accepting, respecting and celebrating diversity.
At St Stephens we encourage our children to be worldwide citizens and eco warriors. We support our children to respect and care for the environment in which they live and beyond. We do so through the variety of clubs which we have on offer and work towards achieving awards across these areas.
Sex and relationship education
Sex and Relationship Education (RSE) is an important part of our Personal Development education. Sex Education is non-statutory for primary schools to teach, however, through collaboration of senior leaders, teachers and governors we provide carefully planned learning catered for our specific children which is reviewed annually by staff, parents and governors.
Implementation
Teaching and Learning at St Stephens shows progression across all key stages within the different strands of the PSHE/RSE and SMSC curriculums. The staff of St Stephens use an updated PSHE/RSE objective overview (in-line with the RSE as of September 2020) to show clear progression of skills and knowledge in their teaching across the school. Staff keep each Key Stage overview updated with the cycle in which each objective was taught which is overseen by the PSHE/RSE/SMSC coordinator. The children of St Stephens have access to key language and definitions in order to understand and apply their knowledge to their learning, including the 5 British Values. Key objectives are also linked to our P4C learning to develop the children’s language skills further within PSHE/RSE/SMSC, expressing their opinions and key values.
SMSC, including the British Values are an integral part of the school’s ethos and are incorporated across the thematic curriculum.
What opportunities are created for the children of St Stephens to develop their Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural understanding?
We explore our beliefs and experiences; respect faiths, feelings and values; enjoy learning about ourselves, others and the surrounding world. We use our imaginations and creativity and offer our thoughts in our collective worship assemblies, Religious Education (RE) lessons and P4C discussions. We encourage visitors from our local community into our school to share their beliefs and experiences instilling a sense of care for our local and global environment.
Through our P4C sessions we develop our children’s moral development by learning to recognise right and wrong, debating our opinions, respecting those of others and reasoning through our key British values. On a day to day basis our children are challenged through their relationships with others and through scenarios given to them during assemblies, PSHE/RSE, SMSC and P4C sessions and are therefore tackling their moral standards frequently.
Our children’s social skills are also encouraged through opportunities to participate in the ‘School Council’ and by also becoming a ‘House Captain’, ‘Internet Legend’, ‘Eco Warrior’ and ‘Cornish Champion’. A variety of after school activities are also available to give our children confidence to socialise with others across the school and wider community. We participate as a school in local events, including within sports and work to help charities and local groups to improve our community. We believe that we have a strong pupil voice in our school.
At St Stephens we accept, respect and celebrate differences within our pupils and others in our community. To further enrich our curriculum we are visited by individuals who give our children a further insight into different cultures to aid their cultural development.
Personal Development is essential to the academic progress of pupils and is implemented across school on a daily basis. It is visible through the relationships and social interactions displayed in school amongst the children and staff, a high participation in PSHE/RSE/SMSC and P4C lessons and the clear presence of our key British values.
Impact
The children’s Personal Development will equip them to be thoughtful, caring and active citizens in school and in the wider society. All staff members will consistently promote fundamental British values and pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. SMSC is essential for children and young people's individual development, as well as the development of society as a whole. The importance of SMSC is central to the development and growth of children and crucially the overall well-being of the children. Our children will leave school with vital skills including knowing how to deal with different relationships and beginning to understand their own physical health and mental well-being. Children will understand that their opinions and values, different from others, are acknowledged and accepted. As a result of the promotion of British values, our pupils will gain an understanding of how they can influence decision-making through the democratic process, and appreciate that living under the rule of law protects individuals and is essential for their wellbeing and safety.
Early Years
PSHE is crucial in the EYFS curriculum where aspects of this area of learning are evident in all key Early Years areas within the statutory framework (2021). These are the following: ‘Communication and language - Listening, Attention and Understanding’, ‘Social and emotional development - Self-regulation, Managing Self and Building Relationships’, ‘Understanding the World - Past and Present, People, Culture and Communities and The Natural World’. When a child begins Nursery or EYFS they begin their journey learning about a variety of cultures, beliefs and values throughout our curriculum and thematic learning. Children explore themselves as unique individuals, exploring relationships with others as well as looking at similarities and differences between themselves and others, beginning to respect these. Our interactive, creative classrooms create stimulating learning environments to engage children to communicate freely, develop relationships and express their emotions within a safe and nurturing atmosphere.
The Subject Leader for Personal Development (PSHE/RSE/SMSC) is Miss A Platts.
PSHE/RSE/SMSC
