PSHE
Our PSHE subject leader is Miss Wilson.
“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” – Aristotle
The new updated RSHE statutory guidance was published by the DfE in July 2025. The updated document replaces the original 2019 version. This new guidance becomes compulsory for schools to adopt on the 1st September 2026.
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Intent
At Upperby Primary School, the personal development, wellbeing and safety of every child is central to everything we do. Through our PSHE, Relationships Education, Sex Education and Health Education curriculum, we equip pupils with the knowledge, skills and values they need to lead safe, healthy, happy and successful lives.
Our curriculum develops children's emotional literacy, resilience, self-awareness and self-regulation while promoting positive physical and mental health. Pupils learn how to build healthy relationships, recognise and respect personal boundaries, understand consent and privacy in age-appropriate ways, and know how to seek help when they feel unsafe or worried.
In line with statutory guidance, children are taught how to stay safe both online and offline, recognise risks such as bullying, peer pressure and harmful behaviours, and make informed decisions that support their wellbeing.
Our curriculum reflects our inclusive school community and promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Fundamental British Values are embedded throughout, encouraging respect, tolerance, democracy, individual liberty and the understanding that everyone deserves dignity, equality and respect.
We value strong partnerships with parents and carers and recognise their vital role in supporting children's personal development.
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Implementation
PSHE, Relationships Education and Health Education are taught through the SCARF (Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience and Friendship) whole-school programme, which provides a carefully planned and progressive curriculum from Nursery to Year 6. SCARF is fully aligned with the Department for Education statutory requirements for Relationships Education and Health Education and is mapped to the PSHE Association's Programme of Study.
The curriculum is organised into six half-termly units:
- Me and My Relationships
- Valuing Difference
- Keeping Safe
- Rights and Respect
- Being My Best
- Growing and Changing
These units are taught at an age-appropriate level each year, enabling children to revisit and deepen their understanding while building on prior knowledge and skills. Through the SCARF curriculum, pupils develop knowledge and understanding in:
- Families, friendships and caring relationships
- Kindness, respect, inclusion and celebrating diversity
- Mental health, emotional wellbeing and resilience
- Physical health, healthy lifestyles and self-care
- Personal hygiene, growing up and puberty
- Online relationships, digital citizenship and internet safety
- Personal boundaries, privacy and consent
- Bullying prevention, discrimination and respectful behaviour
- Safeguarding, recognising risk, trusted adults and seeking help
- Rights, responsibilities, citizenship and economic wellbeing
Relationships and Sex Education is delivered progressively in line with statutory guidance and pupils' developmental readiness. Any non-statutory sex education is taught sensitively and in partnership with parents and carers.
Learning is reinforced through assemblies, circle time, wellbeing activities, themed enrichment days, restorative approaches, positive behaviour systems and meaningful links with other curriculum subjects, including Science, Computing and Physical Education.
Teaching is fully inclusive and adapted to meet the needs of all learners, including pupils with SEND, ensuring every child can access, participate in and succeed within the curriculum.
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Impact
Our curriculum enables pupils to become confident, respectful and resilient individuals who are well-prepared for the next stage of education and for life beyond primary school.
Children develop the knowledge, understanding and confidence to:
- build healthy and respectful relationships
- communicate their emotions appropriately
- understand personal boundaries, privacy and consent
- recognise risks and seek help when needed
- stay safe both online and offline
- make informed decisions about their physical and mental wellbeing
- show empathy, kindness, respect and responsibility towards others
- contribute positively to their school and wider community
Assessment is ongoing through teacher observation, pupil discussion, retrieval activities and age-related progression in knowledge and skills. Teachers use formative assessment to identify misconceptions, celebrate progress and adapt teaching to meet the needs of all pupils.
The subject leader monitors the quality of teaching and learning through pupil voice, lesson observations, work scrutiny, assessment information and staff support, ensuring consistently high standards and continuous curriculum improvement.
By the time pupils leave Upperby Primary School, they are equipped with the knowledge, skills, values and confidence to keep themselves safe, develop positive relationships, make informed choices and navigate an increasingly complex world with resilience, compassion and responsibility.
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What is Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education?
PSHE education is a planned, progressive programme of learning that supports and enhances the personal, social, emotional and physical development of children and young people. It equips pupils with the knowledge, understanding, skills and attributes they need to manage their lives successfully, both now and in the future.
At Upperby Primary School, we are committed to helping every child develop the confidence, resilience and character needed to thrive as happy, healthy and responsible individuals. Through our PSHE curriculum, children learn to become respectful members of their families, school and wider community, while developing the skills to make informed decisions, build positive relationships and contribute positively to society.
Our PSHE curriculum plays a vital role in supporting children's wellbeing, preparing them to face the opportunities, responsibilities and challenges of modern life. It encourages children to manage emotions, develop resilience, solve problems, make safe choices and take responsibility for their actions and behaviour. PSHE also enables children to apply the knowledge and understanding gained across the curriculum to real-life situations, helping them feel safe, valued and confident so they can achieve their full academic and personal potential.
SCARF – Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience and Friendship
At Upperby Primary School, we deliver our PSHE curriculum through SCARF, a comprehensive, whole-school approach to promoting positive behaviour, emotional wellbeing, resilience and achievement.
SCARF represents the core values we want every child to develop:
- Safety
- Caring
- Achievement
- Resilience
- Friendship
SCARF supports our school in meeting all Department for Education statutory requirements for Relationships Education and Health Education and is fully mapped to the PSHE Association's Programme of Study. It provides a carefully planned framework of lesson plans, online planning, assessment tools and wellbeing resources, giving teachers the confidence to deliver a high-quality, progressive PSHE curriculum from Nursery to Year 6.
SCARF promotes positive relationships, emotional wellbeing, safety and healthy lifestyles every day, embedding these principles throughout school life. The curriculum is organised into six half-termly units, which are revisited each year at an age-appropriate level to ensure progression in knowledge, understanding and skills:
- Me and My Relationships
- Valuing Difference
- Keeping Safe
- Rights and Respect
- Being My Best
- Growing and Changing
Each unit is carefully adapted to meet the developmental needs of pupils across all year groups, ensuring learning is relevant, engaging and builds on prior knowledge. Through these units, children develop understanding and skills in areas including:
- Building positive relationships and effective communication.
- Emotional health, mental wellbeing and resilience.
- Personal safety, online safety and risk management.
- Healthy lifestyles and physical wellbeing.
- Economic wellbeing and financial capability.
- Rights, responsibilities and respect for others.
- Growing, changing and understanding relationships.
- Making informed choices about medicines, drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
- Citizenship, diversity and inclusion.
Anti-Bullying and British Values
At Upperby Primary School, we believe that every child has the right to feel safe, respected and valued. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone is treated with kindness, dignity and respect, and where discrimination and bullying are not tolerated.
Anti-bullying education is embedded throughout our curriculum and school ethos. Children are taught to recognise bullying in all its forms, understand its impact and know how to seek support. Diversity, equality and inclusion are celebrated through planned learning experiences, assemblies and everyday school life. Prejudice-based and discriminatory bullying, including homophobic, racist, sexist and disability-related bullying, is challenged consistently and appropriately.
British Values are woven throughout our PSHE curriculum, promoting democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths, beliefs and backgrounds.
Our Upperby Values underpin everything we do and help create a caring, respectful and inclusive school community where every child is supported to flourish both academically and personally.
2.7.26
Our fantastic Careers fair as part of our Aspirations day.
6.3.26
Culture in our community hall display.
13.2.26
Children’s Mental Health week. We had many great discussions about how to look after our mental health and what it means to belong. Everyone enjoyed designing ‘My Place’. A place that empowers us to make a difference and contribute positively to the world. We finished the week off with ‘Wear your scarf to school’ day.
29.11.25
We had a visit from Julie Minns, our local MP for UK Parliament week, where she answered our questions.
27.11.25
Year 5 and 6 pupils have received Heart Start training from Carlisle East Fire Station this week. We believe real life skills are important to help our children thrive. Thank you to Stuart and the team, who were brilliant!
11.11.25
Remembrance Day poppies. Our whole school came together to remember and give thanks to those who have served and sacrificed for our country.
11.11.25
This week we celebrated Anti-bullying week. We started off the week with Odd Socks Day and watched the Anti-bullying Alliances' assembly. Across our school, we looked at how we could use our 'Power for Good'. Amazing discussions by all! Here is a collection of superheroes showing their superpowers (Year 1, 2 & 6).
14.10.25 PSCO Online Safety Assembly Year 5 & 6
PCSO Amy Lambert came to talk to Year 5 & 6 about the dangers of social media, including Snapchat. We learnt how to keep ourselves safe online and that the legal age to use the app is 13. It was a really informative and important session!
10.10.25 Hello Yellow World Mental Health Day
Many children came to school wearing yellow in support of World Mental Health Day. We wanted to raise awareness of positive mental health and show children and adults that they are not alone with their Mental Health. Miss Wilson was given a very special Hello Yellow card with a positive message from a child in Camelot class. This definitely increased happiness levels!
Hello Yellow | World Mental Health Day | 10 October | YoungMinds
10.10.25 PSCO Assembly KS1
PCSO Amy Lambert came to talk to the KS1 children about her role, how she can help people in our community and how the Police keep us safe. The children loved hearing about her special uniform, seeing the police van and hearing the siren!
