At the ADEPIS seminar on Friday 19th September, Joe Hayman from PSHE Association outlined the role of PSHE in the new National Curriculum 2014.

1. PSHE in the national curriculum
Joe Hayman
September 2014

2. The statutory position

3. Section 78 of the Education Act 2002 says
that every state-funded school must offer a
balanced/broadly-based curriculum which:
- promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural,
mental and physical development of pupils;
- prepares pupils for the opportunities,
responsibilities and experiences of later life

4. Schools also have statutory responsibilities
in relation to:
• promoting pupil wellbeing and pupil
safeguarding (Children Act 2004)
• community cohesion (Education Act
2006).

5. Added to this, in September 2013 the
Department for Education reminded
schools that they must publish their school
curriculum by subject, including their
provision for PSHE education.

6. PSHE in the national curriculum

7. •The preamble to the new national
curriculum framework states that “all
schools should make provision for PSHE”

8. Alongside the National Curriculum the DfE
published PSHE guidance which states:
“Schools should use PSHE education to build on
the statutory content in the national curriculum
and in statutory guidance on: drug education,
financial education, SRE and the importance of
physical activity and diet for a healthy lifestyle.”
Possibly computing too?

9. One example of the overlaps: Puberty
•Science curriculum covers the biology;
PSHE should cover the human element
•Joint briefing from the PSHE Association
and Association for Science Education
covers this in detail

10. The Ofsted position

11. Ofsted has identified a strong correlation
between schools which achieved a high
grade for PSHE education and those which
were graded outstanding for overall
effectiveness

12. Janet Palmer HMI has blogged about the
importance of PSHE in section 5 inspections
(available via PSHE Association website)

13. “It is difficult to see how safety and
safeguarding can be good if PSHE education
provision is poor. If pupils are kept ignorant
of their human, physical and sexual rights;
or how to protect themselves and others, or
know where to go to for help, they are not
being adequately safeguarded.”

14. “Inspectors leading s5 inspections have
been guided to grade behaviour and safety
separately and to take the lowest grade as
the overall grade for Behaviour and Safety;
and if Behaviour and Safety are judged to
require improvement this is likely to affect
the overall effectiveness grade.”

15. “Ofsted will be inspecting how well the
curriculum helps pupils to protect
themselves from among other things drug
and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, gang
culture, CSE, extremism, FGM and forced
marriage. Where else but in PSHE lessons
are these issues going to be addressed?”

16. Planning a PSHE programme for
2014/15

17. PSHE education should not be planned in
isolation. It is most effective in a ‘health
promoting school’ culture and where links
are made between PSHE lessons and other
relevant subjects to ensure consistency and
continuity for pupils e.g. computing, P.E.,
science, citizenship, design and technology…

18. Account should also be taken of DfE
guidance on Sex and Relationships Education
(supplemented by Brook-PSHE Association-
Sex Education Forum guidance on the same
subject), preventing and tackling bullying,
safeguarding and equality.

19. The PSHE Association Programme of Study
sets out three core themes:
Core theme 1: Health and Wellbeing
Core Theme 2: Relationships
Core Theme 3: Living in the wider world

20. www.pshe-association.org.uk
Drawn from the PoS, tailored to your
pupils’ needs and taking into account
school ethos and aims, other curricula
e.g. Science, RE, Citizenship etc. (and
any 2014 changes) and time
available.
Comprehensive overview – sits
alongside National Curriculum
programmes of study for other subjects

21. What the PSHE Association is
doing

22. 1. Influencing debate on the broad and
balanced curriculum, SMSC, statutory PSHE
2. Making the case to Government and
Opposition pre-election (also pre select
committee inquiry and PSHE Bill debate)
3. Packages of support for schools, LAs and
academy chains across the country

23. 4. SRE advice with Brook and the Sex
Education Forum
5. New guidance on teaching about consent
at key stages 3 and 4
6. Briefings on puberty and on addressing
pornography and sharing of sexual images;
briefings on FGM and other topics to follow

24. 7. New evidence briefing to give teachers
and LA leads the ammunition they need
8. Gathering case studies of where PSHE has
contributed to strong Ofsted performance
9. Updated our PSHE Programme of Study

25. Joe Hayman
PSHE Association Chief Executive
Joe@pshe-association.org.uk
www.pshe-association.org.uk
020 7922 7950