Learning For Life (PSHCE and RHSE) at St. Thomas More Catholic Primary School

We have combined out PSHCE and RHSE Curriculum to create our bespoke ‘Learning For Life’ programme.  Learning For Life is at the heart of everything we do at St Thomas More. Learning For Life incorporates the statutory and non-statutory knowledge and skills set out in the PSHCE and RHSE curriculum.  We teach Learning for Life throughout the school as discreet weekly sessions as well as incorporating it in all other areas of the curriculum, including assemblies, Collective Worship and through celebrating national events.  Learning For Life learning outcomes have been carefully matched to the three overarching themes and have been carefully created with our ‘Life to the full’ RHSE programme, SCARF resources (Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience, Friendship), as well as our Computing curriculum, to ensure total progressive coverage across the key stages.

Due to the excellent outcomes of our PSHCE and wellbeing sessions, we have been awarded both the GHLL Accreditation and the Mental Health Champions award.

Intent

Our aim is for all children to become confident, creative and engaged learners who achieve their full God-given potential.  We aim to inspire curiosity and fascination about our local communities as well as our world community.

We ensure that through the lens of faith we develop individual, unique people and form the foundations of them being able to contribute to society.  Our school vision is that as a Catholic school, God is at the heart of all we do. We believe that each person is made in His image, deserving to be treated with respect and dignity.  Showing respect, love and care for everyone and everything, we aim to develop harmony between pupils, parents the school and Parish and grow as a Christian community. We aim to enable each individual to realise their full potential, spiritually, academically, physically, socially and emotionally.  

At St Thomas More, our intention is that all children will leave our school with the knowledge, understanding and emotions to be able to play an active role in today’s society. We want our children to have high aspirations, a belief in themselves and realise that anything is possible if they put their mind to it.  The aim of Learning For Life is to help children to acquire and develop knowledge and understanding of the world around them in order to help them develop as young citizens. In an every-changing world, it is important that they are aware, to an appropriate level, of different factors which will affect their world and that they learn how to deal with these so that they have good mental health and well-being.

Implementation

Learning For Life is planned and taught from a whole school progressive overview using a range of resources including GHLL’s PINK Curriculum (People in the Know), SCARF (Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience, Friendship), Ten:Ten - Life To The Full and based on national and international events (Anti-Bullying Week, Children’s Mental Health Week etc).  We facilitate and develop the learning of key topics from outside visitors such as our local PSCO team and Life Education team.  Learning For Life is recorded in our whole class floorbook, which children can have access to, to recap their learning.  Not only is Learning For Life taught from a whole school overview but sessions are also planned and taught based on the needs of individual classes where appropriate, for example, Year 6 transition work in the Summer Term.  This can then be followed up with individual children by our Nurture team.

Impact

Children leave St Thomas More with the resilience, self-belief and the positive mental health and wellbeing to achieve what they put their mind to. Children demonstrate and apply the British Values of Democracy, Tolerance, Mutual respect, Rule of law and Liberty.  Children will know how to make healthy choices and how to deal with and overcome challenges they will face in their wider life.

PSHCE Overview

Find out more with the links below: