PSHE

Pupils learn the importance of making informed choices about their physical health and of caring for themselves through balance, exercise and self-care. In doing so, they develop a deep understanding of how their bodies change as they grow, fostering confidence, respect and empathy for themselves and others as they move through different stages of life.

Through exploring the diversity of cultures, religions, and backgrounds within our community and beyond, children learn to celebrate differences, show empathy and recognise the strength that comes from unity. Guided by the values of chesed (kindness), tzedek (justice), and kavod (respect), our curriculum helps pupils develop a strong moral compass and a clear sense of personal responsibility. They are encouraged to think critically, to question and reflect thoughtfully and to make informed, ethical choices in an ever-changing world.

From EYFS to Year 6, our carefully sequenced curriculum ensures pupils build progressively on their knowledge and skills, from recognising emotions and forming relationships to demonstrating independence, critical thinking and social responsibility.

Our vision is for every child at Wolfson Hillel to leave our school with compassion, integrity and confidence — equipped with the emotional understanding, moral grounding and life skills they need to flourish and to contribute meaningfully to their communities and the wider world.

How we teach PSHE

• Our PSHE lessons are 35 minutes long and taught weekly. Pupils explore topics through a range of engaging approaches, including circle time, discussion of high-quality texts, scenario-based learning, role-play and interactive activities enabling them to develop understanding, empathy and real-life application.
• Our curriculum is organised into four core units, which are revisited and built upon each year: Understanding Self, Health and Wellbeing, Relationships and Respect and My Voice, My Choices.
• Across these four units, learning is structured around nine key concepts: Emotional Literacy; Personal Identity, Mental Wellbeing; Physical Health; Relationships and RSE; Citizenship, E-safety; Decision Making and Life skills and Self-determination, Agency and Voice.
• Within ‘Understanding Self’, children progressively develop their understanding of emotional literacy, personal identity, self-awareness and growing independence and agency.
• Within ‘Health and Wellbeing’, children build their understanding of physical health, self-care, healthy habits  and the links between physical and mental wellbeing.
• Within ‘Relationships and Respect’, pupils learn about different types of relationships, how to show respect to themselves and others, communication and relationships and sex education. This includes developing an age-appropriate understanding of anatomy using scientific vocabulary, the physical and emotional changes associated with puberty and by the end of Year 6, an understanding of conception.
• Within ‘My Voice, My Choices’, children develop their understanding of citizenship, decision making life skills and e-safety, including how to use the internet effectively and safely in an age-appropriate way. This unit also further develops their self-determination and agency in responding to situations and making responsible choices.
• Each year, children revisit all four units, allowing them to build on prior learning and demonstrate clear progression in knowledge, understanding and skills from EYFS to Year 6.
• Lessons follow a clear and consistent structure, allowing children to revisit prior learning, engage with new concepts, discuss ideas thoughtfully and reflect on their understanding.
• We have high expectations for all pupils to participate actively, think deeply and engage respectfully with sensitive and thought-provoking content and create safe classroom environments for children to discuss in. In PSHE, the focus is on allowing children to form self-awareness and give the opportunity to discuss real life scenarios to prepare them for leaving school.
• Tasks are carefully designed to promote discussion, critical thinking and sufficient opportunities for practice and application, ensuring pupils can embed key knowledge and skills over time.
• Diversity is actively promoted throughout the curriculum through the careful selection of texts, case studies, images and real-world examples, enabling pupils to explore a wide range of cultures, identities, family structures and lived experiences. Moreover, learning the value of respecting different cultures and those around us.

How we ensure progress in PSHE for all pupils

• Our curriculum is carefully designed around nine key concepts that fit within our four units which are revisited and developed progressively each year, enabling pupils to build secure schemata and make meaningful links between prior and new learning.
• Prior to each new unit beginning, children are given a pre-unit quiz which assesses a combination of prior knowledge that they have learnt from previous units as well as specific unit knowledge which is likely to touch upon unit learning from previous years. These quizzes inform teachers’ planning by identifying prior knowledge, highlighting misconceptions and ensuring teaching builds effectively from each pupil’s starting point.
• Each lesson starts with a retrieval task, which informs the teachers of the pace of lesson and how to adapt the lessons.
• Teachers use ongoing formative assessment and responsive teaching strategies throughout lessons to check understanding, address misconceptions and adapt learning to meet the needs of all pupils.
• Discussion, questioning, reflection activities and scenario-based tasks provide regular opportunities for teachers to assess pupils’ understanding and their ability to apply learning in real-life contexts.
• Due to the repetition of units, prior learning is revisited regularly to ensure knowledge is retained over time and that pupils make clear progress in both their understanding and application of key concepts.
• Where gaps in understanding are identified, teachers provide targeted support, further discussion and adapted tasks to ensure all pupils can access and progress within the curriculum.