Our bespoke PSHE programme
Our PSHE curriculum follows the progression of skills and knowledge from SCARF. However, our PSHE Lead has re-written the scheme in great detail to reflect our school community, our School Toolkit and to enrich this with high quality texts or videos which illustrate feelings, emotions, scenarios in an infant friendly and memorable way.
Our programme of learning has cyclical and progressive themes each half term, which are revisited and deepened year on year.
These half termly themes are as follows:
Autumn 1 – Me and my relationships (promoting healthy relationships in line with RSE statutory guidance)
Autumn 2 – Valuing difference (diversity and inclusion)
Spring 1 – Keeping myself safe
Spring 2 – Growing and changing (including relationships and sex education)
Summer 1 – Being my best
Summer 2 – Rights and responsibilities
The PSED lead works with the staff teams who delivers the SCARF sessions to add content or adapt lessons to meet the needs of each class, while ensuring statutory coverage and progression of knowledge/skills. We also make links to our whole school rules and values and enrich/demonstrate concepts with carefully chosen texts to deepen understanding.
Our PSHE planning and teaching comprehensively covers aspects of British Values, protected characteristics, healthy lifestyles and safety. We ensure that the statutory RSE curriculum is being taught so that children understand about appropriate behaviours, interactions and relationships. We inform parents when learning of a sensitive nature is being taught, so that they know the language, vocabulary and content of what has been learned.
Our staff are well trained to identify and adapt lessons to meet the individual needs of children, so that they are supported e.g. during bereavement. We are also diligent in following our safeguarding procedures if disclosures or behaviours are evident as a result of class discussion.
Mental well-being
Our children's safety, happiness and well-being is at the forefront of what we do at Bude Infant School. We know our children and families well and work hard to establish strong, trusting relationships based upon open communication and trust.
We notice changes in our children's behaviour and emotions quickly and use a range of approaches to help to support individual needs.
We have our own on site Family Support Worker, Emma Thomas, who works hard to support families with a wide range of challenges, from mental health, to behaviour, to housing or financial support. She signposts families for support and meets regularly with parents for drop-in sessions or booked appointments.
Motional and TIS
Taken from their website, "Motional is a suite of evidence-based, easy-to-use tools designed to measure, positively impact, and report on emotional health across the whole school or setting. It supports access to healthy life and ... offers guidance, activities and resources for intervention work."
Staff do a universal snapshot of their classes to assess each child on elements such as fear, their sense of self, panic, emotional regulation, relationships and play. Where possible, children who need it will be given bespoke support - whether whole group or individually.
We are fortunate to have our own TIS (Trauma Informed Schools) Lead Practitioner called Jo, who has a plethora of skills in supporting children with a wide range of social and emotional needs.
We Thinkers
We Thinkers is a multisensory, social-emotional learning package for children who can learn through language. We teach this as whole class in EYFS from the 2nd half of Autumn term and in small groups for children in Year 1 or Year 2 who would benefit from extra support. It uses social stories and pictures to demonstrate how other people might be thinking or feeling and has lots of practical activities which help children to empathise with others. It really helps children to communicate their own thoughts and feelings also.
WellComm
"Delayed language skills lead to under-performance later in life. WellComm helps you to identify pre-school and primary school children who are experiencing barriers to speech and language development so that you can support them early in their education journey," WellComm website. By supporting early communication and learning needs, we aim to give children the best start to their learning journey.
Behaviour and ethos
Both Behaviour and Personal Development was rated 'Good' in our recent Ofsted report. As a school, our behaviour, attitudes and ethos was a key strength. On arrival, it was clear to inspectors that, even on our EYFS’s first full day of starting school, our children were content, relaxed, engaged and calm in their classrooms, ready for new opportunities. This was indicative of a strong transition process:
“Children in the Reception Year get off to a strong start. They settle quickly into routines, as a result of a well-thought-out transition programme.” Ofsted, September 2022
Visitors often remark about our calm, polite and well-behaved children both in school and on trips. By implementing clear and concise school rules using infant-friendly vocabulary and being consistent as a whole staff, behaviour improved rapidly.
Our infant friendly rules 'be safe, be kind, be ready' are introduced from day 1 of reception and reinforced regularly. Children know that in our school there are clear boundaries and fair consequences for negative behaviour, and that restorative conversations will follow.
Children also know that school is “a safe place to make mistakes” and once something has happened, the slate is wiped clean and crucially, we still like them! Good relationships are based on trust, and Head of School, Mrs Holt knows every child and is involved in this process daily. Rules are therefore easily enforced and respected by all.
We believe that carefully selected key texts help illustrate and demonstrate many aspects of personal development, alongside role play in class. The text “Have you filled a bucket today?” has given the whole school a shared language which has helped children to understand and articulate their own feelings and emotions, as well as those of others. Children are awarded “Bucket Filler” certificates in our Celebration Assembly for doing kind and helpful things around school. Children can also award each other.
