Statement of Intent

Personal, Social, Cultural & Health Education and Citizenship (PSCHE & C) form part of StreetVibes Media Academy’s (SV) curriculum and is embedded across our full-time courses for 11-16 year olds. As a curriculum area it is designed to help give pupils the skills, knowledge and understanding they need to lead confident, healthy, independent lives and become informed, active, responsible citizens.

At SV this means all our pupils are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities and experiences across and beyond the curriculum, contributing fully to the life of our school and local communities.

In so doing, every pupil learns to recognise their own worth, develop their cultural capital, work well with others and become increasingly responsible for their own learning. They reflect on their experiences and learn to understand how they are developing personally and socially, tackling many of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up.

Pupils also find out about the main political, cultural and social institutions that affect their lives and about their responsibilities, rights and duties as individuals and members of communities. They learn to understand and respect our common humanity, diversity, culture and differences so that they can go on to form effective fulfilling relationships that are an essential part of life and learning.

Aims

At SV we aim to give our pupils opportunities to:

• Take and share responsibility
• Feel positive about themselves
• Take part in discussions
• Make real choices and decisions
• Meet and talk to people
• Develop relationships through work and play
• Consider social and moral dilemmas
• Ask for help
• Find information and advice
• Prepare for change
• Enjoy and participate in our rich cultural heritage

We do this because we believe in the fundamental value of these experiences.

Guidelines

At SV we deliver the non-statutory framework for PSCHE & C using the four strands outlined in The National Curriculum.

1. Developing confidence and responsibility and making the most of pupil’s abilities.
2. Preparing pupils to play an active role as citizens.
3. Developing a healthy, safer lifestyle.
4. Developing positive relationships and respecting the differences between people.

We do this through:

Timetabled PSCHE & C Lessons

Every class has 60 minutes a week of dedicated PSCHE & C time with their class teacher. This may be delivered through workshops, lessons, tutor time and/or trips and visits.

School Ethos

At SV we believe it is important that many of the skills and attitudes we wish pupils to develop are taught and demonstrated throughout the school in a variety of ways. Pupils will have opportunities to develop their understanding of these issues through:

• Organisation ethos
• Assemblies
• Organisation-led trips
• Extra curricular activities
• Classroom and free time rules
• School council and Youth Ambassador programme

PSHE & C and its relationship to other curriculum areas

Some aspects of the PSCHE & C framework may also be taught and re-visited in other curriculum areas, e.g. through filmmaking and music-making projects, project-based work etc.

Monitoring and Reviewing 

The PSCHE and citizenship coordinator and headteacher are responsible for monitoring the standards of children’s work and the quality of teaching. The coordinator supports colleagues in their teaching by giving them information about current developments in the subject, and by providing a strategic lead and direction for the subject in the school. The coordinator is also responsible for giving the headteacher an informal annual summary report, evaluating strengths and weaknesses in the subject, and indicating areas for further improvement.

Links

This policy has links to other school policies on:

• Sex and Relationship Education
• Drug Education
• Managing Drug Related Incidents
• Safeguarding and Child Protection
• Confidentiality
• Behaviour
• Equal Opportunities/Inclusion

Conclusion

SV is a member of the Greenwich PSHE Network and the RSE Network, led by Michele Holmes 
Senior Public Health Manager (School Aged Health and Wellbeing).

The following members of the school community were involved with the development of this policy:

• Teachers
• Support staff
• Parents
• Pupils
• L.A. advisers

This policy will be reviewed annually. This policy was last reviewed March 2023.