Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open.
- Dalai Lama 

Our Personal, Social, Health and Emotional (PSHE) and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum aims to equip children with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to thrive in an ever-changing world and to confidently navigate the opportunities and challenges of life in the 21st century. At Blacko Primary School, promoting positive physical health, emotional wellbeing and mental health is central to our curriculum. It begins with our youngest learners in the Early Years, where Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) underpins all learning, and continues progressively throughout Key Stages 1 and 2. PSHE is recognised as a key subject area and is a priority within our whole-school approach to personal development, ensuring that every child develops the confidence, resilience and character needed to flourish.

Our curriculum provides the building blocks for healthy, respectful relationships, helping pupils to understand themselves and others, both offline and online. Children develop an understanding of emotional wellbeing, physical health, personal safety, citizenship and responsible decision-making, enabling them to become active, informed and compassionate members of society. Teaching about mental wellbeing is woven throughout the curriculum so that pupils develop strategies to manage emotions, seek support when needed and build resilience. Through high-quality PSHE education, children are empowered to make informed choices, manage risk, value diversity and contribute positively to their communities.

 

Kapow PSHE & RSE

At Blacko Primary School we follow the Kapow Primary PSHE and RSE curriculum. The curriculum has been carefully designed to meet the statutory requirements for Relationships Education, Health Education and Sex Education, while also reflecting the non-statutory guidance from the PSHE Association. It provides a progressive, knowledge-rich and skills-based curriculum that enables pupils to revisit and deepen their understanding through a spiral curriculum, ensuring they know more and remember more over time. Learning is organised through age-appropriate enquiry questions that encourage pupils to think critically, discuss important issues and apply their learning to real-life situations.

The curriculum is built around six key concepts which are revisited and developed across each year group:

• My Healthy Self – developing emotional wellbeing, healthy lifestyles, resilience, self-awareness and positive mental and physical health.
• Connecting with Others – building healthy relationships, respecting diversity, understanding families, friendships, personal boundaries and communication.
• Online World – developing digital citizenship, media literacy, online safety and responsible use of technology.
• Citizenship – understanding rights, responsibilities, democracy, community, sustainability, financial education and preparing for life in modern Britain.
• Health Protection and Growing Up – learning about hygiene, health protection, puberty, body changes and making informed decisions about personal health.
• Staying Safe – recognising risks, managing emergencies, first aid, road, water and online safety, consent and seeking support from trusted adults.

These key concepts are taught progressively across all year groups, allowing children to revisit prior learning whilst extending their knowledge and understanding as they mature. The curriculum reflects the changing world children are growing up in, including contemporary issues such as online influence, misinformation, targeted advertising, digital wellbeing, consent, body confidence, mental health, financial responsibility and active citizenship.

Alongside the planned curriculum, pupils' personal development is further enriched through assemblies, pupil leadership opportunities, themed days, visitors, educational visits and wider curriculum experiences. Careers awareness, financial capability, British Values, protected characteristics and community engagement are woven throughout school life, enabling children to understand their role within both their local community and the wider world.

We believe that by going beyond the statutory requirements, our curriculum develops confident, respectful and resilient young people who are well prepared for the next stage of their education and for life beyond primary school. Our curriculum also complements our Computing curriculum, ensuring pupils develop the knowledge and critical thinking needed to stay safe and thrive in an increasingly digital world, reflecting the expectations of the DfE's Education for a Connected World framework.

 

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

Within the Early Years Foundation Stage, Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) is recognised as one of the three prime areas of learning and forms the foundation for children's future success. Strong relationships, emotional security and positive interactions enable children to develop self-awareness, manage their feelings, build resilience and form positive relationships with others. Through carefully planned provision and the Kapow EYFS units, children learn to recognise and regulate emotions, develop independence, build friendships, understand healthy lifestyles and begin to take on challenges with confidence.

 

Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2

Throughout Key Stages 1 and 2, pupils build progressively on their understanding through carefully sequenced units based around enquiry questions. They learn how to:

• develop healthy relationships and positive friendships;

• understand and manage their physical, emotional and mental wellbeing;
• recognise and respond to risks both online and offline;
• keep themselves and others safe;
• understand their rights and responsibilities as citizens;
• make informed choices and develop resilience;
• respect diversity, equality and the views of others;
• prepare for the physical and emotional changes associated with growing up.

Learning is progressive and age-appropriate, enabling children to continually revisit, strengthen and apply their knowledge and skills in increasingly complex contexts.

 

Evidence and Assessment

Our PSHE and RSE curriculum has the potential to make a lasting difference to pupils' lives. The curriculum develops the knowledge, skills and attributes that enable children to build positive relationships, make responsible choices, maintain healthy lifestyles and contribute positively to society. Learning is assessed formatively throughout lessons through discussion, reflection, retrieval activities and end-of-unit assessments, allowing teachers to monitor both knowledge and understanding.

The impact of the curriculum is also evident through pupils' behaviour, attitudes and personal development. We evaluate how well children demonstrate our school values by showing respect for others, resolving conflict positively, making safe choices, understanding healthy relationships, managing emotions, contributing to school life and recognising how to seek help when needed. Through this, we ensure our pupils leave Blacko as confident, respectful, resilient and responsible young people, fully prepared for the next stage of their education and for life in modern Britain.

 

Inclusion & SEND Across Our Curriculum

Across all areas of the primary curriculum, we are committed to ensuring that every pupil—including those with SEND, those who are disadvantaged, and pupils from all backgrounds and demographics—can access, engage with and succeed in their learning.

Our curriculum is designed to be inclusive by intent and adaptive in practice, ensuring that high expectations are maintained for all learners while removing barriers to participation and progress.

 

High-Quality, Inclusive Teaching in Every Subject

In every subject, pupils with SEND are supported to access learning through carefully planned adaptations that are responsive to individual need. These adaptations are part of high-quality first teaching and are planned by class teachers in collaboration with the SENDCo where appropriate.

Adaptations are informed by the EEF’s ‘Five-a-Day’ principles for SEND, ensuring that teaching strategies are evidence-based and benefit all learners. These may include:

• Flexible grouping and targeted adult support

• Clear modelling and explicit instruction

• Use of visuals, scaffolds and structured resources

• Opportunities for retrieval, overlearning and pre-teaching

• Assistive technology or alternative methods of recording

Such approaches support pupils with SEND while also strengthening learning for disadvantaged pupils and the wider class.

 

Subject-Specific Adaptation and Access

Each curriculum subject is planned with consideration for:

• Cognitive demand and curriculum sequencing

• Language and vocabulary development

• Practical and multisensory learning opportunities

• Alternative ways for pupils to demonstrate understanding

Where needed, teachers implement Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP) within lessons to ensure pupils can participate meaningfully in subject learning alongside their peers.

This ensures that pupils are not removed from learning unnecessarily and that adaptations remain closely aligned to the curriculum’s intended knowledge and skills.

 

Early Identification and Responsive Support

Across all subjects, pupil progress is closely monitored. Where barriers to learning are identified, teachers follow a graduated response (Assess, Plan, Do, Review) to ensure timely and appropriate support.

Subject leaders work alongside the SENDCo to:

• Review curriculum accessibility

• Support teachers with inclusive subject-specific strategies

• Ensure adaptations are effective and proportionate

• Maintain ambitious outcomes for all learners

This reflects the current Ofsted focus on how well schools identify need, adapt curriculum delivery and evaluate impact for pupils with SEND.

 

Partnership with Families

We recognise the importance of working in partnership with parents and carers. Our Inclusion and SEND page provides further information about:

• How subject learning may be adapted

• What support looks like in the classroom

• How progress is communicated

• Where families can access additional advice or support

Through open communication, we ensure that provision across all curriculum areas reflects each child’s strengths, needs and aspirations.

 

Inclusive Curriculum & Ofsted Expectations

Our approach aligns with the latest Ofsted Inspection Framework, which places strong emphasis on:

• Inclusive curriculum design

• The effectiveness of adaptive teaching

• The impact of support for pupils with SEND and those who are disadvantaged

• Leaders’ understanding of how well pupils access and achieve across subjects

We continually review our curriculum and teaching practices to ensure that all pupils are supported to achieve well across every subject area.

For further information, please see our SEND and Inclusion Page on our school website.

 

Subject Leaders

Subject leaders will conduct deep dives, which include lesson drop ins, pupil interviews and book looks to measure the impact of our teaching, based on how much children can remember. Subject leaders will meet with their counterparts from our other trust schools and will moderate the work and monitoring outcomes from their setting to ensure that standards are exceeding the expectations.