PSHE and Personal Development
Nurturing future excellence
At Scotton Lingerfield, we want every child to feel valued, discover their strengths and develop the confidence to take their next steps. Personal development brings together what children learn in lessons, the relationships and routines of school life and the wider experiences that help them understand themselves and the world around them.
Our approach reflects our rural North Yorkshire setting and our global, cultural and environmental curriculum drivers. We value the opportunities our small school community offers, while recognising the importance of introducing children to people, places and perspectives beyond their everyday experience. We want children to leave us able to make informed choices, form positive relationships and contribute to their communities.
Our curriculum is designed to celebrate diversity and promote understanding. In subjects such as PSHE and RE, children explore different religions, cultures and worldviews, learning about traditions, beliefs and values that shape communities globally. These lessons encourage our children to appreciate diversity, challenge stereotypes and develop respect for others. By engaging in discussions and reflective activities, children learn to see differences as strengths and understand the importance of equality and inclusion in modern society.
The following strands set out our approach from Reception to Year 6. Learning builds across our mixed-age classes, with teaching adapted to children’s needs, with opportunities to revisit and apply important ideas.
How we teach PSHE
We teach PSHE through weekly lessons, using Kapow Primary to support a two-year rolling programme for our mixed-age classes. Learning is organised around five connected strands: families and relationships; health and wellbeing; safety and the changing body; citizenship; and economic wellbeing.
Children revisit these areas as they move through school, building their knowledge and exploring increasingly complex situations. Our No Outsiders work complements this teaching by developing children’s understanding of equality, respect and belonging.
Lessons use stories, discussion and practical activities to help children consider different situations and apply their learning. We establish clear ground rules so that children can ask questions and share ideas without feeling expected to disclose personal experiences. Teaching and resources are adapted to children’s needs, and sensitive questions are handled with care.
Teachers use discussion, activities and opportunities to revisit earlier learning to check understanding and identify where further teaching is needed. Important messages are reinforced through assemblies, everyday relationships and wider school experiences.
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) Development
SMSC development supports the whole child, helping them to build confidence, resilience and a sense of identity. We give children time to reflect on their experiences, explore beliefs and ask thoughtful questions and provide opportunities to learn respect, tolerance and empathy – skills that are essential for forming positive relationships and managing emotions. Through RE, literature, creative work, assemblies and discussion, children can consider right and wrong, explain their views and appreciate different cultures. Spiritual development includes curiosity, imagination and a sense of wonder, whether or not a child holds a religious belief. The area of our curriculum is particularly important for children with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs, who may face barriers to social interaction and emotional regulation. Embedding SMSC across the curriculum and through wider school experiences enables pupils to take their rightful place as active citizens in their local, national and global communities. It prepares them for life in modern Britain by promoting British values, equality and inclusion, ensuring they have the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to thrive. We want children to listen respectfully and understand how their actions affect others.
British Values and Active Citizenship
We actively promote democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. Children learn how people influence decisions, how laws protect us and why rights come with responsibilities. Age-appropriate learning includes public services and institutions, freedom of belief, including having no religious belief, and the importance of challenging discrimination.
We make these values meaningful through pupil voice, fair decision making, discussion and opportunities to take responsibility. Each year, children present their manifestos before pupils vote to elect their school councillors and house captains, giving them first-hand experience of the democratic process. Our pupil leadership groups and roles include the School Council, House Captains and Vice Captains, School Ambassadors, Planet Protectors and Sports Leaders. These give children opportunities to represent others, contribute to school life and take responsibility for their school community. Through these experiences, children see that their views can make a difference and learn how to listen to others and disagree respectfully. Our Year 3 and 4 school partnership provides further opportunities for children to connect with pupils beyond our own school community.
Equality, Respect and Belonging
We want every child to feel that they belong. Our approach helps pupils understand and respect difference, including the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010. We challenge prejudice, stereotypes and discriminatory language and help children recognise what they share with others. Our curriculum offers positive representations of different families, cultures and ways of life.
We use the No Outsiders programme to support our teaching of equality, respect and belonging. Its age-appropriate picture books and discussion activities help children explore difference, recognise what they have in common and understand that everyone is welcome. Through these stories and conversations, we encourage children to challenge prejudice, respect different families, faiths and ways of life and include others. This also supports our teaching of British Values, particularly mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.
Character, Confidence and Independence
We aim to develop children’s honesty, kindness and sense of responsibility. Everyday learning and wider experiences give children opportunities to persevere, cooperate, make choices and learn from mistakes. Through Forest School, children work together on practical challenges, try different approaches and develop independence. Roles such as House Captains, School Ambassadors, Planet Protectors, Sports Leaders and School Councillors encourage children to take responsibility and contribute to their school community. Music and performance opportunities help children develop confidence and experience the value of practice and teamwork. Our weekly celebration assemblies recognise children’s strengths and achievements, including academic success and times when they have shown resilience or persevered through a challenge. We want children to be proud of their efforts, recognise when they need help and discover their strengths.
Emotional Wellbeing and Pastoral Care
We want children to recognise and talk about feelings, develop strategies for managing emotions and know how to seek support. Each class provides regular opportunities to check in and share how they are feeling. Children understand who their trusted adults are and feel confident that they will be listened to and their concerns taken seriously. These positive relationships help children feel secure and enable us to notice emerging needs. We work closely with families and provide pastoral support where needed, seeking specialist advice or support for children who need additional help. Support has a clear purpose and is reviewed with the child and family so that we know whether it is helping.
Healthy Relationships and Personal Safety
PSHE, including relationships and health education, provides planned learning about friendships, families, respect, personal boundaries and growing up. We want children to recognise caring relationships, understand that bullying and harmful behaviour are unacceptable and know how to report concerns.
Teaching helps children recognise unsafe situations, resist inappropriate pressure and keep asking for help until they receive it. Crucial Crew gives children opportunities to explore personal safety through practical activities and apply what they have learnt.
Our curriculum is checked against the statutory guidance from September 2026. Content is sequenced appropriately, including puberty and menstruation, with clear information for parents through the school’s relationships education policy and access to teaching materials. Staff are supported to handle questions sensitively and respond appropriately to disclosures.
Online Safety and Digital Responsibility
In an increasingly digital world, we prioritise teaching children about the potential dangers of technology and social media. We teach children how to use technology safely and thoughtfully. Learning includes privacy, respectful communication, harmful content, misleading information and the effect of online activity on wellbeing. Children know how to report, block and seek adult help. We revisit key messages through computing, PSHE and wider school life, responding to emerging risks. We share a monthly online safety newsletter with parents and carers, providing information and practical advice to help families reinforce these messages and support children’s safe use of technology at home.
Physical Health and Everyday Life Skills
We want children to understand how activity, nutrition, sleep and personal hygiene support health. Teaching includes dental health, basic first aid, emergency calls, road, rail and water safety, and age-appropriate learning about harmful substances, including vaping.
Weekly PE sessions and swimming lessons in Years 3 and 4 help children develop physical skills, confidence and an active lifestyle. We encourage children to play outdoors at break and lunchtime in a range of weather conditions, unless conditions make this unsafe or unsuitable. Each class receives first aid training annually from an external provider, helping children develop the knowledge and confidence to respond if needed. In Reception, our teeth cleaning programme helps children establish good oral hygiene habits from an early age.
Practical life skills, including sewing, cooking and tying shoelaces, are woven through our curriculum. Alongside learning about managing money and making everyday decisions, these experiences help children become increasingly independent.
Enrichment and Developing Interests
Our enrichment offer aims to broaden children’s experiences, help them discover interests and give them opportunities to develop talents over time. Forest School is a distinctive part of Scotton Lingerfield, supporting practical learning, teamwork and care for the environment. Music, sport and creative opportunities provide further ways for pupils to take part and succeed. Taking part in Young Voices gives children the experience of singing as part of a wider choir and working towards a shared performance.
We use the DfE enrichment framework to review breadth across five categories:
- Civic engagement through pupil voice, responsibility and contribution to the community.
- Arts and culture through music, performance, creative activities and cultural experiences.
- Nature outdoors and adventure through Forest School, environmental learning and outdoor challenges.
- Sport and physical activities through participation, developing skills and opportunities to try different activities.
- Wider life and future skills through practical learning, digital skills, enterprise and exploring future possibilities.
The framework’s eight benchmarks guide how we plan and improve the offer: strategic alignment; breadth; communication and celebration; community voice; accessibility; partnerships; outcomes; and continuous improvement. We involve children and families in shaping opportunities, explain what is available and recognise participation and achievement.
Inclusion and preparation for the next stage
Our core personal development offer is an entitlement for every child. We check who participates and benefits, paying particular attention to disadvantaged pupils, children with SEND, those known or previously known to children’s social care and others facing barriers, including young carers. We consider cost, accessibility, confidence and practical arrangements, make suitable adjustments and review access to optional activities as well as core experiences.
From Reception onwards, we aim to build the communication, independence and relationships children need for successful transitions. Preparation for secondary school responds to individual needs. Experiences of the wider world introduce different jobs and futures; challenge limiting stereotypes and help children recognise their own possibilities.
Our RSE and PSHE Curriculum can be found through the links below:
