Personal Development

Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education

The Laurus Primary PSHE & Citizenship curriculum aims to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes children need to protect and enhance their wellbeing and to independently thrive in a time of rapid change, with new and unpredictable opportunities and challenges constantly emerging.

Here are some useful links:

Spiritual Moral Social and Cultural Development (SMSC)

SMSC is essential for children and young people’s individual development, as well as the development of society as a whole.

Spiritual Development

Children’s spiritual development involves the growth of their sense of self, their unique potential, their understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, and their will to achieve. As their curiosity about themselves and their place in the world increases, they try to answer for themselves some of life’s fundamental questions. They develop the knowledge, skills, understanding, qualities and attitudes they need to foster their own inner lives and non-material wellbeing.

Moral Development

Moral development involves children acquiring an understanding of the difference between right and wrong and of moral conflict, a concern for others and the will to do what is right. They are able and willing to reflect on the consequences of their actions and learn how to forgive themselves and others. They develop the knowledge, skills and understanding, qualities and attitudes they need in order to make responsible moral decisions and act on them.

Social Development

Social development involves children acquiring an understanding of the responsibilities and rights of being members of families and communities (local, national and global), and an ability to relate to others and to work with others for the common good. They display a sense of belonging and an increasing willingness to participate. They develop the knowledge, skills, understanding, qualities and attitudes they need to become active citizens within their community.

Cultural Development

Cultural development involves children acquiring an understanding of cultural traditions and heritage, and the ability to appreciate and respond to ‘the arts’. The children will acquire a respect for their own culture and that of others, an interest in others’ ways of doing things and curiosity about differences. They develop the knowledge, skills, understanding, qualities and attitudes they need to understand, appreciate and contribute to culture.

At Gorsey Bank Primary School, we believe the importance of SMSC is central to the development and growth of pupils as people and at the heart of what teachers would say education is all about. Within these topics and throughout the curriculum we also promote British Values.

Awareness and Celebration Days

Autumn

  • International Literacy Day – Read aloud
  • Pupil Parliament Week
  • Rosh Hashanah
  • Black History Month – Show Racism The Red Card
  • Anti-bullying Week
  • National Poetry Day
  • World Mental Health Day
  • Diwali
  • Remembrance Day
  • The Christmas Story

Spring

 

  • World Book Day
  • World Religion Day
  • Safer Internet Day
  • World Down Syndrome Day
  • Children’s Mental Health Week
  • Fair Trade Fortnight
  • British Science Week
  • Autism Awareness Day
  • Ramadan
  • Holi Festival
  • The Passover
  • Good Friday

Summer

  • St George’s Day
  • Mental Health Awareness Week
  • Eid-Ul-Fitr
  • Pride Month
  • World Refugee Day
  • World Environment Day
  • Arts Week

British Values

In support of the Department for Education (DfE) document: Promoting fundamental British values as part of SMSC in schools, Departmental advice for maintained schools, November 2014.

At Gorsey Bank Primary School, we value the diversity of the backgrounds of all pupils, families and the wider school community and strongly believe in upholding British values through all aspects of our school provision.

The DfE states that there is a need:

“To create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs”.

Our school reflects British values in all that we do. We aim to nurture our children on their journey through life so they can grow into safe, caring, democratic, responsible and tolerant adults who make a positive difference to British society and to the world and the wider world.

What is meant by British values?

Learning about British values forms a key part of children’s spiritual, moral, cultural and social education. The five British values that the Government has identified for schools to focus on are:

  • Democracy
  • The rule of law
  • Individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
  • Developing personal and social responsibility
  • Respect for British Institutions

How should we help our children prepare for adult life as citizens of Britain?

  • Develop their self-confidence and self-esteem.
  • Develop their understanding of right and wrong, and their respect for the law.
  • Encourage them to take responsibility for their behaviour.
  • Encourage involvement in the community and wider society.
  • Encourage respect for the public services and institutions of Britain.
  • Promote tolerance of and respect for all cultures and faiths.
  • Encourage participation in the democratic process.

How does our school develop children’s understanding of British values?

We uphold the British value of Democracy by:

  • Facilitating a democratic process for electing Pupil Parliament and the running of the council
  • Teaching about the democratic process in Britain, at both a local and national level. We teach about communities and pressure groups, how children can participate in these and make changes to life at all levels from local to global
  • Taking turns in class, at dinner time and in after school clubs

We uphold the British value of the Rule of Law by:

  • Teaching children an understanding of human rights, in particular the UNICEF rights of the child
  • Implementing our Pupil Parliament and Bookshelf class charters which ensure that the children know their own rights and respect the rights of others
  • Teaching children to learn about the process of law-making and the part that citizens can play in that process during Pupil Parliament Week
  • Implementing our procedures and protocols for dealing with any behavioural or bullying issues and the very rare incidents of racial, homophobic and other forms of discrimination, which demonstrates to pupils that we take these issues very seriously, mirroring the attitudes of British society

We uphold the British value of individual liberty and work to identify and combat discrimination by:

  • Teaching an understanding of the concept of freedom and choice
  • Teaching our RE curriculum, which inculcates values of understanding, tolerance and respect for others, including those of other faiths
  • Teaching children an understanding of human rights, in particular the UNICEF rights of the child, through assemblies, Soccer Aid, Outright, citizenship and awareness days e.g. World Refugee Week, Pride Month and Anti-bullying Week
  • Providing our extra-curricular provision, which offers equal opportunities for all children, boys and girls, and children with Special Educational Needs in sport and other areas
  • Holding discussions in RE, English and other subjects, which allow children to develop respect for the opinions, values and beliefs of others

We uphold the British value of developing personal and social responsibility by:

  • Expecting children to act responsibility in many ways in school including being House Captains and roles within Pupil Parliament
  • Expecting children to take responsibility in every class for a variety of roles which assist in the running of the classroom
  • Encouraging children to have responsibility for their own possessions, behaviour and work, both at school and at home and to always do their personal best in all aspects of school life
  • Training staff to deliver information about keeping safe on the internet to all our children and holding information sessions for parents about this

We uphold the British value of respect for British Institutions by:

  • Celebrating many British festivals and special events, e.g. Remembrance Day, November 5th, Christmas, Easter, World Book Day, Chinese New Year
  • Regularly inviting representatives from various groups, such as Police, charities and the local church to visit our school and talk to the children in both lessons and assemblies
  • Teaching about the structure and work of Parliament, keeping children informed of major and minor events which can be discussed

United Against Bullying Programme

At Gorsey Bank, we are United Against Bullying and take any form of bullying very seriously.

We deal with the issues of bullying in many different ways including as part of our PSHE, Computing and E-Safety curriculums, our assemblies and through the Anti-bullying and internet safety days that occur during the year.

Our Parliament Group, The Ministry of Justice, are training to become Anti-Bullying Ambassadors for the school. Ambassadors are trained by the Princess Diana Award in how to:

  • identify bullying behaviour
  • identify when a peer may be experiencing bullying behaviour
  • learn the importance of being an Upstander
  • learn how to intervene safely
  • recognise how to support a peer who may be experiencing bullying behaviour

“The repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological. It can happen face to face or through cyberspace.”

Each year Gorsey Bank Primary School participates in the Anti-Bullying Alliance’s Anti-Bullying Week. The themes for Anti-Bullying Week in recent years have been:

  • Reach Out: 2022
  • Make a Noise about Bullying: 2023
  • Choose Respect: 2024

In school, we use these weeks to highlight some of the issues that can arise at school and reinforce how we can tackle bullying as soon as it it happens and most importantly, how we can all be upstanders to prevent bullying from happening. We discuss all different types of bullying and celebrate what makes each person special.

If your child is being bullied, visit the Anti-Bullying Alliance’s Advice for parents and carers page. This includes information and tools to help you stay calm and take the right action.

Useful Videos

Mental Health & Wellbeing

Wellbeing Menus

In all our provision, both academic and otherwise, we endeavour for our school community to develop an understanding of British values and a strong desire to uphold them both now and as future British citizens.

Curriculum Statement

Academic Curriculum

Enrichment Curriculum