Velmead Junior School

‘Today’s children and young people are growing up in an increasingly complex world and living their lives seamlessly on and offline.  This presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks.  In this environment, children and young people need to know how to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way.’

(Adapted from the foreword by the Secretary of State, in the Department for Education’s Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education statutory guidance)

Here at Velmead we put in place the key building blocks of healthy, respectful relationships, focusing on family and friendships, in all contexts, including online.  This sits alongside the essential understanding of how to be healthy and to foster pupil wellbeing, developing resilience and character that we know are fundamental to pupils being happy, successful and productive members of society. 

It is vital that we develop pupils’ ability to believe that they can achieve goals, both academic and personal; to stick to tasks that will help them achieve these goals, even when the reward may be distant or uncertain; and to recover from knocks and challenging periods in their lives.  This is complemented by development of personal attributes including kindness, integrity, generosity and honesty.  The knowledge and attributes gained through PSHE will support pupils’ own, and others’, wellbeing and attainment and help young people to become successful and happy adults who make a meaningful contribution to society. 

In addition, PSHE lessons are also linked to the statutory requirement to teach about the British Values of Democracy, Rule of Law, Individual Liberty, Mutual Respect and Tolerance of those with different faiths/beliefs.

Here at Velmead we follow the SCARF PSHE scheme of work provided by Coram Life Education. Coram Life Education is one of the leading providers of relationships, health, wellbeing, and drugs education.  Meeting all DfE requirements for statutory Relationships and Health Education, and mapped to the PSHE Association programmes of study, they provide a framework of lesson plans, online planning and assessment – a whole-school approach to promoting behaviour, safety, achievement and wellbeing. 

To learn more about Coram Life’s SCARF scheme of work, please follow this link: Coram Life

COLLABORATION CHALLENGE!

PSHE lessons got off to a great start with Year 5 learning about some of the skills that will help them in the future e.g. teamwork, communication and negotiation.  They completed a Collaboration Challenge where they split into groups and with just 6 sheets of newspaper and a roll of sticky tape, they had to build the tallest tower, which also had to support a small cuddly toy.  As you can see from the photos, there were some interesting designs.  Not all were successful but nonetheless, the children had great fun and enjoyed being able to complete the activity outside, making the most of the sunshine.

Latest News!
An film recorded during the Life Educations lessons in April, was broadcast on Meridian News last night, to see the programme plesae click on this link.

CORAM LIFE EDUCATION VISIT  April 2022

Our students were delighted at the annual return of Coram Life Education this week, who delivered PSHE Workshops to every class.  Year 3 and 4 were particularly pleased to meet Harold the giraffe again and whilst Harold wasn’t actually a part of the Year 5 and 6 lessons, he did make a guest appearance, much to the delight of the children! It was an action-packed week that enhances and enriches topics discussed in PSHE lessons delivered throughout the year.

Year 3 and Year 4 explored Wellbeing and ways to emotional good health. They considered how to ensure that online behaviour is healthy and balanced.   Using interactive techniques, Year 3 then considered the importance of each body organ before meeting the class brain.  They learned how a brain sends and receives signals through the nerves and how it controls movements.  Helping with Harold’s homework, the children explored whether choices about taking a medicine, exercise, sleep, drinking and alcohol and smoking cigarettes help or harm the body.  Year 4 considered how choices we make, such as exercising and taking medicine, can affect what happens in the body.  They then went on to learn how important it is for us to be able to make our own choices, and that we can still be friends with other people despite of, and even because of their differences.

In Year 5 the theme of looking after our mental health, as well as physical health – and the connection between the two – was further explored.  They also considered how to ensure online behaviour is healthy and balanced.  Using interactive resources, they examined how our body systems work together to keep us alive.  The children were given the opportunity to discuss not only what a drug is, but how drugs can be used for medical and non-medical reasons.  Whilst the risks of smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol were explored, there is an emphasis on the fact that an increasing number of young people choose not to take these risks.  Through role-play the children explored the influence of friends on decision making.  They identified and practised assertiveness skills.

The Year 6 theme was Decisions, exploring how the decisions a person makes can impact on both their mental and physical health.  They explored Wellbeing in greater depth, looking at the importance of looking after our mental and physical health, and the connection between the two. The children’s knowledge of the body was reviewed and they listed drugs they have heard of and then considered how these drugs have medical or non-medical uses.  Tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and solvents – and any other drugs the children asked about – were all touched on in this workshop.  They learned about the basic laws on drugs and how drug misuse can affect a young person’s future aspirations.  Through the use of specially created films and role play, the children explored aspects of peer dynamics and risk taking in relation to alcohol and devised strategies for managing both influence and risk.  Children considered the types of activities most young people enjoy doing which do not present the same risks as using legal or illegal drugs.

Carole Holbrook
PSHE Co-ordinator

Year 6 know that all humans have basic emotional needs.  One of the ways these needs can be met is through friendship, as shown in this poster by P6 and C6.