PHSE/RSE

At Ashby Fields we feel that children’s emotional wellbeing is a priority. We promote a nurturing culture and ethos throughout the school, providing our children with a safe place to learn, develop and achieve their potential. In 2019 we were awarded the Wellbeing Award to recognise how as a school we promote positive emotional wellbeing and mental health education and support.

At our school we use a restorative justice approach to help pupils resolve conflict, build trust and prevent harm. This enables all children to be listened to and for them to be able to communicate their feelings with others.

Our PSHE curriculum is based upon ‘Coram Life Education’ scheme. This encompasses the following principles: Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience and Friendship. The children have the opportunity to learn through PSHE lessons and weekly circle times in addition to developing these skills within all subjects. PSHE is a platform for all learning. Our curriculum builds on the requirements of the statutory guidance for Relationships Education and Health Education.

Our school culture is one where the whole school community work together to foster an environment of inclusivity. As children move through Ashby Fields Primary, we want them to explore their differences so that they feel comfortable being their true self. We want children to know who they are, feel proud to be who they are, and also know that they are accepted without judgement.

All children are taught from their first year in school that we are all different and we like that. In Early Years and Years 1 and 2, we use picture books where characters are different, and we show that they are friends and they play together. As children move up the school into Years 3, 4, 5 and 6, we continue to use age appropriate picture books to explore reasons why some people might feel left out. It is a fact that prejudice and discrimination exist, and children may experience it at some point in their lifetime.

Together, as parents, carers and teachers, we can prepare our children, give them the confidence to disagree when they hear prejudice, and show them that they are not alone. By using No Outsiders children build the language to challenge prejudice and show acceptance. Not only do they feel safe knowing they belong, they can also show and tell others that they too are safe: “I will be your friend. You belong here. You don’t have to change; there are no outsiders.

We work to ensure that our children understand that:

There are No Outsiders at Ashby Fields:

– Everyone is different
– We celebrate our differences
– We are all equal in our differences
– I can get along with you even if we are different
– We live in the UK, our British Values support this and the law says this too.