Intent:

At Abbey Hey Primary Academy, our Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) curriculum is  designed to teach children to become healthy, respectful, moral members of British society.

Children’s personal and social development is interlinked in all areas of school life. Our curriculum intent sets out the school’s vision to develop the whole child and their individual talents and teach them the skills they need to become active and economically self-sufficient citizens.

Our curriculum teaches children essential skills for life such as cooperation, teamwork, resilience as well as respect for others and the environment.

Delivering an ‘education with character’ is at the foundation of all we do. Children are encouraged to develop new talents and qualities unique to them and to express themselves clearly and articulately. We believe that it is vital to facilitate our children to develop the values and skills they will need to become compassionate and driven leaders of the future. Our curriculum is designed to give children knowledge and understanding of where they are from but also of where they could go.

We will teach children about equality, diversity and what healthy relationships look like and what this means for our society. By teaching children, the importance of British Values, we will be teaching them to become independent and responsible members of our school, the local community and wider society.

Growth Mindset

At Abbey Hey Primary Academy, we know that children who have a positive attitude towards their learning, will perform well in primary school. Children with a growth mindset believe that intelligence can be developed – it isn’t fixed; they thrive in the face of challenge, embrace and celebrate mistakes and they see effort as a key part of their learning journey.

Having a growth mindset means being open to and acting on feedback, being a reflective learner  and constantly challenging themselves. Instilling our children with a growth mindset is a priority for  the school and the children are enthusiastic about this ethos. We encourage children to take  creative risks and to try new strategies with the intention of developing their resilience in the face of  a mistake.

Mistakes play a vital part in the learning process: When a new mistake is made, this is a crucial  learning point, an opportunity for a misconception to be addressed.

We praise children for identifying their mistakes and recognising how they have learnt from them. The Best in Everyone – this is what we embed in all our pupils and in order to reach their full potential, we want our them to understand how they can be the best learner that they can be. Since introducing the concept earlier this year, pupils have participated in a range of assemblies and have truly embraced the language. We, as a school, look forward to continuing our growth mindset journey.

Implementation:

Our Personal and Social development curriculum is structured to include six overarching themes which run throughout school.

• Growth Mindset (linking to the work of Carol Dweck)
• Mental and Emotional Health (Manchester Healthy Schools)
• Keeping Safe (Manchester Healthy Schools)
• Healthy Lifestyles (Manchester Healthy Schools)
• Living in the Wider World (Manchester Healthy Schools)
• Relationships and Sex Education (Manchester Healthy Schools)

Through assemblies and daily morning meetings, children learn about the achievements and life stories of inspirational people from Britain and the wider world, giving them opportunities to see what is possible and to learn that with hard work and determination, dreams can be realised.

Abbey Hey Primary Academy Learning Powers:

In order to support the development of a growth mindset and metacognitive skills, we use eight key learning powers:

• Don’t Give Up (Deema Duck)
• Enjoy Learning (Edward Elephant)
• Keep Improving (Ishan Insect)
• Use Your Imagination (Isabel Iguana)
• Be Cooperative (Tim and Tina Tortoises)
• Concentrate (Kuba Caterpillar)
• Be Curious (Colin Camel)
• Have a Go (Hamed Hedgehog)

Children will have the ability to be reflective about their own beliefs (religious or otherwise) and perspective on life. They have knowledge of, and respect for, different people’s faiths, feelings and values. They have a sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them.

Children use their imaginations and creativity in their learning and have a willingness to reflect on their own experiences. Children participate in and respond positively to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities.

Children can recognise the difference between right and wrong and are able to apply this understanding in their own lives. They have respect for the law of England, a strong understanding of right and wrong and can reflect on the consequences of their behaviour and actions.

Children are confident working and socialising with other pupils, including those from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. They value what we have in common, as well as what makes us different. They have a genuine willingness to participate in a variety of community events through volunteering, cooperating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively.

Children have a good understanding of the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. All children are provided with the opportunity to be leaders within their classroom, influencing change.

Children have an understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures in the school and further afield (local, national and global communities) which is an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain.

Children are provided with the tools to take ownership over their learning; knowing how to learn and learning about how to think. By using the Abbey Hey Primary Academy Learning Powers, children will develop an awareness of what makes a good learner.