Our vision at St. Paul’s is to inspire the smallest seeds to flourish so that everyone can reach their full potential. At St Paul's CE Primary School, we believe that effective Relationship and Sex Education is essential if young people are to make responsible and well-informed decisions about their lives. We intend on delivering this by keeping our school Christian ethos at the forefront of everything we do, as well as delivering our STAR curriculum (Success, The World, Aspirations, Resilience). We understand our responsibility to deliver a high-quality, age appropriate and evidence-based relationships, sex and health curriculum for all of our pupils.

 

Intent:

At St Paul’s Church of England Primary School, we want our children to develop the knowledge and skills to be safe and knowledgeable young adults. We believe that effective Personal Development is essential if young people are to make responsible and well-informed decisions about their lives. We encourage reading through specially chosen texts.

We intend on delivering Personal Development by keeping our school Christian ethos at the forefront of everything we do, as well as delivering our STAR based curriculum (Success, The World, Aspirations, Resilience) Our curriculum is inspiring, engaging and stimulating in order to equip our young learners with knowledge, awareness and respect for themselves and the wider community.

Kapow Primary’s PSHE scheme of work covers the Relationships and Health education statutory guidance, including the non-statutory sex education (Year 5 and 6). The scheme covers wider PSHE learning, in line with the requirement of the National curriculum. We provide opportunities for the children to learn about rights and responsibilities and equip them to make choices as they grow.

 

Implementation:

To implement our intent, we have based our curriculum around the statutory coverage as well as providing our children with a holistic Personal Development education that is suited to them and their needs.

The Kapow Primary scheme is a whole school approach that consists of five areas of learning: At our school, we provide a high-quality RSHE curriculum that helps children develop healthy relationships, understand how to keep themselves safe and support their physical and emotional wellbeing. We use the KAPOW mixed-age scheme to deliver this. More can be found on Mixed-age KS1 & KS2 RSE & PSHE Scheme of Work

The updated Department for Education guidance for RSHE strengthens learning around:

• Personal boundaries and healthy relationships.
• Staying safe online, including social media, gaming and image sharing.
• Personal safety, including rail and water safety.
• Puberty education and the use of correct scientific vocabulary.
• Respect for different families and communities.
• Knowing how and when to seek help from trusted adults.

 

The guidance also places a greater emphasis on working in partnership with parents and ensuring transparency around the resources used to support learning. For further information about the RSHE curriculum and resources used in school, please visit the Parent Information Hub:

Parent Information Hub: RSE & PSHE: Parent zone

 

Some of the new units of lessons from September 2026 are below:

KS1 Cycle B

Year 1 and 2

1. My healthy self: How can we look after our emotions?
2. My healthy self: How can we look after our bodies?
3. Growing up: How can we look after and respect our bodies as we grow?

 

Lower KS2 Cycle B

Years 3 and 4

1. My healthy self: How can I take care of my mind and body?
2. Growing up: How will my body and emotions change as I grow up?

 

Upper KS2 Cycle B

Year 5 and 6

1. Growing up: How will my body and emotions change as I grow up?
2. Sex education: How do people become parents and carers?
3. Growing up: How can we look after and respect our bodies as we grow?

 

Furthermore, we supplement our Personal Development programme with ‘break-out’ focuses around Mental Health, Mindfulness, Black History, First Aid training, Commando Joes and many more to ensure an enriched curriculum.

    

Please see below link for our reading spine for Personal Development:

PD_Reading_Spine.docx

 

Impact:

At St Paul’s C of E Primary School, each lesson within Kapow Primary’s scheme features assessment guidance, helping teachers to identify whether pupils have met, exceeded, or failed to meet the desired learning intentions for that lesson.

Once taught the full scheme, children will have met the objectives set out within the Relationships and Health Education statutory guidance and can utilise their learning within their daily lives, from dealing with friendship issues to resilience to making healthy choices and knowing where and how to get help when needed.

The curriculum is underpinned by our Christian Values which are taught explicitly but are also woven into every aspect of school life. These are further strengthened by our personalised curriculum intent, written to serve the pupils of St Paul’s, considering our unique and distinctive context. This intent hinges on 4 main principles;

• Success
• The World
• Aspirations
• Resilience

 

Assessment

Our children’s Personal Development knowledge and skills will be formatively assessed at the end of each half term. Teachers will base this assessment on children’s responses to questions during our ‘Draw and Write’ assessment process. This assessment can then be utilised to address gaps in knowledge in order for children to know more and remember more throughout their Personal Development lessons and as they continue their journey through school.

  

 

 

Early Years

In preparation for the National Curriculum, children in our Early Years setting will be taught in line with the expectations set out in the EYFS Framework (2021). Within this framework, there are different areas of learning. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, PSHE is referred to as personal, social and emotional development. This area of your child's learning is concerned with wellbeing – knowing who you are, where you fit in and feeling good about yourself.

• Children will learn to form positive relationships in a setting that supports mutual respect and understanding and that celebrates and acknowledges differences.
• With adults as guides and role models, your child will learn to develop anti-discriminatory attitudes.

 

Awards

We currently hold the RSHCE Charter Mark.

The Sunderland Relationship, Sex and Health Education Charter Mark has been developed by a local multi-agency group of public health practitioners, health professionals and education professionals.

The Charter has been developed to support and enhances school's delivery of Relationship Education and Relationship and Sex Education and Health Education in line with the national statutory guidance. Its other elements of health not included in other citywide health charters such as risk-taking behaviour (e.g. drug and alcohol misuse). In addition, the charter recognises the dedication of schools within the city in contributing towards the health and wellbeing of their pupils, staff and local communities.

The Relationship, Sex and Health Education Charter Mark is one of the five Health and Wellbeing related Charters that contribute to the Sunderland Healthy Schools Award.