What we teach in the classroom will help our pupils foster lifelong aspirations, goals and values. 

With this in mind, PSHE education isn’t just another school subject. It’s a chance to give every child and young person an equal opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge they need to thrive now and in the future.

Read more about why PSHE education matters here.

Our Programme of Study sets out content that schools could cover in relation to relationships and sex education, health education, economic wellbeing, careers and enterprise education, and personal safety. It sequences this content effectively, by age range, into a coherent PSHE programme.

Our Programme Builders then give you useful examples of possible curriculum frameworks. They set out what you could cover with each year group, in each half term / term across the year and cover the whole Programme of Study for PSHE education, linking to quality assured lesson plans you can use. Schools should always tailor PSHE education to their pupils' needs. So these are not full schemes of work, but useful example frameworks to support your planning, whatever your preferred delivery model.  

If you are currently accredited as a British School Overseas (BSO), or wish to be in future, the BSO Standards suggest content to cover as part of your PSHE education curriculum – find out more in our BSO inspection blog here.

Choosing the right way to deliver PSHE education can make all the difference.

The most effective model of delivery for PSHE education is a sequenced, spiral programme that builds on prior learning as pupils progress through school. And like any other school curriculum subject it needs regular curriculum time – at least an hour a week ideally. Schools sometimes have to consider alternative models though, depending on circumstances. So we’ve outlined the pros and cons of each approach here.

It’s important that your PSHE education curriculum meets the needs of your pupils and considers your cultural context. The British Overseas Schools standards recognise that schools in different countries have to produce and implement policies in accordance with local laws, so using the country’s government guidance, national data and local data is vital when designing your curriculum.

Capturing insights and information for your staff and pupils is also key in helping you to gauge if PSHE education is meeting its aims, and in helping you see what extra support your pupils and colleagues might need.

Survey your pupils

How engaged do your pupils feel in their lessons? Do they see their own progress? What do they enjoy? What do they think could be improved? What are their views on age-appropriateness of topics you cover?

Use our surveys to ask these questions and more. The answers will help you to make improvements and tailor support to your pupils’ needs.

Survey your colleagues

Our surveys will help you understand colleague’s levels of confidence, subject knowledge and enthusiasm for teaching PSHE education.

The results will really help you to offer appropriate support and meet teachers' professional development needs. You can easily adapt these surveys to suit your school context and department priorities.

Download our surveys here.

PSHE education should be a partnership between parents and schools.

It’s also key to have governors on board with what you’re doing. Our handy guides will help you to communicate with parents and governors about the subject’s content, and value.

Find out more here.

Once you’ve planned your PSHE education programme it’s time to focus on teaching it safely and effectively. 

The first consideration is to ‘do no harm’ – so creating a safe learning environment is key, especially considering some of the challenging issues you deal with as a PSHE teacher. We also offer advice below on planning high quality lessons and choosing external speakers. 

Anyone teaching the subject should have at least basic training on the fundamentals of safe, effective practice.

Find out more about safe and effective practice here.

Assessment is central to effective teaching and learning. This is true for all subjects, and PSHE education is no exception.

Download our assessment guides for key stage 1-2 and 3-4 here.

Colleagues can work together to ensure that the practice they are sharing is current, safe, effective and allows trainees to learn well.

Find strategies, tools and resources to support mentoring in PSHE education here.

Use our Subject Review and Development Framework with the interactive PSHE Education Subject Review Tool to assess, plan and develop your PSHE education, including statutory Relationships, Sex and Health education.