Core themes: Health & Wellbeing and Relationships
Personal safety

Make sure your PSHE education helps children and young people to stay safe – online and offline.

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Identifying risk and managing personal safety are fundamental to PSHE education. Our resources will develop knowledge, understanding and skills to help keep pupils safe.
KS
Subject Specialist

Teaching about personal safety and managing risk

PSHE education helps to keep children and young people safe and manage risk. Our guidance and resources will help you to teach PSHE effectively, while meeting statutory RSHE and inspection requirements. 

The Association really helped me to introduce preventative drugs education to my PSHE curriculum. I see a real difference in my pupils’ understanding of the risks and harms.

PSHE Association member

This is a broad area that crosses all strands of PSHE – from relationships to financial risk. Our Programme of Study (key stages 1-5) and Programme Builders show you how to plan personal safety throughout your PSHE education curriculum. This includes teaching pupils how to identify risk and manage personal safety in face to face and online social settings. Children and young people must also know where to get advice and report concerns about their own or others’ personal safety.

We also have many lesson plans to help you. These cover everything from staying safe online to our drugs and alcohol materials and water safety lesson plans.

Browse resources

Training and events

  • KS3-4

    Twilight CPD: Tackling online harms through PSHE education (secondary)

    11 Nov
    £95 per person
    This session will explore young people's experiences of growing up in a digital world and the online harms they may be exposed to, including dealing with pressures and influences. PSHE education is a key tool through which schools can tackle online harms for children and young people. We'll share current research, lesson ideas, and activities to equip students with the tools they need to navigate their lives online, and support schools to embed this topic effectively within the PSHE curriculum.
  • KS1-2

    Twilight CPD: Tackling online harms through PSHE education (primary)

    13 Nov
    £95 per person
    This session will explore young people's experiences of growing up in a digital world and the online harms they may be exposed to, including dealing with pressures and influences. PSHE education is a key tool through which schools can tackle online harms for children and young people. We'll share current research, lesson ideas, and activities to equip pupils with the tools they need to navigate their lives online, and support schools to embed this topic effectively within the PSHE curriculum.
See all training and events

Guidance

KS1-5
Ensure external visitors or speakers make a safe and effective contribution to your school's PSHE programme.
KS1-5
15 top tips to help you choose PSHE education resources to use in the classroom.
KS1-4
Gauge what's been learned, demonstrate impact and increase motivation.
KS1-5
Guidance and top tips on setting ground rules and distancing learning in PSHE education.
KS1-4
Everything you need to develop an effective whole school policy.
See all guidance

Evidence and research

Published: October 4, 2021
KS1-5
An evidence review of good practice in prevention education, produced by the PSHE Association on behalf of CEOP.
Published: October 4, 2021
KS1-5
This theory and evidence paper from Dr Elly Hanson takes a 'wide-lens' approach to the issue of gambling and gambling education.