PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education)

PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education)

Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) can mean all things to all people, but in a positive way. It enables schools to analyse what they offer to students and to use PSHE programmes to provide the final rounded curriculum. This is not easy as PSHE is not so much a ‘subject’ as a group of learning experiences that need careful binding together lest they become amorphous.

PSHE at its best brings emotional literacy, social skills and healthy attitudes to the core studies of the history, economic state and social make-up of the local and wider community

Ofsted has praised some schools’ multi-faceted approaches to creating a caring and coherent school and reaching out to the local communities, and some schools for delivering sex and relations programmes effectively, and some for their commitment to equality and diversity. Visits and activities outside the classroom can act not only as focal points for a school’s work but as catalysts to reinforce the messages contained in the courses.

In some ways it does not matter where the visit is to. The importance is how well they are planned, the matching of the experiences to the aim, and the enthusiasm staff and students bring to it.

So, typically learning for PSHE takes place whilst undertaking other activities. Here we list a range of ideas which the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom suggest as activities which can engender excellent experiences to benefit students in this area.

Attitudes and values

  • Talking about an object in a museum, or visiting a place of worship can give insight into issues, other cultures or periods of history.
  • Creating your own work of art can give rise to explorations and understandings about the world and our place in it
  • A visit to a farm can stimulate debate about animal husbandry and food production, and provide a context for designing a Fairtrade enterprise.
  • Adventure education can provide opportunities to show different skills, such as leadership or teamwork.
  • Seeing a play on the stage can bring a text alive and stimulate conversations about the values and actions of the characters.
  • A residential can provide a different setting for conversations about what we believe and what we think is important.

Confidence and resilience

  • Learning a new skill, such as map-reading or how to look at a painting, builds independence and confidence.
  • Adventure education enables young people to test themselves in various ways and develop new aptitudes and dispositions.
  • For young people with disabilities, a residential trip can foster independence and give them a rare opportunity to build close relationships outside the family.
  • Planning their own experience or activity helps young people to gain confidence in a wide range of project planning skills.  It can develop resilience in dealing with conflicting opinions, and in finding solutions to project challenges.

Communication and social skills

  • A drama workshop requires teamwork and helps, to strengthen friendship groups.
  • A residential experience enables staff to get to know young people, and young people get to know each other, discovering different aspects of each others’ personalities.
  • An experience, such as visiting a power station, stimulates discussion and encourages young people to share ideas and opinions.
  • A musical performance gives young people a feeling of achievement and a sense of personal success.
  • Young people planning their own programme or activities gives them voice and choice and ensures their active involvement.
  • Undertaking voluntary work in the community gives young people a sense of making a positive contribution.

Knowledge of the world beyond the classroom

  • Young people who live in the country may encounter a town or city for the first time or vice versa.
  • Environmentalists, town planners, artists, curators, scientists, politicians, musicians, dancers and actors can all act as new and powerful role models.
  • Going to an arts venue can encourage young people to try the experience again.
  • Recording the reminiscences of older people gives young people new insight into their community, and brings historical events alive.
  • Going to a local civic institution like a town hall builds knowledge of how communities function.
  • A school or youth council enables young people to learn about and participate in democratic processes
  • Visiting the library enables young people to find out what they have to offer – apart from lending books.
  • Children and young people with profound learning difficulties and disabilities may not often experience visits to galleries, concerts or the countryside because of the difficulties of transport and personal care which parents have to consider and cannot always manage alone. Educational visits may provide the only means for these young people to have such experiences.

Physical development and well-being

  • Visiting a park, field studies centre or making a school garden all provide physical activity and develop an interest in the environment.
  • Participating in recreational activities help to develop physical well-being and the growth of confidence.
  • Many learning outside the classroom activities can also provide attractive alternatives to competitive sports and can lead to a lifelong interest in healthy physical recreation.

Emotional spiritual and moral development

  • An integrated dance workshop with able bodied and disabled participants can help young people empathise and develop awareness of disability.
  • Activities in the natural environment can encourage a feeling of awe and wonder, and an appreciation of silence and solitude.
  • Visiting a place of worship develops an understanding of religion, reflection and spirituality.
  • Engaging with young people in conversations about values and beliefs, right and wrong, good and bad supports their moral development.

Main organisations:

PSHE Association

National Centre for Citizenship and the Law

Inclusion: NASEN

Venues for this Curriculum

Symonds Yat is famous for its natural river scenery.

Join the river wending its way through Symonds Yat gorge and village, dividing it into East and West for a 40 minute boat trip with informed history and nature commentary.

 

Dramatic red sandstone escarpment, with impressive views

Walk the dramatic red sandstone escarpment of Alderley Edge, with views over the Cheshire Plain to the Peak District. Explore woodland paths or walk to neighbouring Hare Hill Garden.

Discover the highest point on the Edge which was originally a Bronze Age burial mound. It was later used as a fire beacon site which would have been lit as a signal to warn of the imminent invasion.

Medieval thatched Wealden hall-house and picturesque garden

This rare 14th-century Wealden hall-house was the first building to be acquired by the National Trust, in 1896.

The thatched, timber-framed house is in an idyllic setting, with views across the River Cuckmere, and surrounded by a delightful, tranquil cottage garden full of wildlife.

The loveliest spot that man hath ever found

Not our words but those of William Wordsworth - we are rather inclined to agree with him.

Gorge of the River Allen with ornamental and ancient woodland

Take a walk on the wild side at Allen Banks and Staward Gorge, one of the largest areas of ancient woodland in Northumberland.

This extensive area of gorge and river scenery, including the 41-hectare (101-acre) Stawardpeel Site of Special Scientific Interest, has miles of waymarked walks through ornamental and ancient woods.

Hear it, feel it, see it, do it

Be at the heart of the action and explore your industrial past along the scenic walk taking in the ten award-winning Ironbridge Gorge Museums spread along the valley beside the wild River Severn.

See the products that set industry on its path and the machines that made them. Watch and talk to the Museums’ craftsmen and costumed demonstrators.

17th-century house with elegant 18th-century decoration and a traditional farmyard

This charming 17th-century farmhouse, elegantly remodelled in Georgian times, offers fun and relaxation for all the family. Set in 100 acres of countryside, there are apple orchards and charming woodland walks. The atmosphere of a working farmyard has been rekindled with the return of small animals.

The eclectic collection at Arlington Court tells the story of a family who lived on the estate for more than 600-years. Discover for yourself the museum-like hoard amassed by Miss Rosalie Chichester, during her 84-years living at Arlington. 

18th-century mansion and estate shaped by a story of love and neglect

Built for the first Lord Berwick in 1785, Attingham Hall and its beautiful parkland were owned by one family for more than 160 years. As their fortunes rose and fell they proved themselves to be spenders, savers and saviours - providing a fascinating story of love and neglect whose mark still stands in Attingham’s rooms today.

Wonderful landscape for walking (and running!), with splendid views and fun interactive games in the Visitor Centre for the kids.

Ashridge Estate is a vast 2,00 hectare swathe of beautiful woodlands and chalk downland at the north end of the Chiltern Hills.

Features include:

15th-century Tithe Barn

The barn, with its immense stone-tiled roof, is picturesquely situated close to the banks of the River Severn. It was built in the 15th Century by the canons of St Augustine's, Bristol.

Only the barn is owned by the National Trust. The beautiful medieval house adjoining it is privately owned, as are the adjacent pig-pens. Please note that the church may not be open every day.

Unusual Dutch-style house on the Berkshire Downs

This extraordinary building with the appearance of a dolls' house nestles in a beautiful valley on the Berkshire Downs, surrounded by woodland.

It was built by an Earl, William Craven, as a house fit for the queen he loved, Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia in 1662.

This half-timbered Jacobean farmhouse, transformed by the de Rothschilds towards the end of the 19th century, now houses an exceptional collection of paintings, fine furniture and superb oriental porcelain.

The extensive gardens are an attractive mix of formal and natural, with specimen trees and shrubs and some unusual features.

A national and internationally important wildlife area

Arnside Knott is covered with limestone grassland and mixed woodland, which attracts a variety of insects and is especially renowned for butterflies.The area is made up of species-rich limestone grassland, woodland, wet meadow, scree and scrub.

There are outstanding views from the summit to the Lake District and Morecambe Bay.

This landmark building, formerly Belmont Primary School, has a history dating back to the 1890s

The Gothic-styled late Victorian listed building was beautifully restored by The Old Belmont School Preservation Trust and today it is a hive of activity offering classes, conference facilities, a coffee shop and CS Lewis exhibition.

A chance to see racing dinghies and rivercraft from around the world.

Racing and River Boat Museum is a great place for kids who are interested in boats and for families who would like a relaxing but interesting day out.

Discover the echoes of history in the heart of Somerset, in breathtaking gardens and working orchards

Discover the haunting echoes of the past at Barrington Court, a Tudor manor house free from collections and furniture. Explore using your imagination and your senses to discover a house full of memories, where light fills the rooms and you feel you can almost touch the past.

The impressive headland at Croyde with crashing waves and dramatic cliffs

Baggy Point overlooks Croyde with one of the best surfing beaches in North Devon. It has stunning coastal views, great walks along the South West Coast Path and opportunities to climb, surf and coasteer, it's a must-do destination for anyone visiting North Devon.

Delightful high Victorian garden - an extraordinary survival from the 19th century

Tunnels, winding paths, a Cheshire cottage that turns into an Egyptian tunnel, fish to feed, a Chinese temple, trees to discover and a new woodland walk to play in and explore.

The Crystal Leisure Centre is a modern leisure complex centrally situated in the town of Stourbridge. Comprising of pools, sports halls, fitness suite, squash courts & rooms, the centre caters for sports, fitness and recreation activities.

Our facilities also allow us to cater for meetings, birthday parties & functions.

Nine rustic cottages around a green

A delightful hamlet of nine picturesque cottages laid out around an open green. The hamlet, which is four miles north of the city centre, was built in 1811 to accommodate retired staff from Blaise Castle estate in Henbury. 

A tranquil haven of towering peaks, serene waters and undulating hills

Ullswater valley is truly breathtaking, with its beautiful lake nestled amongst towering fells. The epic scenery and relative underdevelopment compared to other areas of the Lake District gives Ullswater a secluded and tranquil feel.

Delightful garden renowned for its herbs and fruit orchards

Best known for its comprehensive herb collection and traditional fruit orchards, Acorn Bank is a tranquil haven with a fascinating industrial past. Indulge yourself at the tea-room, where culinary herbs and fruit from the garden are used daily in soups, salads and puddings.

Hidden woods with ancient trees and flower-sprinkled grasslands, just off the North Downs and Pilgrims Ways

Abinger Roughs, above the village of Abinger Hammer, is an area of grassland and mixed woodland - some of the mighty oak trees are over 300 years old. The Roughs is home to many creatures and it’s a perfect spot for a young explorer to start looking at nature.

In the 1870s, Charles Darwin, the famous naturalist, actually walked on the Roughs while staying at Abinger Hall.

The rooftop of Wales

Abergwesyn Commons stretch for 12 miles between the Nant Irfon valley in the west and Llanwrthwl in the east. Drygarn Fawr is the highest point on the commons, lying above the Nant Irfon valley. From its summit it's possible to walk eastwards along the entire ridge almost on the level. 

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