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

We are a large multi-purpose centre, located in Summertown, to the north of Oxford city centre. We have a wide range of facilities including a 2 heated indoor pools, sports hall, new large gym, group exercise studio, squash courts and the Terrace Cafe.

South Park occupies 50 acres of open space, with magnificent views overlooking Oxford.

What can I do there?

The Sheldonian Theatre, an exquisite Grade I listed building situated in Oxford’s city centre, is the official ceremonial hall of the University of Oxford. Some of the ceremonial activities that take place in the Theatre include matriculation, graduation ceremonies,Encaenia and Congregation. The Theatre is open to the public to visit when not in use.

Oxford’s only Tree Top Adventure, suitable for all monkeys 10 years and older.

High Ropes Oxford gives you and the kids a chance to swing through the trees like Tarzan in this forest adventure.
There are three zones to work through with over 40 obstacles! These include zip slides, wobbly bridges, balance beams and Tarzan swings.

This Garden is a national reference collection of 7,000 different types of plant, making it the most compact yet diverse collection of plants in the World: there is even more biological diversity here than there is in tropical rain forests!

A supervised playground aimed at children aged 7 to 15 featuring elaborate climbing frames, wooden play structures and more set out as an assault course. You must complete a simple registration to use the playground.

A classic series of collections housed in stunning architecture. Among its most famous features are the Oxfordshire dinosaurs, the dodo, and the swifts in the tower.

Get set for a phenomenal drive for the over 8s. Speed is the name of the game as you whizz around the floodlit 360 metre circuit. Min age 8yrs. 

The circuit is set within a stadium, so the spectator areas are fantastic! With an outrageously quick straight and hair pin bends you are guaranteed the drive of your life. A great venue for some excellent group fun. 

Award winning, historically informative and hugely entertaining, it's the perfect way to soak up the atmosphere of this famous city, leaving you with a deliciously scary tingle running down your spine.

Action packed laser tag fun

Laser Kombat Oxford is a great fun place to take the kids to burn off some of their energy while having a good, safe time.

This is helped by the friendly hardworking staff who are always available throughout your time there.

Great fun for all the family at the newly renovated Ice Rink. General session, family sessions and lessons for children of all abilities. The rink is very easy to reach as it's right in the heart of Oxford; just a short walk from Oxford City centre and railway station.

An ancient site of incarceration (since 1071) offering a highly atmospheric history lesson spanning ten centuries, with hands on displays and real life prisoner stories. Quirky costumed tour guides are available every 20 minutes.

The old buildings have been preserved and are now open to the public revealing a time capsule: allowing the buildings to tell their captivating story.

Supporting a rich diversity of wildlife with over 200 species of birds, 27 species of butterflies and 300 species of moths recorded on site, Foremark is a interesting place to visit. The many footpaths and trails are a great starting point to explore the reservoir and surrounding woodland.

Jungle Parc is located in the lovely Irchester Country Park! It is only 20 minutes from Northampton and 30 minutes from Milton Keynes.

A 13 foot high bouldering wall allows individuals to hone their skills and develop technique before graduating onto higher crags. The wall's many different grades are designed to suit all abilities from novice to expert.

An educational trip into the sad necessity to rescue animals, with plenty of happy, loved and rehabilitated furry guests to visit with.

HULA Animal Rescue has saved over 31,000 animals since it was founded, and offers an educational trip into the sad necessity to rescue animals, with plenty of happy, loved and rehabilitated furry guests to visit with.

Do something different at this centre for indoor skydiving, surfing, racing, jumping and climbing!

Bodyflight is an excellent place for some active fun, whatever the weather, plus it’s great thrill seeking in a controlled and safe environment.

A premium all weather venue, open 7 days a week with exciting activities suitable for the whole family! Big Rock Climbing Centre offers the best indoor climbing facilities around, including roped climbing walls up to 11m high, multiple low level bouldering areas and a dedicated kids' climbing area.

The first indoor trampoline park in the UK.

Over 100 trampolines, a dodgeball court and slam dunk hoops. There is over 22000 square feet of interconnected world class trampolines with state of the art equipment.

Bounce is suitable for kids of 3 and over and for all levels of fitness. There are dedicated sessions for children and mums, plus another for teens.

Donington Park motor racing circuit was the first permanent park circuit in England.

Its first motorcycle race took place on Whit Monday 1931 on the narrow lanes of the Donington Hall Estate. In 1933 the track was widened, made permanent and became a venue for Grand Prix car racing.

Mainly encased in brick but still retaining its 14th-century timber roof, this was in turn part of a hospital, a chantry chapel, a public house, and a Georgian barracks, before its basement became a Second World War gas decontamination chamber. The building is within Gravesham's Heritage Quarter and currently exhibits a fascinating insight into the borough's heritage.

A high ropes adventure course involving a series of challenging obstacles set at varying heights above the ground.

You'll find yourself tackling fun obstacles such as rope bridges, scramble nets, swinging logs and balance beams, plus many more!

The outdoor adventure park at Activity Land is now used exclusively for Camp MK and Kids Play After School Clubs bursting with different activities, 

Your Mission: infiltrate the ship and stop the terrorists from launching the missile! The mission ends with an adrenalin pumping escape, you and your friends will feel like real spies!

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