PHSE and RHSE

An approach to help girls between the ages of 7 and 18 navigate the often troubled waters of friendship problems.

Girls on Board is an approach which helps girls, their parents and their teachers to understand the complexities and dynamics of girl friendships. The language, methods and ideas empower girls to solve their own friendship problems and recognises that they are usually the only ones who can. By empowering girls to find their own solutions, parents need worry less, schools can focus more on the curriculum and the girls learn more effectively – because they are happier.

How it is used

The Girls on Board programme is a pro-active approach, which delivers sessions that bring girls together to explore key principles around friendship dynamics and challenges. 

Through these sessions, girls work together to understand that they all feel this way. They explore group dynamics, different personality types and behaviours and how to manage parent reactions.

Girls on Board enables girls to resolve issues more effectively and aims to minimise the impact of conflict when it does arise, by encouraging open, honest and effective communication. 

Volunteer Assembly

Chamomile had a very special assembly with a visit from Barry, a firefighter from Market Drayton Fire Station. He talked to the children about fire safety, the role of a firefighter and about the important work that volunteer firefighters do and how important they are in helping others. The assembly was part of our generosity theme and the children gave thanks to all firefighters and a special thank you to the volunteer firefighters who give up their time and risk danger for no self reward. They do it simply to help others, which was a valuable and moving message to all the children

CPR Training

We had a special visit from West Midlands Air Ambulance who came to train our Year 4, 5 and 6 children how to make a casualty safe and how to perform CPR on them if needed. The children were each able to practise as well as competing in a competition between the year groups to see who could get the highest accuracy rate with their CPR. 

HeartSmart

At Norton in Hales CE Primary School we’ve always taught about healthy relationships as part of our PHSE (personal, health and social education). From September 2020 there are new statutory guidelines covering relationships and health education. Our work on children's mental health which supports RHSE (relationships, health and sex education) can be found here. The statutory guidance ensures all schools show what healthy living and healthy relationships look like. As a school we've chosen a highly creative programme, endorsed by the Church of England for use in church schools, to deliver our statutory relationships and health curriculum. The programme is called HeartSmart.

The Church of England Education Office supports the approach taken by the government, including recommending an age-appropriate provision of sex education at primary level. Sex education is statutory from Key Stage 3. However, we have always chosen to deliver sex education in Year 5. Parents have a right to withdraw their children from sex education because it is non-statutory but not relationships, health education or science which is statutory.

The legislation makes it clear that all schools should approach relationships, health and sex education in a faith sensitive and inclusive way, seeking to explain fairly the tenets and varying interpretations of religious communities on matters of sex and relationships and teach these viewpoints with respect. All the activities in the HeartSmart church school version, include Bible verses to demonstrate how the concepts are rooted in scripture.

An overview of the HeartSmart relationships and health curriculum, organised by school year, can be found here. The teachers at Norton in Hales will use their professional judgement to select from these resources to ensure the objectives within the relationships and health education curriculum are delivered. The teachers will also supplement these activities to deliver other areas of PHSE not covered by the HeartSmart relationships and health programme and sex education (with support from the school nurse).

We believe the HeartSmart programme helps children grow into caring, reflective adults who are well equipped to navigate modern life.

We are a HeartSmart School 

We are a HeartSmart School! HeartSmart is a creative approach that we use to build character, emotional health and resilience in children. Equipping children with foundational principles and skills that will improve their mental health and relationships and academic achievement, at Norton in Hales CE Primary School, we want everyone to know that they are loved, cared for and valued.  We recognise the value of educating the heart alongside educating the mind. We use HeartSmart to do just that!

One of the main reasons we chose Heartsmart as the backbone of our relationships and health education and also our RHSE curriculum is that it aligns well with our Christian values of Respect, Kindness, Courage, Determination and Enthusiasm.

The Heartsmart 'high fives' (used as hooks throughout the resources):

Don't forget to let love in! (Kindness)

 Too much selfie isn't healthy! (Kindness /Respect)

 Don't rub it in, rub it out. (Courage/Determination/Enthusiasm)

 Fake is a mistake. (Courage/Respect)

 No way through isn't true (Determination/Courage)

Here are some fun phrases that are part of the HeartSmart program and we are sure you'll start hearing them in your home as well. They're called the HeartSmart High Five and here's a brief overview:

Whole school progression and what is covered

HeartSmart overview (Please note we are currently in year two of the HeartSmart two year rolling programme)