Life Skills (PSHE) is the planned provision to promote the pupils’ personal, social and emotional development, as well as their health and wellbeing. We aim to equip the children with the knowledge and skills they need in order to lead confident, healthy and independent lives. We aim to help them understand how they are developing personally and socially and to tackle many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are a part of growing up. We aim to give the children an understanding of the rights and responsibilities that are part of being a good citizen and introduce them to some of the principles of prudent financial planning and understanding, thereby developing a secure sense of identity in order to function well in the world.
We are mindful that today’s children and young people are growing up in an increasingly complex world and living their lives seamlessly on and offline. Naturally, this presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks. In this environment, it is essential that our pupils know how to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way, including the nature and quality of the personal relationships they will establish and seek to maintain.
We believe that the personal, social and health development of each child, in conjunction with their citizenship skills, has a significant role in their ability to learn. To this end, we value the importance of Life Skills (PSHE) in preparing children for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life, including fostering healthy relationships. We believe that a child needs to learn about the many emotional aspects of life and how to manage their own emotions.
We are also aware of the way that Life Skills (PSHE) supports many of the principles of Safeguarding (see Safeguarding (Child Protection) Policy) and the Relationships Education Policy. At Hampton Pre-Prep & Prep School, we are very conscious that Relationships Education and Life Skills are inextricably linked. Together, they provide an important forum to give pupils vital skills that will enable them to make informed decisions and protect themselves against harmful and exploitative situations. It is, therefore, a tool to safeguard children.
Relationships Education is, therefore, an essential and integral part of the Life Skills (PSHE) programme at the School, and aims to promote equality between individuals and groups irrespective of individual differences. It involves an exploration of human and social diversity, and a fostering of self-worth.
We take a whole school approach to the subject: we believe that Life Skills (PSHE) teaching will not impact upon beliefs and behaviour if school systems, structures, experiences and expectation do not support classroom learning.
School based Life Skills (PSHE) complements and helps children and young people make sense of what is implicitly and explicitly learnt at home from parents, carers, family, friends and wider society and is therefore a vital part of their personal development.
