Beyond the Classroom

Shaping Lives

Personal Social and Health Education shaping lives in Exeter Junior School

by MS BARNES

SHE is the school subject

Pwhich prepares our pupils ‘for life and work in this changing world, helping to keep pupils safe, healthy, and boosting their life chances’ (A Curriculum for Life The Case for Statutory Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education, December 2017).

It has been a very busy year for Exeter Junior School PSHE! Despite the pandemic, our pupils have been building their ‘life-skills’ toolkit through weekly PSHE timetabled discussion and activity-based lessons following our new question-based programme, as well as helping to shape and inform our school community. Each class and year group has been able to discuss, question and explore relevant topics around three main themes: health and wellbeing, relationships and living in the wider world.

This year, our Lower Two and Upper Two pupils have followed the new puberty programme delivered by form tutors and our school nurse, helping them to feel supported and informed as they ask, ‘How will I grow and change?’. The ask-it-basket allows pupils to ask anonymous questions not only in these puberty sessions but across all PSHE form lessons.

During the second half of the summer term, as they reached the end of their junior school journey, Upper Two pupils welcomed a group of Lower Sixth formers as they came to assemblies and PSHE lessons to share their thoughts on aspirational role models career aspirations. Next year we are very much looking forward to welcoming alumni into the junior school to talk about important topics such as mental health, looking after our teeth and caring for the environment.

Talking about mental health has become a daily event as classes check that they are making their ’10-a-day’ choices towards balancing their mental health. From keeping themselves hydrated, to eating well, from keeping active in mind and body, to doing something they enjoy and are good at,

“Talking about mental health has become a daily event as classes check that they are making their ’10-a-day’ choices towards balancing their mental health.”

pupils are becoming much more aware of how important it is to look after their mental and physical wellbeing.

During the school year, both in lockdown and back at school, pupils have marked Mental Health Week and Mental Health Awareness week with various events ranging from mindfulness from form one pupils and third formers to yoga sessions in PE lessons, from top tips from upper one pupils to our house captains’ newsletter on what they do to make themselves feel more positive. Sophie Dong in Form One explained that her finger breathing mindfulness practice helps her to feel connected and reminds her that we are all there to support each other. Alex Trivett, also in Form One finds finger breathing relaxing and thinks it may help others if they feel angry at any point.

Learning support, provided by Mrs Coogan, has benefitted many pupils this term post-lockdown. Booster sessions for maths and English have been ongoing throughout term and sessions have given pupils across every year group opportunities to build confidence in their learning and opportunity to revisit and consolidate skills learnt during home learning.

A recently introduced exciting new intervention programme called Spelling Frame has provided forty junior school pupils with access to enjoy and increase confidence and understanding of spelling through a range of interactive games. Individualised speech and language programmes as well as communication and interaction support continues to be delivered in the Hub.

Thrive is a wellbeing programme which continues to be a vital part of the junior school and is delivered by Mrs Coogan and Mrs Buckingham. Pupils benefit from Thrive based activities to support their social and emotional learning. Strategies are also shared with staff and parents which help to prepare our pupils for life’s emotional challenges. Pupils attend sessions on an individual or group basis. Shaping our school community has been achieved through our wonderful virtual school council where discussion, questioning and feedback is encouraged and guest speakers share their thoughts, listen to requests, and confirm when actions are taken.

Over the year, our school council has welcomed our Bursar and Miss Hendrick who oversees our amazing lunches and asked them great questions about their roles. Each class has their own school council book in which they have their agendas and feedback from their classes on what has gone well, not so well, anything worrying them (no matter how small) and suggestions for school council. This has led to changes in meals, playtimes, and uniform amongst other things.

Our Upper Two monitors have promoted healthy living and respect for ourselves, school property and the environment through videos, posters, and newsletter items, as well as creating decorations and advertising exciting street food lunch events!