At Vinehall we treat all pupils as individuals and aim to enable them all to find their own strengths and to understand where they need help. We encourage them to take a full part in all aspects of school life so they become fully rounded citizens of both this and the wider community. To enable this, as well as each child having a weekly PSHE lesson with a specialist member of staff, the active and successful School Council is organised through the PSHE structure, as are the Charity and Food Committees.

The PSHE curriculum is planned carefully to take account of the Vinehall year to support other areas of the school. Careful links are being built with Form Teachers to enable a complete record of pupil results and achievements to be built up during their stay with us. This culminates in the personal shield that stays as a permanent record on the school walls.

We aim to:

• teach children those facts, such as those relating to health issues, which are elemental to their growth and development as individuals and as members of a particular community.
• help children to understand those concepts, such as tolerance, respect and liberty, which are foundational to a liberal and democratic society.
• enable children to acquire those skills, such as those relating to personal safety, discussion and decision making, which are vital to their well-being and their interaction with others.
• encourage children to develop informed opinions and attitudes for themselves about a range of personal, social and moral issues.

During their time at Vinehall, the pupils move from early childhood, through the onset of puberty and into their early teens. They face challenges in terms of academic pressure and in their growing maturity and sense of themselves and others. They have to learn to understand their place in society and to play an increasing role within the community, both of school and within the wider world. They are encouraged to develop a sense of social justice and moral responsibility and begin to understand that their own choices and behaviour can affect local, national and global issues. They are developing an understanding of how they relate to others and how those relationships change. In particular they need to balance the strains and stresses of interactions with their peer groups made acute by the pressures of boarding and being away from home. They need to prepare for a change of environment in their new schools.

The PSHE lesson is timetabled from Reception in Pre-Prep through to the Year 8 in the main Prep school. This lesson takes place once per week for 30 minutes in Pre-Prep and in the main Prep school for 40 minutes. The pupils are taught in their form groups.

Personal, social and health education and citizenship does not just take place during the timetabled PSHE lesson as they form a central part in all aspects of school life. Each child takes part in Form Councils and a representative from each class sits on the School Council. The pupils have both food and charity committees and from Year 5, are actively encouraged to volunteer for positions of responsibility helping the school community to run smoothly. These systems help the pupils to understand active citizenship.

Outside speakers are important to the PSHE curriculum and particular links have been set up with the Police Liaison Service with the aim that all year groups have a visit from the Liaison Officer each year.

Care is taken so that all pupils have equal access to the curriculum. The use of circle time enables all pupils to be seated with equal status and be able to speak and to be heard. Thought is given to any groups formed within a lesson so that the pupils vary with whom they work but consideration is given to the nature of the topic so that pupils can work freely without embarrassment. The use of ground rules plays an important role to enable discussion of sensitive issues. During key sessions, a register is kept so that any absent pupil can be brought up-to-date. This is of particular importance with regard to sex education and the changes caused by puberty.

The sex and relationship education at Vinehall School is underpinned by the Christian ethos and values of the school and it is an entitlement for all pupils. The SRE policy is available to parents and carers on request to the school and they are welcome to discuss any concerns with the Head of PSHE and Citizenship.

Curriculum notes: