At Netherlands International School, we believe that teaching personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) and relationships and health education (RHE) is integral to providing a broad and balanced curriculum.
PSHE is at the core of what we do and enables our children to become independent, responsible, healthy and confident members of the society, as well as developing the “whole child” intellectually, morally, socially and spiritually. With an ever-changing society and an increasing range of influences, we are able to provide our children with a strong understanding of the diverse world around them and support them in playing a positive role in contributing to our school and wider community.
Intent
Our PSHE programme of study – SCARF (Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience, Friendship) is fully in line with the learning outcomes and core themes of the PSHE Association scheme of work. It covers all the required objectives and follows the three core areas of Health and Wellbeing, Relationships and Living in the Wider World. It also fulfils the requirements of the 2020 Statutory Relationship and Health Education which enables all pupils to build good, safe and healthy relationships now and in their future lives
SCARF – Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience & Friendship
Each value is linked to a colour on the scarves worn by Harold the giraffe and his friends, and which everyone in school can wrap around themselves either in reality or in their imaginations, reminding them to put the SCARF values into action. The SCARF values are brought to life through stories of Harold and his friends, songs, films, and thought-provoking and fun activities.
Implementation
At Netherlands International School, we have a clear and comprehensive programme of study for PSHE – SCARF. This is a high-quality, inspiring curriculum with excellent enrichment experiences to enable pupils to develop essential life skills. It is designed to be taught in thematic units with a spiral approach, ensuring themes can be revisited and pupils can recall and build upon previous learning, exploring the underlying principles of PSHE education regularly at a depth that is appropriate for the age and stage of their education. All lessons include supporting materials, including building a rich bank of vocabulary.
We aim to deliver our PSHE curriculum in a creative way by using strategies such as role play, music, singing, discussion, debate, games, etc. These strategies enable pupils to build upon our Learning Behaviours such as confidence, resilience, curiosity, and responsibility. PSHE is an important part of our school assemblies where pupil’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural curiosity is stimulated, challenged and nurtured.
Assessment for learning opportunities are built into each unit, which enables self-evaluation, reflective learning, allowing teachers to evaluate and assess progress. It also offers a tool for summative assessment, creating opportunities to record and track achievement.
Impact
The SCARF programme of study provides our school with an effective framework for pupils’ wellbeing. Pupils are enabled to develop the vocabulary, confidence and resilience to clearly articulate their thoughts and feelings within an environment that encourage openness, trust and respect and know when and how they can seek the support of others. They will apply their understanding of society to their everyday interactions, from the classroom and the school to the wider community they are part of. SCARF actively supports our school which prioritises physical and mental health, providing pupils with the skills to evaluate their own wellbeing needs, practice self-care and contribute positively to the wellbeing of those around them.
Our PSHE provision has a positive impact on the whole child, including their attainment and progress, by mitigating any social and emotional barriers to learning and build on their self-esteem. In our school we use SCARF as a tool to promote wellbeing, safeguarding and SMSC outcomes. We believe that through the effective delivery of the SCARF curriculum we enable pupils to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to succeed at school and in the wider world.