Polden Bower School values every student as an individual. Through the Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship curriculum we encourage students to take responsibility, to develop their own independence and the curriculum promotes confidence and self-esteem. The curriculum teaches young people to develop a sense of community and belonging and enables and empowers young people to develop positive relationships. Our work in PSHE&C prepares pupils to take their part in the wider community and develop skills for life and work as an adult. 

Intent 

• To teach young people about keeping themselves safe, to protect them from harm and to enable them to lead healthy lives.
• The curriculum promotes the physical, social and emotional wellbeing of all young people.
• To create a culture where young people learn for life, to enjoy learning and to achieve and be the best that they can be. 
• To prepare pupils to make a positive contribution as responsible members of the community and society 
• To provide experiences, information and guidance in preparation for further education, training, careers and life after school 
• To provide opportunities for spiritual, moral, cultural and social development of our young people and to understand about the local community and wider world. 
• To teach young people about British values and how to be a good citizen and make a positive contribution to the community

Content 

Six broad focus areas provide the curriculum for students at Polden Bower School, which include:

• Being me in my world
• Celebrating difference
• Dreams and goals
• Healthy me
• Relationships
• Changing me

The content of the curriculum incorporates National Curriculum guidelines whilst addressing specific areas of importance to pupils with SEND. Jigsaw is used to support the curriculum and to ensure revisiting, overlearning and providing the building blocks to scaffold and support knowledge, skills and understanding through the phases. 

Building blocks 

As pupils progress through the school, each PSHE unit/topic builds on prior learning. Knowledge and skills are consolidated and extended as each area is revisited. It is the responsibility of class teachers to plan and deliver the relevant modules, tailoring the content to match the needs and maturity of the individuals in their class. 

Cross Curricular Links 

PSHE and Citizenship as well as being a discrete subject, is integral to learning and teaching across all the curriculum areas with particularly strong links to the Science and Humanities curriculum. This curriculum links directly with our work in Preparation for Adulthood. Staff will endeavour to maximise opportunities for reinforcing learning and skills. 

Nurture Breakfast and Mindfulness

We foster a nurturing approach throughout everything we do at Polden Bower School, there are times throughout the day where students come together, these times include nurture breakfast and mindfulness. 

During these sessions we aim to:

• Bring students together to develop a sense of belonging within their class group
• Talk about their feelings, emotions, experiences and recognise difference 
• Celebrate success, achievement and sense of pride
• Explore topical issues both locally, nationally and globally
• Develop spirituality through mindfulness, relaxation experiencing and learning about calmness and quiet