RE/PHSE
Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education
Vision: At Victoria Park Academy, we aim to equip pupils with the knowledge, skills and understanding to lead confident, healthy and safe lives.
Pupils are provided with opportunities to develop themselves, their understanding of the world and their ability to communicate their feelings which supports them in becoming informed, active citizens. Through PSHE and RHE, pupils learn to respect and celebrate diversity so that they can go on to form the effective, fulfilling relationships that are an essential part of life and learning.
What We Teach: PSHE is embed into our medium-term plans and is either taught discreetly or alongside an area of the wider curriculum, that compliments and helps to explain and demonstrate the content in context. The knowledge and skills explored in PSHE is taken from the PSHE Association guidance. As a school, we have also used Sandwell’s ‘Healthy Mind, Happy Me’ scheme. This scheme features local characters of varying ethnicities which allows the children to truly resonate with their learning. The British Values also intertwine with PSHE and is enhanced through assemblies as well as through our wider school values. Each year group also has a carefully selected suite of inclusive class texts that are shared with children and discussed throughout each term.
What Learning Looks Like: In Early Years, we encourage the development of the skills, knowledge and understanding that help reception children make sense of their world as well as enhance their communication and language skills. This learning forms the foundations for the later work in PSHE.
In Key Stage 1, pupils begin to learn about themselves as developing individuals and as active members of their society and community. Through the use of a spiralled curriculum, the decorative knowledge that children are taught in KS1 is used and applied in KS2.
In Key Stage 2, pupils learn about themselves as growing and changing individuals with their own experiences and ideas, and as members of their communities.
PHSE – Added extras:
· Opportunities for Year 6 to take part in a Poetry Slam workshop on British Values led by former Birmingham Poet Laureate Giovanni Esposito ‘Spoz’. The winners performed at the final at Birmingham Hippodrome and came second place!
· Opportunities for children to attend E-Safety Workshops.
· Opportunities for children to visit local religious buildings such as a mosque and a church.
· Opportunities for children to participate in Everybody Write Days centred around producing a piece of poetry about the British Values.
· Visits from the emergency services such as firefighters and police officers.
Religious Education
Vision: At VPA, we aim to deliver a high quality RE so our pupils will be better equipped for our ever-changing world and have an understanding of different religions, cultures, traditions and beliefs. We aim to develop our people spiritually, morally, socially and culturally.
What we teach: We do this through following the locally agreed syllabus (SACRE) and linking where possible to our NICER curriculum- building on prior knowledge. Our people will be brilliant, courageous and kind. Ambition and innovation are at the heart of all that we do as we strive to become the best we can be, challenging ourselves and acting responsibly.
What learning looks like: In the Foundation Stage pupils begin often to learn about religions among the children in their class.
In Key Stage 1 they begin to learn about Christianity, Sikhism and Islam
Key Stage 2 pupils learn more about Christianity, Sikhism and Islam and begin to learn about Hinduism and Judaism.
We are very fortunate to have a diverse cohort where pupils are able to compare, contrast and take pride in sharing their knowledge of their own traditions and practices.
RE – Added extras:
All children have the opportunity to take part in assemblies showcasing their work; celebration Assemblies and visits.
Purposeful opportunities are provided in each year group to visit their focussed place of worship, these include:
Reception- local church
Year one- Local Gurdwara
Year Two- Local Mosque
Year Three- Hindu Mandir Temple
Year Four- St Martin’s Church
Year Five- Gurdwara
Year Six-Visit the Islamic Exhibition
