Personal, social and health education (PSHE)

Personal, social and health education (PSHE) is the traditional subject title for all aspects of personal development learning, including relationships, health and sex education and citizenship education. Following the DfE announcement (March 2017) that primary relationships and health education and secondary relationships, sex and health education is now statutory, schools must ensure that their policies and programmes comply with the statutory guidance published in February 2019 with a view to full implementation from September 2020.

The aims of personal, social and health education (including relationships, sex and health education)

To ensure that:

  • pupils are provided with the knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes to make informed decisions about their lives
  • in an increasingly complex world, both on and offline, children and young people know how to be safe and healthy and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way
  • key staff receive appropriate continued professional development (CPD) opportunities and support to deliver, assess, monitor and evaluate a planned programme of PSHE and RSE in line with relevant statutory guidance
  • schools complement and reinforce the role that parents/carers have in being the prime educators for children and young people, in matters regarding personal and social education and relationships and health education
  • there is a clear understanding of the link between personal development learning and whole school ethos regarding promoting good physical and mental health and recognising that it is not just another aspect of the taught curriculum
Local documents and links

For all Hampshire based documents, contact HIAS Enquiries by email at [email protected].

Archived material

  • Hampshire PDL guidance and PSHE Association mapping documents
  • Policy writing templates
  • End of key stage statements
  • Planning tools
  • Service Level Agreements (with guidance) regarding visitors

Other useful local links and contacts

Hampshire Health in Education

Smoke Free Me – lesson plans and resources on smoking and e-cigarettes for teachers and youth workers.

National documents and links
Best practice in PSHE/PDL subject leadership

As with all curriculum subjects, PDL requires key skills, knowledge and understanding to enable successful leadership and management of this vital aspect of education. This includes:

  • developing and maintaining robust, effective policies
  • developing robust and relevant curriculum programmes that satisfy statutory requirements and are tailored to specifically meet the needs of children and young people attending the school
  • policies and programmes take into account the local health needs of communities
  • assessment, monitoring and evaluation (as with all subjects) are fundamental to successful leadership
  • resources are of high quality and effective in supporting the teaching of all aspects of PSHE/RSE and health education
  • effective CPD is provided for all members of staff involved in the planning, teaching and delivery of PSHE/RSE and health education
  • ensuring all aspects of PSHE/RSE are shared with the wider school community, for instance, seeking the views of parents/carers when developing policies for RSE
  • senior leadership supports the effective planning and delivery of all aspects pf PSHE/RSE
  • leadership of PSHE/RSE establishes clear links with whole school ethos and values including how the school supports personal development, behaviour and welfare
  • leadership of PSHE/RSE establishes clear links between pupil health and wellbeing and attainment