As teachers at Cumnor House, it is our priority to make sure that the children are immersed in a positive working environment. It has been said that children only reach their full potential when they are happy and the subject of PSHCE certainly assists in creating that positive working environment. The PSHCE Department at Cumnor aims to engender in children the confidence, knowledge and understanding they need to live healthy, independent lives and to become informed, active, responsible citizens. We aim to keep the children abreast of events happening in the world by focusing on diverse current affairs such as natural disasters, the Olympics, national holidays and celebrations or elections and discussing the effects such events have on their immediate and long term lives as well as the role the children and their families may play in these.
The syllabus aims to extend and support the individual’s social learning, from within a home environment to becoming an effective member of the school environment and broader community. Timetabled PSHCE lessons from Reception to Year 8 take the form of a 25 minute period each week. Our curriculum is delivered in a number of ways, but we also consider it important that PSHE is indirectly represented throughout the entire ethos of the school. The goals set in this department should engender a spirit of confidence to ‘Aim High, Be Kind and Dare to be different.’