Introduction
For this assignment I am creating a learning event for children in Key Stage 2 in a mainstream environment. I have chosen to teach children from the ages of 7-11 because this offers more flexibility in what I can teach. The area of learning I am going to focus on is mental health and emotional wellbeing issues as I believe this is a topic which is becoming more popular in society due to the increase of people who suffer mental health. PSHE allows pupils to advance their abilities, knowledge and attributes which later benefits pupils because they are more prepared for everyday life.
The National Curriculum
The PSHE Associations Programme was written to sit alongside the 2014 National Curriculum and is frequently updated to focus on key issues that happens in our world. The Government provides funding to various organisations, principally the PSHE Association, as they are a registered charity and company that provides support for the teaching of PSHE. The National Curriculum states that all schools should make time to teach personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) and cover the main topics that are most relevant. The course subject contributes to all schools’ statutory duties defined in both the Education Act 2002 and the Academies Act 2010 which maintains a stable and predominant curriculum. In September 2020 a large section of the PSHE educational programme will become compulsory in all schools (PSHE Association, 2018).
Legislations and Policies
The Department for Education set the motion that schools are required to publish the details of their PSHE curriculum; This is specified in the School Information (England) Regulations 2012, Schedule 4 (PSHE Association). The mandatory timeline states that alongside schools publishing their school curriculum, they should include their provision of PSHE. All maintained schools are required to have a regularly updated policy on Sex and Relationships Education which is under the Education Act 1996. Any SRE delivered also has to be published onto the school website as this links to Schedule 4 of School Information Regulations 2012 (PSHE Association).
Schools are obliged to comply with the Independent School Standards Regulations (PSHE Association). They are not expected to deliver the work through a timetabled session called PSHE but are required to achieve the set requirements for PSHE education. The statutory requirements for PSHE lessons are to make “personal, social, health and economic education reflect the schools aim and ethos and encourage respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act” (The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014. p. 5).
One example of a policy that has been implemented into the educational system is the Green Paper, which was presented in December 2017 by the Department for Education and the Department for Health. The Green Paper introduced several proposals to improve and increase support for mental health in schools, some of the proposals are:
• All children will learn about mental well-being through lessons within PSHE and Relationships and Sex Education.
• To encourage every school and college to have a Designated Senior Lead for Mental Health that possesses suitable training in all areas by 2025.
• To work alongside the Designated Senior Leads will be new Mental Health Support Teams that will work with groups within schools and colleges to address the problems individuals are facing and provide them with an appropriate service if required. (House of Commons, 2018)
The 2017 Children and Social Work Act included a commitment to make relationships and sex education compulsory in all secondary schools, along with ‘relationships education’ in all primary schools (PSHE Association, 2018). In July 2018, the government announced the introduction of statutory health education. Despite the statutory guidance being intended to start in September 2020, schools will be able to implement the changes into their own education system in September 2019. The requirements included are to cover physical and mental health. Included specifically in the health section of the curriculum, primary school pupils will learn the “importance of mental well-being alongside physical health; understanding and discussing emotions; benefits of physical exercise; loneliness; where to seek support; that it is common to have mental health problems and that these can be resolved with support.” (House of commons, 2018. p. 19)
The Prime Minister announced in January 2017 that all secondary schools in England will be offered mental health First Aid training by 2020 (House of Commons, 2018). This is a government pledge to reconstruct mental health services for young people. Teachers and staff across England will be able to identify early signs of mental health problems that many young people suffer with and respond in an appropriate way. This was originally declared as part of addressing the concealed injustice and inequality of poor mental health within our society. The programme will receive £200,000 that is funded by the government and by 2020 will have covered all secondary schools. This is in the hope that young people will receive the appropriate support through their adolescence fast and put a stop to any developing mental health problems (Gov.uk, 2017)
Justification
Importance of PSHE
https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/system/files/Curriculum%20for%20life%20December%202017%2012.06%2019%20Dec.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-mental-health-training-for-teachers-will-make-a-real-difference-to-childrens-lives
Importance of Mental Health Education
Original page 20 of house of commons
Bibliography
Gov.uk, 2017. PM: mental health training for teachers will "make a real difference to children's lives" [online]. London: Gov.uk. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-mental-health-training-for-teachers-will-make-a-real-difference-to-childrens-lives [Accessed 14 November 2018]
Great Britain. Department for Education, 2014. The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 [online]. London: Department for Education. Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3283/pdfs/uksi_20143283_en.pdf [Accessed 14 November 2018].
Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons, 2018. Children and young people’s mental health – policy, services, funding and education [online]. London: House of Commons. Available at: http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7196/CBP-7196.pdf [Accessed 14 November 2018].
PSHE Association, 2018. Campaigns [online] London: PSHE Association. Available at: https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/campaigns [Accessed November 2014].
PSHE Association. New DfE requirement for schools to publish details of their PSHE education Provision [online]. London: PSHE Association. Available at: https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/news/new-dfe-requirement-schools-publish-details-their [Accessed 14 November 2018].