Mick Waters and PSHE Education

We are delighted that Mick Waters Director of Curriculum QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) has been able to support the work of the PSHE Association. In this short video Mick stresses the importance of PSHE education in delivering Personal well-being and Economic wellbeing and financial capability drawing out the deliverables for children and young people having healthier, safer lifestyles, managing money, employment, and enterprise. He recognises the distinctive nature of PSHE Education, which complemented by SEAL contributes to children and young people's personal development. Mick argues that PSHE education meets the aims of the curriculum, successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and ECM outcomes as well as being an essential criterion for achieving Healthy School status. Building upon the Early Years Foundation Stage learning goal for personal, social and emotional development PSHE education develops important skills and competencies for example, relationships, managing risk. Mick is unequivocal is saying that PSHE education needs to be progressive, coherent, planned for and well taught and that learners need to know how they are achieving so assessment for learning is as important as in other subjects. However PSHE education is organised in the school, through discrete time, through other subjects, through tutorial time; 'drop down days' or suspended timetable days can add value to the learning but cannot replace a progressive, coherent, well planned and taught curriculum entitlement for all learners PSHE education is essential to the delivery of the statutory requirements for the promotion of personal well-being and community cohesion. We hope that you will be able to use this short video in briefing colleagues and strengthening the case for effective PSHE in your school.