Personal, social and health education refers to those aspects of school life – its thinking, planning, teaching and organisation – explicitly designed to contribute to the process of growing up, getting on with other people, the formation of values and the preparation of a child for the responsibility of adult life. This includes helping pupils to understand:

• themselves
• their health and development (embracing health as physical, psychological and social well-being)
• their behaviour and their relationships with other people
• factors which influence their attitudes, moral judgements and decisions
• their school, education and effective learning skills
• their rights and responsibilities as citizens in society

PSHE involves encouraging children to be sensitive to their environment and to the beliefs and behaviour of others and as well as fostering an awareness of more global problems.

In PSHE there are:

• FACTS to be known
• CONCEPTS to be understood
• SKILLS to be acquired
• ATTITUDES to be encouraged