Personal, Social, Health & Economic education
RELATIONSHIPS AND SEX EDUCATION
PSHE is led by Mrs Fox at Bowker Vale.
At Bowker Vale Primary School we aim to support children in their personal, social, health and economic education as well as their academic. We believe that our PSHE curriculum prepares children for life in modern Britain today. It also helps pupils develop and apply skills and attitudes to allow them to become full and active citizens in our wider global community. We aim to raise the aspirations of all of our children to enable them to reach their full potential.
At our school, we teach PSHE and RSE through the I-Matter scheme, written by the Manchester Healthy Schools Team. This programme is highly recommended for all Manchester schools and provides a clear, age-appropriate approach to supporting children’s personal development and wellbeing. PSHE and RSE are taught through five core themes:
· Keeping Safe
· Living in the Wider World
· Healthy Lifestyles
· Mental and Emotional Health
· Relationships
Each week, children in Years 1 to 6 take part in a dedicated PSHE lesson, helping them to build confidence, resilience, and the skills they need to lead healthy, safe, and happy lives.
Through these lessons, pupils learn how to manage their feelings, make positive choices, develop respectful relationships, and understand the world around them. The I-Matter scheme ensures that learning is progressive, inclusive, and relevant to the experiences of our children today.
PSHE also links closely to content taught in our weekly Computing lessons, please visit the Computing page on this website or see the overview here.
PSHE Education, Relationships Education and Health Education is compulsory for primary schools.
Sex education is not compulsory but is an important aspect of the curriculum and we will be teaching this element at Bowker Vale from September 2025. We know that this is a sensitive subject, and we want to reassure you that we will be handling it in a way that’s appropriate for your child’s age and level of understanding. As sex education is not compulsory parents do have the right to withdraw their child from specific lessons.
Please see the letter home in October 2025 for more information.
