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PSHE education and
the role of the school nurse
Jenny Barksfield
PSHE Association
Deputy CEO & Senior Subject Specialist
www.pshe-association.org.uk
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Intended learning outcomes
• Identify the role of PSHE education in the school curriculum: what it
is, what it isn't and what it aims to achieve Its relationship to other
aspects of pastoral care
• Explain how and where health fits into the PSHE education
programme of study and how school nurses might most effectively
contribute to PSHE education in their schools
• Describe some best practice principles in safely and effectively
teaching or contributing to PSHE education
www.pshe-association.org.uk
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What is PSHE education?
Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education is a school
subject through which pupils develop the knowledge, skills and
attributes they need to keep themselves healthy and safe, and
prepare for life and work in modern Britain. [PSHE Association, 2016]
"PSHE Education forms a bridge between
education and public health."
Chief Medical Officer's Annual Report 2013
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Pastoral care
Keeping
pupils
healthy and
safe
Personal &
emotional
support
Behaviour
management
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PSHE education
Keeping
pupils
healthy and
safe
Personal &
emotional
support
Behaviour
management
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www.pshe-association.org.uk
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The PSHE Association Programme of Study
Core theme 1:
Health & Wellbeing
Core Theme 2:
Relationships
Core Theme 3:
Living in the wider world:
Economic wellbeing, being a responsible citizen (KS 1 & 2)
Economic wellbeing, careers and the world of work (KS 3 & 4)
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www.pshe-association.org.uk
Some best practice principles:
Dos and don’ts of teaching PSHE
Don’t…
• only focus on giving information – programmes that rely
on giving information have no effect on behaviour.
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Factual knowledge?
• Appearance and names of
different drugs
• Physical, psychological and
social effects of different
drugs
• Consequences of drug taking
• The law relating to drugs and
drug use
•
•
•
•
Skills?
• Risk assessment and
management
• Decision-making
• Communication and negotiation
• Strategies for managing peer
influence
• Strategies for saying ‘no’
• Personal safety ‘exit’ strategies
CRUNCH
MOMENT
Self-awareness
• Empathy
Self-confidence
• Assertiveness
Self-esteem and respect • A sense of own moral
Resilience
compass and values
Personal attributes?
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Don’t…
• use shock, fear or guilt – it doesn’t work!
Shock tactics can have 4 effects:
Excitement response
The message is blocked as it’s ‘too close to home’
or too unlikely to feel relevant
Those affected can be re-traumatised
False sense of security
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Dos and don’ts of teaching PSHE
Don’t…
• inadvertently provide inspiration, a ‘role model’ or a ‘how
to’ guide when teaching about harmful behaviours or
unhealthy coping mechanisms e.g. self-harm / eating
disorders
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“She was really good but she did give you ideas. I’d been burning myself for ages
and didn’t want anyone to know, and she shared all these different ways she’d
hidden it and stories she’d told to explain her burns. I used some of them, and they
worked.”
“I’d never thought of pushing needles into my skin until I saw that video in PSHE.
I tried it that night.”
“So I’d been self-harming for ages so there was nothing she could teach me about
it, but it was like some kind of twisted ‘how to self-harm workshop’ and seeing as
she worked so hard to ‘break the stigma’ and make us realise it was okay to selfharm, loads of kids tried it after that. A couple carried on for ages too.”
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Case study from NHS Choices
"I began to restrict my eating. I cut out fats, carbs and
dairy, and lived on rice cakes, apples and lettuce.
As I began to lose weight I started to feel that life was
worth living. At last I seemed to be achieving
something.
My weight dropped from 8.5st to under 5st. My hair fell
out, my skin cracked and my periods stopped. I was also
cycling between 8 and 15 miles a day to satisfy
anorexia's need for exercise. But I still didn't believe I
was thin enough. When I looked in the mirror, a mound
of blubber stared back. ”
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WHAT?
Where &
how to
find
support
How to
be a
good
friend
Teaching
about
harmful
behaviours
/coping
mechanisms
WHY?
WHEN?
Dispel
myths
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Do…
• Always create a safe teaching and learning
environment:
Ground rules /
class contract
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Ensure these are included…
• Openness but without personal stories
• Keeping the conversation in the room (but being clear on limits of
confidentiality – read school policy in advance)
• A non-judgmental approach
• The right to pass (& not putting people ‘on the spot’)
• Making no assumptions
• Listening to others (& commenting on what’s said, not the person who said it)
• Use of appropriate language
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Do…
• Always create a safe teaching and learning
environment:
Ground rules /
class contract
Distance the learning
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• Stories/scenarios/case studies
• Dialogue
• Video clip
• Puppets
• Photo
• Diary extract
• “Imagine someone of about your age who lives
near you and goes to a school just like ours…”
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Do…
• Always create a safe teaching and learning
environment:
Ground rules /
class contract
Distance the learning
Encourage questions
(including anonymously)
& handle them safely
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Do…
• Always start from where the pupils are (in their
knowledge, understanding, skills, beliefs, attitudes etc)
•Questioning
•Brainstorm
•Mind-map
•Graffiti wall
•Sorting activity
•Quiz
•‘Draw & write’
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Ben’s
baseline
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He runs and
keeps healthy by
watching what he
eats, and plays
football
Draw a person who is
healthy and well.
Write down what
keeps them healthy
and well
He is well
because he
checks every day
and if he's poorly
he stops but not
the diet
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Do…
• Signpost sources of help and support
• Not just what and
where but HOW.
School
• Explain what is likely to
happen if they seek
support as this can be a
great cause of
uncertainty and inhibit
disclosures.
Local
Helplines
Online
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Do…
• Build in evaluation and assessment
Evaluation: how well did my session go?
• I enjoyed the lesson because……
• But it would have been better if……
• The activity that helped me learn best was…..
• I would like to learn more about…….
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Assessment: What’s been learnt? What still needs to be learnt?
What needs to be
learnt next? Who
needs to know?
Find out their
finishing point
Find out pupils’
starting point
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Ben’s
baseline
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He runs and
keeps healthy by
watching what he
eats, and plays
football
He is well
because he
checks every day
and if he's poorly
he stops but not
the diet
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www.pshe-association.org.uk
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Ben’s ideas after 4 lessons on healthy lifestyles
• likes taking part
• exercise
• sleeps a lot
• always goes on his bike
• has chocolate once a week
• he's active
• eats fruit and veg – 5 a day
• does aerobics
• doesn't smoke
• does lots of exercise
• only spends 1 hour on
computer games a day
• no junk food
• tried to always go outside
• drinks 2 litre every day
• watches what he eats
• takes appropriate risks
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‘Then and Now’ sheet:
Year 10 Accessing Sexual Health Services
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Using the understanding that you now have after today’s lesson,
please circle a number to rate your level of knowledge, understanding and
skills before, as well as after, this lesson.
1 means lowest level, 5 means highest.
My self-assessment against the learning outcomes
Low
High
Before the session
1
2
3
4
5
After the session
1
2
3
4
5
2. I understand how these services operate, including the
services offered, appointment and drop-in systems,
treatment options and confidentiality
Before the session
1
2
3
4
5
After the session
1
2
3
4
5
3. I know how and when to access these services myself
Before the session
1
2
3
4
5
After the session
1
2
3
4
5
1. I know the health & sexual health services available to
me locally and where they are
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“Can you do something on sun safety / STIs/
hand hygiene/ contraception please?”
• How does this session fit into the programme?
• What’s their starting point in terms of their existing knowledge,
understanding, skills, beliefs, attitudes?
• How can I find out?
• What are the intended learning outcomes for the session?
• How can I find out if they’ve got there?
• Have I remembered the keys to good PSHE teaching?
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