Personal, Social, Health Education (PSHE)

Personal, Social and Health Education in schools, curriculum guidance, lesson plans.

These resources may help if you're completing our healthy schools awards.

PSHE overview

PSHE helps pupils develop the knowledge, skills and qualities they'll need to deal with the opportunities, challenges and responsibilities they'll face as they grow up.

PSHE includes the teaching of Relationships and Sex Education and broadly covers:

health and wellbeing
relationships
living in the wider world

According to the PSHE Association, by teaching pupils to stay safe and healthy, and by building self-esteem, resilience and empathy, a PSHE programme can help pupils develop the skills and qualities they need to:

do better in school
attend school more regularly
have better chances of getting a job

This is especially the case among disadvantaged pupils.

Research from the PSHE Association shows that PSHE can address:

teenage pregnancy
substance misuse
unhealthy eating
lack of physical activity

PSHE can also help with emotional health.

For more evidence on the benefits of PSHE, visit the PSHE Association website Go to https://pshe-association.org.uk/ (opens new window).

PSHE in schools

Most of the PSHE education became compulsory for all schools in September 2020. This covers:

Relationships Education at key stages 1 and 2
Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) at key stages 3 and 4
Health Education from key stage 1 to 4.  This is sometimes referred to as RSHE, which covers approximately 80% of the PSHE curriculum.

Statutory Guidance is available from the Department of Education Go to https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education (opens new window).

The PSHE Association has a programme of study on their website to help you decide what content to teach, and when.

PSHE in Bristol schools

Bristol Healthy Schools' supports the PSHE Association recommendations:

“The most effective model of delivery for PSHE education is a sequenced, spiral programme that builds on prior learning as pupils progress through school. And like any other school curriculum subject, it needs regular curriculum time – at least an hour a week ideally” (PSHE Association 2022).