About us
The PSHE Association is the subject association for all professionals working in Personal Social Health and Economic (PSHE) education.
Our mission is to raise the status, quality and impact of PSHE education and enable high quality PSHE education teaching and learning for all children and young people. We are committed to helping teachers and other PSHE professionals to better plan, manage, deliver, evaluate and monitor PSHE provision.
What is PSHE education?
PSHE education is a planned, developmental programme of learning designed to help learners develop the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to manage their lives, now and in the future. PSHE education deals with real life issues which affect children and young people, their families and their communities. It engages with the social and economic realities of their lives, their experiences, and attitudes. The benefits of PSHE education are universal, supporting all children and young people – the highest achievers as well as the vulnerable and excluded – to achieve their fullest potential.
What does PSHE education include?
• Health: healthy lifestyles; healthy eating and exercise; mental and emotional health; sex and relationships education; drug, alcohol and tobacco education
• Risk: financial and career choices; personal safety; internet safety and violent incidents
• Relationships: developing and maintaining positive relationships; dealing with negative relationships which may include bullying and sexual violence
• Loss: bereavement, separation and divorce
• Change: managing transition, adversity and developing resilience
• Career choices: enterprise, business and finance
• Personal finance: savings, debt and budgeting.
Why is PSHE education important?
Because...
• it makes a major contribution to the health and wellbeing of children and young people as set out in the Every Child Matters legislation
• it contributes to the safeguarding of children and young people
• it contributes to the health of the nation and ultimately helps to reduce national health service spending
• it underpins young people's future employability through the development of the personal and social skills which commerce and industry demand from our workforce
• it helps to increase children and young people's independence and ultimately enables them to take responsibility for themselves. It prepares them for their future role as parents, employees and leaders.
The current situation
Not all learners have access to good quality PSHE education. Current provision is very variable with excellent practice in some schools and poor or no provision in others. An investment in training teachers of PSHE education is needed if PSHE education is to be delivered to the highest standard. Skilled teachers can help children and young people tackle employability, debt, health and family issues as they grow up in our increasingly challenging society.
For more information please visit www.pshe-association.org.uk
PSHE Association
