Resources for PSHE

Authored by the Muse Wellbeing Team

Published on the 26th of March, 2026. Updated 12th of August, 2026.

Lead Writer

David is a qualified British teacher and the Muse Wellbeing director and lead curriculum developer. His main passions include education, surfing (badly) and travel.

Editor and Review

With over 15 years of experience teaching in primary schools in northern England, Charlotte has played a key role in shaping many lessons across the Muse Wellbeing curriculum.
Most primary schools are not short of PSHE material. The challenge is deciding which resources are worth using, which need adapting and whether they fit together as a coherent curriculum. A class teacher may need one dependable lesson for next week, while a PSHE lead needs to know that provision from Year 1 to Year 6 is age-appropriate, progressive and manageable for staff to teach.

Useful PSHE resources should make day-to-day teaching easier without weakening curriculum intent. They should be clear enough for class teachers to pick up and teach, while giving subject leaders confidence that coverage, progression, SEND accessibility and staff guidance have all been considered.

For a subject lead, the practical test is whether a teacher can pick up the resource, understand the intended learning and see where it sits in the school’s sequence. For schools comparing whole-school approaches, Muse Wellbeing’s primary PSHE and RSE curriculum shows how resources can be sequenced across Years 1 to 6.

Contents

  • What Should Primary PSHE Resources Include?
  • What Should PSHE Resources Cover?
  • PSHE Resources for KS1
  • PSHE Resources for KS2
  • Free PSHE Resources for Primary Schools
  • PSHE Resources for SEND Pupils
  • PSHE Lesson Plans and Schemes
  • Comparing PSHE Schemes and Resources
  • Supporting Staff to Teach PSHE Confidently
  • How to Choose PSHE Resources for Your School
  • Auditing Your Current PSHE Resources
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • What to Prioritise in a PSHE Resource Review
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What Should Primary PSHE Resources Include?

In practice, a PSHE resource needs to work at two levels: it must be usable in the classroom and it must contribute to the planned curriculum. A polished worksheet is of little value if the learning intention is unclear or the content sits outside the school’s sequence.

For class teachers, look for a clear learning intention, age-appropriate vocabulary, purposeful tasks and enough guidance to manage discussion safely. Pupils should not be expected to disclose personal experiences. Scenarios, stories, role play and carefully framed questions allow children to explore sensitive issues without making the lesson personal.

For PSHE leads and SLT, the question is whether individual lessons build towards something. It should be possible to see where key knowledge is introduced, where it is revisited and how expectations increase from one year group to the next. Repetition can be useful in PSHE, but it should deepen understanding rather than simply repeat the same activity.

If either side is missing, problems appear quickly: teachers either struggle to use the resource or subject leaders cannot explain how it contributes to progression.
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What Should PSHE Resources Cover?

pshe resources kit
In England, Relationships Education is compulsory in primary schools and Health Education is compulsory in state-funded primary schools. Most schools teach this through PSHE alongside wider content such as economic wellbeing, personal safety, community responsibility and preparation for later life.

The Department for Education’s revised statutory RSHE guidance applies from 1 September 2026. For the 2026/27 academic year, PSHE leads should check that curriculum maps and lesson materials reflect the revised guidance rather than relying on older mapping alone.

A balanced primary PSHE curriculum will usually include:

• Physical and mental health
• Feelings and emotional wellbeing
• Families, friendships and respectful relationships
• Personal safety and seeking help
• Online safety and digital life
• Healthy routines and changing bodies
• Economic wellbeing and money
• Community, responsibility and wider life skills

A list of topics is not the same as progression. Subject leaders should be able to show how knowledge, vocabulary and the complexity of scenarios increase over time. If pupils complete a very similar friendship or feelings lesson every year, coverage may look secure on paper while progression remains weak.

Muse Wellbeing’s PSHE topics guide gives a fuller breakdown of the main areas commonly taught across primary schools.
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PSHE Resources for KS1

In KS1, the strongest resources are concrete, visual and closely linked to pupils’ everyday experiences. Children are still developing the language needed to talk about emotions, relationships and safety, so abstract ideas are usually better introduced through stories, pictures, simple scenarios and structured class discussion.

Typical KS1 PSHE learning includes recognising feelings, building friendships, asking for help, staying safe and developing healthy routines. Children can also begin to use simple language around personal boundaries, trusted adults and asking permission.

At this stage, simple tasks often work best. A picture prompt, short story or carefully modelled scenario can produce better discussion than a worksheet with large amounts of reading and writing.

Teacher notes should be concise and practical: what pupils need to learn, any vocabulary to introduce, likely misconceptions and where discussion needs careful handling.
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PSHE Resources for KS2

Across KS2 classrooms, PSHE needs to become more demanding as pupils’ experiences and independence develop. Mental health, online safety, peer pressure, puberty, respectful relationships, body image, risk and economic wellbeing all require greater depth and more thoughtful discussion.

In lower KS2, pupils can work through scenarios involving misunderstandings, friendship difficulties, pressure from others and choices with consequences. The expectation should move beyond knowing a rule towards explaining why it matters and how it might apply in a particular situation.

By upper KS2, resources should support more nuanced thinking around stereotypes, respectful disagreement, changing relationships, media influence and decision-making about money or online behaviour. Puberty teaching should use accurate vocabulary and sit within a clear sequence, rather than appearing as an isolated Year 6 topic.

For individual lesson resources, the PSHE Association’s guidance and Quality Mark offer a useful benchmark. The Quality Mark applies to resources that meet its evidence-based principles for safe and effective PSHE; it is not an endorsement of a whole-school scheme.
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Free PSHE Resources for Primary Schools

Free resources are useful when they meet a specific need: filling a gap, updating a topic or giving a teacher a stronger way into a difficult area.

The Oak National Academy provides free, sequenced RSHE (PSHE) units for primary schools, including KS1 and KS2 materials updated for the 2026 guidance. The PSHE Association publishes guidance and individual lesson resources, while NHS and other public-sector materials can supplement specific areas of health and wellbeing.

For a PSHE lead, the important check is where that resource sits in the school’s sequence. One excellent free lesson does not create progression across Years 1 to 6, and adding isolated downloads over time can make provision harder to map.

Muse Wellbeing currently provides its full primary PSHE and RSE curriculum free of charge until September 2028. The curriculum includes 216 planned lessons across Years 1 to 6, with lesson plans, slides and supporting resources organised as a whole-school sequence.

Use free material deliberately: map it to an identified gap or place it within an agreed unit. Avoid building provision around whichever worksheet happens to be easiest to find.
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PSHE Resources for SEND Pupils

For pupils with SEND, accessibility needs to be considered from the start rather than added once the lesson is written. Reading-heavy worksheets, extended writing and fast-paced discussion can all create unnecessary barriers in PSHE.

Useful adjustments may include visual prompts, simplified language, reduced writing demands, structured choices, repeated key vocabulary and alternative ways for pupils to show understanding. These should support access to the same core learning rather than turn PSHE into a separate task for pupils with SEND.

Also consider whether the concept itself needs breaking into smaller steps. A pupil may understand a safety rule in a familiar example but need further modelling and repetition before applying the same idea to a new situation.

The PSHE Association’s 2026 Planning Framework for Pupils with SEND is a useful reference point for sequencing and adapting PSHE. Schools should still use professional judgement so that resources reflect pupils’ communication needs, levels of understanding and maturity.
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PSHE Lesson Plans and Schemes

pshe resources Muse
Lesson plans and schemes serve different purposes. A lesson plan supports the teacher with one session; a scheme shows how learning is sequenced across a term, year group or whole school.

Schools need both: enough detail for teachers to deliver lessons confidently and a clear overview of coverage and progression. Subject leaders therefore need to review more than the quality of individual lessons. They also need a whole-school view of sequence, coverage and progression across Years 1 to 6.

When reviewing a scheme, check whether teachers can see what pupils should know by the end of each lesson or unit, whether learning becomes more sophisticated between year groups and whether important content is revisited at sensible points.

Muse Wellbeing’s PSHE and RSE scheme of work provides one example of a fully sequenced approach. Schools comparing different schemes may also find a primary PSHE curriculum review useful before changing provision.
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Comparing PSHE Schemes and Resources

When SLT or a PSHE lead reviews a new scheme, attractive slides, price and the size of the resource bank should not be the deciding factors.

Compare the areas that affect provision in practice: progression, statutory coverage, lesson design, SEND accessibility, teacher workload and how easily the scheme can be adapted to the school’s context.

If replacing an established scheme, be clear about the reason for change. A newer resource bank is not automatically an improvement if the current issue is staff confidence, weak implementation or inconsistent curriculum time.

If your school is considering a change, our comparison of Jigsaw, 1decision, SCARF and Muse Wellbeing sets out some of the structural differences between established primary PSHE schemes.
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Supporting Staff to Teach PSHE Confidently

A well-designed scheme still depends on staff confidence.

Teachers need to understand the purpose of the lesson, the language they should use and how to respond when sensitive or unexpected questions arise. Consistent ground rules give pupils clear expectations around respectful discussion, privacy and personal disclosure.

This does not require lengthy CPD. A focused staff session can be enough to agree common routines, clarify safeguarding procedures and identify topics where colleagues need more support.

For a PSHE lead, implementation is part of curriculum quality. A strong long-term plan will not have the intended impact if delivery varies significantly between classes or year groups.
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How to Choose PSHE Resources for Your School

When reviewing resources, judge them by how they will work across a normal school year, not by how impressive they look in a demonstration.

Start with progression. Can you see how knowledge and vocabulary develop between year groups, or are pupils simply revisiting the same themes at a similar level?

Then look at classroom usability. A class teacher should be able to understand the intended learning quickly and deliver the lesson within a normal school week. Resources that demand too much preparation are less likely to be used consistently.

Consider staff confidence as well. Sensitive content may need stronger teacher notes, suggested language, safeguarding reminders or carefully chosen question prompts.

Check inclusion and SEND. Pupils should be able to access the intended learning even where literacy, communication or maturity levels vary within the class.

Finally, look at whole-school fit. Leaders should be able to map the resources against the curriculum, explain the approach to parents and governors and adapt materials where the school’s context requires it.
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Auditing Your Current PSHE Resources

pshe resources topics
Before buying or replacing a scheme, audit what staff are actually teaching. Schools often have more usable material than they realise, but it may be unevenly distributed or poorly mapped.

Collect the resources teachers actually use and map them by year group and theme. This usually makes repeated lessons, progression gaps and areas that rely too heavily on assemblies or one-off events much easier to spot.

Use the audit to decide what should be kept, adapted or replaced. Priorities might include a clearer lesson structure, better vocabulary progression, stronger SEND adaptations or additional guidance for sensitive topics.

For ongoing monitoring, keep evidence proportionate. A curriculum map, progression overview, occasional lesson drop-ins, staff feedback and appropriate pupil voice should give a PSHE lead enough information without creating evidence for its own sake.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are PSHE resources?

In a primary school, PSHE resources include the materials used to plan and teach personal, social, health and economic education. These might include lesson plans, slides, worksheets, scenario cards, curriculum maps, assessment activities, assemblies, displays and staff guidance.

What are the best PSHE resources for primary schools?

There is no single best resource for every school. What matters is whether the materials are age-appropriate, clearly sequenced, safe to teach and realistic for staff to use consistently. PSHE leads should also check progression and whether materials can be adapted for their own pupils.

Are free PSHE resources enough for a whole-school curriculum?

They can support a whole-school curriculum, but only if they are mapped into a coherent sequence. A collection of good downloads does not automatically provide progression from Year 1 to Year 6, so subject leaders still need to check for gaps and unnecessary repetition.

What should PSHE lessons include?

A well-planned PSHE lesson should have a clear learning intention, agreed ground rules, age-appropriate vocabulary and structured opportunities for pupils to apply what they have learnt. Activities should not depend on children sharing private or personal experiences.

How often should schools review their PSHE resources?

A light-touch review each year is usually sufficient, particularly when statutory guidance or school priorities change. A fuller review is appropriate when progression is unclear, staff confidence is uneven or the existing scheme is no longer meeting pupils’ needs.
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What to Prioritise in a PSHE Resource Review

A PSHE review should finish with clear actions: what to keep, what to adapt, what to stop using and where genuine gaps remain. That is more useful than replacing a whole scheme simply because parts of the current provision feel dated.

For primary schools, the main checks are progression, statutory coverage, safe teaching, SEND accessibility and realistic classroom delivery. For 2026/27, resource mapping should also reflect the revised statutory RSHE guidance from September 2026.

Start with the weakest part of current provision. If progression is unclear, fix the sequence. If staff confidence is uneven, strengthen teacher guidance and CPD. If pupils with SEND cannot access the lesson as intended, adapt the teaching approach. Move to a new whole-school scheme only when the problem genuinely sits with the scheme itself.

Muse Wellbeing provides a complete primary PSHE and RSE curriculum across Years 1 to 6, with 216 ready-to-use lessons available free to schools until September 2028. Schools can review the curriculum to see how lesson content, resources and progression are organised across the primary phase.

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