The PSHE Curriculum in Key Stage 2

The Key Stage 2 (KS2) PSHE curriculum is designed to deepen students’ knowledge of wellbeing and key topics such as mental and physical health, global issues, digital citizenship and finances, preparing them for secondary school and beyond. The KS2 PSHE curriculum is vital for safeguarding children and supporting their growth and development as they approach many transitional phases in their lives.

What is the PSHE Curriculum?

The PSHE curriculum covers learning across the topics of  personal, social, health and economic education. This subject helps children stay safe and healthy whilst preparing them for life in modern Britain and the wider global community.

PSHE has a significant impact on the physical and mental wellbeing of children, as well as supporting their achievement and attainment throughout school. The Department for Education (DfE) has emphasized that PSHE is “an important and necessary part of all pupils’ education.”

PSHE as a standalone subject is not compulsory, though many parts of PSHE became mandatory in 2020 and these parts are now referred to in similar terms as either RE, RSE or RSHE (relationships, sex and health education).

PSHE plays a crucial role in safeguarding within schools and helps keep children safe in the wider community. It equips them with the skills to make informed decisions that can affect them for the rest of their lives, ultimately helping them thrive in both education and the broader world.

PSHE in Key Stage 2 (KS2)

PSHE is taught throughout primary school, but in KS2, the foundations laid in KS1 are put into practice as children grow older and prepare for secondary school. It’s a time when many students may notice changes in themselves or their friends and naturally become more curious about the world around them. The Key Stage 2 PSHE curriculum is crucial for helping children navigate these changes and understand what lies ahead.

The Muse Wellbeing PSHE curriculum KS2 follows a progressive set of learning objectives to help children understand relationships, their mental and physical health, the digital world, global awareness, careers, and financial literacy as well as many other well-being topics. 

While PSHE is important in all primary school year groups, KS2 is when students become more self-aware, making these lessons more vital than ever. As students progress through primary school, they experience changes in relationships and their bodies, become more computer literate, and face online dangers that could have real life consequences. They also begin dealing with the range of emotions stemming from the onset of puberty. It can be a challenging time for many children, but the Key Stage 2 PSHE curriculum is designed to help them navigate this potentially difficult period with confidence, reflection and support.

Understanding PSHE and RSE Lessons

In 2020, the Children and Social Work Act made large parts of the PSHE curriculum compulsory. These mandatory topics became known as RSE. The Act made Relationships Education compulsory in primary schools and Relationships and Sex Education compulsory in secondary schools. Health Education (mental and physical) also became mandatory from key stage 1 to 4. Primary schools can incorporate some sex education in their lessons as long as it’s age-appropriate.

There is still an expectation for schools to teach non-mandatory PSHE topics such as careers, digital citizenship, and economic wellbeing. Most schools now offer a comprehensive PSHE curriculum that encompasses compulsory relationship and health topics (RSE) alongside other PSHE subjects for a well-rounded curriculum.

Ofsted now places a greater focus on RSE during school inspections because of the impact it can have on safeguarding. This is also why parents do not have the right to withdraw their child from relationships or health education. However, they can request that their child be withdrawn from sex education. Parents have a right to request access to any materials used in PSHE and RSE lessons and a PSHE policy should be created with parental consultation. 

Muse Wellbeing: KS2 PSHE Curriculum

Muse Wellbeing is a PSHE scheme of work that provides fully planned and resourced PSHE and RSE lessons for schools. The comprehensive PSHE and RSE primary school curriculum covers a wide range of topics from wellbeing and mental and physical health to digital citizenship, positive relationships and economic wellbeing.

Below you can find an overview of learning topics within our KS2 PSHE curriculum. Each year group’s learning objectives and topics are built upon to provide progressive and age-appropriate lessons and activities.

PSHE in Year 3

The Muse Wellbeing PSHE curriculum KS2 can be broken down into the following six topics in year 3:

• Mental and Physical Health: Understanding the importance of mental and physical health, including balanced diets, regular exercise, and personal hygiene and the impact these can have. Students will start to recognise that mental health is a part of everyday life.
• Emotional Awareness: Exploring a range of emotions and why they might be experiencing certain feelings, self-worth, why it’s important to express feelings and strategies for dealing with peer pressure and bullying.
• Family and Relationships: Recognizing diverse family structures and respecting that other children’s families may look different from theirs. The characteristics of positive friendships and respectful communication and how these can be used to build and maintain new friendships.
• Digital and Environmental Awareness: Learning about digital identity, online safety, and how the digital world positively and negatively impacts well-being, pollution, and global issues.
• Community and Citizenship: Understanding community roles and how they impact everyone in the area, responsibilities, and the benefits of a diverse society and the range of religions within that.
• Personal Development: Setting goals, expressing and explaining opinions, and understanding the morality of actions.

PSHE in Year 4

The Muse Wellbeing PSHE curriculum KS2 can be broken down into the following six topics in year 4:

• Mental and Physical Health: Understanding that people can be mentally ill, making healthy choices, and recognising the effects of habits, diet, and physical well-being on overall health. Develop strategies for discussing when they feel mentally or physically unwell.
• Relationships and Consent: Navigating friendships, understanding consent, and managing conflict and changes in relationships. Children will learn to recognise when friendships and relationships aren’t benefiting their well-being.
• Digital Safety: Learning about digital footprints and the lasting effect they can have, creating strong passwords for safety, why age restrictions exist in the online world and communicating safely online.
• Community and Diversity: Celebrating diversity, understanding British values and how they build strong communities, and exploring global citizenship and social issues in their local area.
• Human Rights and Global Issues: Understanding human rights and respecting other people’s lives in different settings, pandemics, plastic pollution, and stereotypes.
• Financial Literacy and Responsibility: Understanding the role of money and its worth, budgeting, and taking responsible risks in new activities.

PSHE in Year 5

The Muse Wellbeing PSHE curriculum KS2 can be broken down into the following six topics in year 5:

• Advanced Wellbeing and Mental Health: How to maintain their mental well-being, strategies for coping with loss and grief, and understanding the importance of balanced physical and mental health.
• Informed Lifestyle Choices: Knowing the effects of nutrition, physical activity, and drug use on health, understanding personal choices for their health and recognising the risks of inactivity.
• Complex Relationships and Boundaries: How to offer support for healthy friendships, understanding when to set boundaries in friendships, and understanding gender roles and puberty, highlighting that people can identify as different genders and understanding the major stages of puberty
• Digital Safety and Responsible Use: Knowing how to find a ‘media balance’ with screen time, how to stop cyberbullying, safe online interactions, and understanding the impact of technology use on well-being.
• Civic Responsibility and Global Awareness: Understanding the characteristics of a democracy, environmental issues, sustainable development goals, and the role of community service locally and globally and how this can be applied to develop the school environment
• Financial Literacy and Future Planning: Builds on financial knowledge and furthers budgeting skills, recognising different economic circumstances around the world, building on creativity, communication and collaboration for future careers.

PSHE in Year 6

The Muse Wellbeing PSHE curriculum KS2 can be broken down into the following six topics in year 6:

• Emotional Resilience and Mental Health: Students learn to assess their emotions and seek support when necessary, understanding that emotions and their intensity vary over time and ways to maintain mental well-being.
• Physical Health and Self-Care: Understanding male and female reproductive organs, the importance of hygiene during puberty, and the impact of substances on mental and physical health. Students are taught to make informed decisions about their physical well-being.
• Digital Safety and Responsible Online Behavior: Explores the risks of screen addiction, social media, and staying safe during digital interactions. Students begin to understand the benefits and risks of social media.
• Family Dynamics and Relationships: Students should know that there are many different family structures, the curriculum supports understanding and respecting all types of families from foster parents and same-sex families, recognising the different commitments adults can make to each other.
• Civic Awareness and Global Issues: Introduces human rights and the effect they have locally and globally, recognising different environmental crises, migration, and global conflicts. Students are encouraged to think critically about these issues and their impact on themselves and others.
• Career and Future Planning: Prepares students for future employment by exploring different career paths, the importance of role models, and the value of community involvement, students will also spend time discussing the transition to secondary school. 

How Often Should PSHE be Taught in Primary Schools?

PSHE should be given regular curriculum time and is ideally taught at least once a week. Muse Wellbeing can help schools meet this target as they provide 216 weekly lessons for years 1-6. The pre-planned and fully resourced lessons meet and exceed the 2020 DfE guidelines to provide a comprehensive PSHE curriculum delivering lessons on RSE, PSHE, and other well-being topics.

Schools are free to decide how they deliver PSHE lessons as long as RSE is covered. The PSHE curriculum can be altered to suit the needs of the school community but mandatory RSE topics must be taught. 

PSHE lessons should feature on class timetables with enough time allocated for discussions, completing engaging learning activities, and learning objectives to be met. Although schools are free to tailor PSHE to their needs, it should be kept in mind when deciding how often PSHE should be taught at KS2 that many of the topics can raise a lot of questions from students. Adequate time should be set aside to ensure children can ask questions and fully understand the topics being discussed.

Muse Wellbeing: PSHE Scheme of Work

All Muse Wellbeing key stage 2 PSHE curriculum lessons come with lesson plans, lesson slides, learning resources, and differentiated materials for SEND pupils and those working above the expected level. There are also extra resources such as Muse Wellbeing videos where needed to support and deepen students’ learning. 

Muse Wellbeing makes delivering a comprehensive PSHE curriculum easy, fun and engaging for both teachers and students. All resources included in the Muse subscription have been created by teachers, well-being advocates and educational creatives to nurture the growth of resilient and caring students in all schools.

Schools have unlimited access to over 216 lessons for Years 1 – 6 with accompanying learning resources and lesson guides. There are also automatic updates to any course materials and ongoing support from the Muse Wellbeing team.