Build a coherent PSHE curriculum and scheme of work

Start with the end points

Write a small number of end points for each phase: what pupils should know, understand and be able to apply. Keep these separate from activities. “Make a feelings poster” is an activity; “name a range of feelings and explain one safe way to seek support” is an outcome that can guide several activities.

For each end point, record the key vocabulary, prior knowledge and likely misconceptions. This helps teachers see why a lesson appears at that point in the sequence and what pupils should remember from it.

Create a scope and sequence

Group learning into broad strands that make sense for your school, such as health and wellbeing, relationships, living in the wider world, safety, citizenship and economic wellbeing. Decide which ideas need to recur and how the complexity changes as pupils mature. A progression map should reveal both the planned journey and any gaps.

A simple curriculum map can use one row per year or phase and columns for unit, key question, knowledge, vocabulary, assessment and links to earlier or later learning. Use it to spot accidental repetition, missing content and pressure points in the timetable.

• Name each unit’s intended knowledge, not only its topic.
• Sequence ideas from concrete, familiar examples towards more complex decisions.
• Plan revisits for concepts pupils need to retain, such as consent, boundaries, help-seeking and financial choices.
• Mark where statutory relationships and health education content is addressed.

Connect the wider PSHE programme to statutory duties

In England, PSHE education is a broad subject area, while relationships education, relationships and sex education, and health education have statutory guidance. Schools should map those duties clearly within their wider programme and check the current Department for Education guidance when planning or reviewing provision. The revised RSHE guidance came into effect on 1 September 2026.

Do not rely on a topic label to demonstrate coverage. Show the lesson or unit where the knowledge is taught, the year group, how it is revisited and who is responsible for checking the teaching materials. The DfE guidance should be read directly, alongside the school’s relationships education or RSE policy.

Assess learning without assessing personal disclosure

PSHE assessment can check knowledge, vocabulary, reasoning and the ability to choose a safe or effective action in a fictional situation. It should not require pupils to disclose family circumstances, health information, relationships or personal beliefs. Use low-stakes checks during the lesson so teachers can correct misconceptions before they become embedded.

At curriculum level, review examples of pupil work, retrieval checks and teacher observations against the planned outcomes. If pupils cannot explain an idea, revisit the teaching sequence or the materials rather than treating confidence in speaking as proof of understanding.

A termly review routine

A scheme of work needs regular review because statutory guidance, local context and teaching resources change. Each term, ask teachers which outcomes were secure, which needed reteaching, whether the timing allowed safe discussion and whether any source or referral information needs updating. Record the change and its reason so the curriculum remains coherent across classes.