Last updated: 30 Oct 2007

Promoting positive behaviour

Personal, social and health education (PSHE) promotes pupils' personal, social and emotional development, as well as their health and wellbeing. It helps to give children the knowledge and skills they need to lead confident, healthy and independent lives. It aims to help them understand how they are developing personally and socially, and tackles many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up.

Benefits for pupils

PSHE is a non-statutory part of the curriculum, but many schools choose to teach it because they find their pupils benefit from learning how to lead healthy lifestyles, manage their feelings and build positive relationships, PSHE promotes positive behaviour, mutual respect and self-awareness.

In this section:

• Information on PSHE ages 3-5 | ages 5-7 | ages 7-11
• support and guidance for teachers
• end-of-key-stage descriptions for key stages 1 and 2