Modeligo National School SPHE Policy

Introductory Statement

The staff of Scoil Mhuire Má Dheilge formulated this school plan for SPHE, in consultation with our Board of Management.

Rationale

Aspects of SPHE have been taught in Scoil Mhuire Má Dheilge for many years through various programmes and initiatives such as Stay Safe, Walk Tall and Relationships and Sexuality Education. It has also been taught through integration with other subject areas such as Physical Education, Religion, Geography etc.

Here, we formalise our teaching of SPHE and plan for it on a whole school basis.

Vision

SPHE in our school will:

Foster children's well-being, self-confidence and sense of belonging
Develop children's sense of personal responsibility for their own behaviour and actions
Promote children's self-awareness and understanding by helping them to manage their own feelings, to recognise and appreciate individual abilities, and to cope with change of various kinds
Support children to become active and responsible citizens

Aims

The children of Scoil Mhuire Má Dheilge should be enabled to achieve the aims outlined in the SPHE curriculum, which include:

to promote the personal development and well-being of the child
to foster in the child a sense of care and respect for himself/herself and others and an appreciation of the dignity of every human being
to promote the health of the child and provide a foundation for healthy living in all its aspects
to enable the child to make informed decisions and choices about the social, personal and health dimensions of life both now and in the future
to develop in the child a sense of social responsibility, a commitment to active and participative citizenship and an appreciation of the democratic way of life
to enable the child to respect human and cultural diversity and to appreciate and understand the interdependent nature of the world.

Content of Plan

Strands and Strand Units

The curriculum is delineated at four levels — infant classes, first and second classes, third and fourth classes and fifth and sixth classes — and is divided into three strands: Myself, Myself and Others and Myself and the Wider World.

Each of these strands is further subdivided into a number of strand units or topic areas that contain particular objectives.

Scoil Mhuire Má Dheilge will teach aspects of all three major strand units each year and strand units will be chosen in such a way that the child will receive a comprehensive programme in SPHE over a two-year period.

Month	Strand Units — Year One 20/21	Strand Units — Year Two 21/22
Sep / Oct	Relating to Others (Myself and Others)	My Friends and Other People (Myself and Others)
Nov / Dec	Myself and My Family (Myself and Others)	Self-identity (Myself)
Jan / Feb	Growing and Changing (Myself)	Safety and Protection (Myself)
March / April	Taking Care of my Body (Myself); 3rd–6th follow on from Stay Safe; Juniors–2nd Safety Issues from Safety and Protection	Making Decisions (Myself)
May / June	Developing Citizenship (Myself and the Wider World)	Media Education (Myself and the Wider World)

Teaching and Learning Contexts

SPHE will be taught through a combination of the following contexts:

creating a positive school climate and atmosphere
building effective communication within the school
catering for individual needs
creating a health-promoting physical environment
developing democratic processes
enhancing the self-esteem and well-being of members of the school community
fostering respect for diversity
fostering inclusive and respectful language
developing appropriate communication between home and school
developing a school approach to assessment

Discrete Time

SPHE is allocated 30 minutes per week on each teacher's timetable in Scoil Mhuire Má Dheilge. However, teachers may allocate 1 hour per fortnight to allow for more in-depth exploration of a strand unit.

Approaches and Methodologies

Scoil Mhuire Má Dheilge believe that the approaches and methodologies used in SPHE are crucial to the effectiveness of the programme. Active learning is the principal learning and teaching approach recommended for SPHE, therefore we will endeavour to teach SPHE using a variety of strategies which include:

Drama activities
Co-operative games
Use of pictures, photographs and visual images
Written activities
Use of Media
I.T
Projects
Visiting Speakers
Aistear

Assessment

Assessment is a central part of the everyday learning and teaching process in SPHE. It can provide valuable information on the child's progress and on the effectiveness and suitability of the programme and the teaching methods being used. Scoil Mhuire Má Dheilge may use the following recommended informal tools for assessment in SPHE:

Teacher Observation
Teacher Designed Tasks
Self Assessment
Peer Assessment
Conferencing
Stay Safe Materials

Integration

Teachers will endeavour to adopt a thematic approach to SPHE by integrating it with other subject areas such as PLC, Geography, History, Religion, Visual Arts, P.E. etc.

Themes/Projects such as Healthy Eating Week, Friendship Week, Agri-Awareness, Healthy Heart Week, Lenten Campaign, Grandparent's Day, International Women's Day may also be explored.

Children with Different Needs

Teachers will endeavour to adapt and modify activities and methodologies in SPHE to encourage participation by children with special needs. The special education teacher may supplement the work of the class teachers where necessary.

Scoil Mhuire Má Dheilge will liaise with trained professionals/appropriate agencies when dealing with sensitive issues such as bereavement or loss, to ensure that the children involved are fully supported.

Equality of Participation and Access

Scoil Mhuire Má Dheilge recognises and values diversity and believes all children are entitled to access the services, facilities or amenities that are available in the school environment. Ours is a mixed-sex school and we endeavour to challenge traditional stereotypes and ensure that equal opportunities are given to boys and girls to participate in discussion, debate, presentation etc. Scoil Mhuire Má Dheilge is under Roman Catholic patronage and we endeavour to provide for and include members of the travelling community, children with disabilities, family with literacy difficulties and children who are learning English as an additional language.

Supporting Policies

Policies and programmes that support SPHE:

Child Safeguarding Statement
Anti-bullying
Relationships and Sexuality Education
Substance Use
Code of Behaviour
Enrolment
Health and Safety
Healthy Eating
ICT

Programmes

Weekly Assembly
Food Dudes Programme
School Council
GAA 5 Star Programme
Cumann na mBunscol

Homework

SPHE homework, if prescribed, will reflect the active learning approach and will reinforce information already taught during class.

Resources

RSE Manuals
Walk Tall
Stay Safe Programme
Making the Links
My Selfie and the Wider World
Webwise
Associated web material

Guest Speakers

When a guest speaker addresses the children in SPHE, the class teacher will remain in the classroom and make the speaker aware of this school plan and necessary policies.

Individual Teachers' Planning and Reporting

This plan in SPHE and the curriculum documents will inform and guide teachers in their long and short term planning in SPHE. Each teacher will keep a cuntas míosúil and this will inform our progress and needs when evaluating and reviewing our progress in SPHE.

Staff Development

Training opportunities may include the following areas:

Training in the Child Abuse Prevention Programme / Stay Safe
Training in the Substance Misuse Programme / Walk Tall
Training in the Relationships and Sexuality Education Programme / RSE
Training in the Food Dudes healthy eating programme
First Aid Training
Sustainable Energy Training (SEAI)

Parental Involvement

Parental involvement is considered an integral part of implementing SPHE as Scoil Mhuire Má Dheilge believe that SPHE is a shared responsibility. This plan and the curriculum documents are available for parents to inform them of the programme for SPHE. Parental input is both encouraged and welcomed.

Community Links

Scoil Mhuire Má Dheilge believe that the local community has a very important role to play in supporting the programme for SPHE and endeavour to liaise with members such as the Dental Hygienist, Health Nurse, Fireman, Vet, Garda etc.

Success Criteria

The success of this plan will be evaluated through teachers' planning, preparation and assessment. Through assessment, we will be enabled to clearly decipher whether or not the child has achieved the aims and objectives outlined above.

Roles and Responsibilities

Scoil Mhuire Má Dheilge believes that the school community must be involved to successfully implement SPHE. Therefore, the teaching staff will implement this plan with the support of the Board of Management, Parents and the Local Community.

This plan was fully implemented by March 2020 and will be reviewed in June 2022.

Ratification

The Board of Management of Scoil Mhuire Má Dheilge ratified this whole school plan on 27 February 2020.

Chairperson of Board of Management: Sr. Veronica Casey Date: 27 February 2020