Personal and Social Education (PSE) is a component of the state school curriculum

Curriculum

See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...

 in Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

. PSE became a statutory requirement in schools in September 2003, and is compulsory for all student

Student

A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...

s at Key Stage

Key Stage

A Key Stage is a stage of the state education system in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the British Territory of Gibraltar setting the educational knowledge expected of students at various ages...

s 1, 2, 3 and 4 (5 to 16 years old), and shares some similar elements with Personal, Social and Health Education

Personal, Social and Health Education

Personal, social, health and economic education has in various forms been part of the national curriculum for schools in England since 2000. Some aspects, but not all, have been compulsory...

 and citizenship education

Citizenship

Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...

 in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. These include:

• local and global communities
  Community
  The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
  
  
• sex education
  Sex education
  Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
  
  
• spirituality
  Spirituality
  Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
  
  
• morals
• environmental issues
  Environmentalism
  Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
  
  

The PSE Framework

For each Key Stage, learning outcomes for Knowledge & Understanding are set in each of the Aspects (listed below); additionally, learning outcomes for the development of Attitudes & Values and Skills are prescribed across all Aspects. ACCAC

ACCAC

ACCAC was the Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales....

, the curriculum authority for Wales (part of the Welsh Assembly Government

Welsh Assembly Government

The Welsh Government is the devolved government of Wales. It is accountable to the National Assembly for Wales, the legislature which represents the interests of the people of Wales and makes laws for Wales...

 from 1 April 2006), published these in the PSE Framework (2000). While it is not compulsory for schools to use the Framework, they are expected to use schemes of work

Scheme of work

In the UK, a scheme of work is a guideline that defines the structure and content of a course. It maps out clearly how resources and class activities and assessment strategies In the UK, a scheme of work is a guideline that defines the structure and content of a course. It maps out clearly how...

 in order to standardise practice across teacher

Teacher

A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...

s and classes.

Aspects:

• Community
• Emotional
• Environmental
• Learning
• Moral
• Physical
• Sexual
• Social
• Spiritual
• Vocational

External links

• BBC PSHE & Citizenship
• Accac.org, Welsh Assembly Government - Department for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills.
• Swansea PSE News Blog