Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) is central to our mission of nurturing confident, resilient and well-rounded pupils. Our PSHE curriculum supports children in understanding themselves, building healthy relationships and developing the skills they need to thrive both in school and in the wider world.
We follow the Connect PSHE Curriculum, a carefully sequenced programme designed to empower children with the knowledge, vocabulary and emotional understanding needed to make positive choices. 
A Research-Informed Curriculum
What makes Connect truly unique is that its termly themes are rooted in psychological wellbeing research, based on the work of Dr Geetanjali Basarkod. Her research expanded on the New Economics Foundation’s Five Ways to Wellbeing and demonstrated that psychologically healthy people tend to engage in six key behaviours. Our curriculum is built around these six pathways:
Connecting with others – building healthy and supportive relationships.
Challenging oneself – striving to learn and grow.
Giving to others – showing kindness and helping those around us.
Exercising – staying active to support mental and physical wellbeing.
Embracing the moment – interacting mindfully with thoughts and feelings.
Self-care – looking after oneself through healthy habits, sleep and routines.
Alongside these, Connect is also based on a psychological model called DNA-V, which stands for Discoverer, Noticer, Advisor and Values. Research shows that children’s emotional resilience improves significantly when they develop these four skills. The DNA-V framework helps children understand the roles these skills play in how they see themselves, how they navigate the social world, and how they make choices that align with who they want to be. DNA-V exercises are woven throughout the Connect curriculum to help pupils build strong, adaptable and confident identities.
Embedding the Advisor Role
As an extension of School Council, Marshfield pupils have volunteered to become Connect Advisors who play a crucial role in supporting their fellow students. They embody the ‘Advisor’ role from our Connect PSHE curriculum, offering friendship, guidance and thoughtful decision-making support to anyone in need. Keep an eye out for their special green uniforms as they patrol the playgrounds at lunch and break times.
PSHE at Marshfield is practical, inclusive and meaningful. Lessons include role-play, storytelling, discussion circles, scenario problem-solving and opportunities for real-world application. The Connect scheme provides high-quality resources and guidance, while teachers tailor lessons to the needs of their pupils.
Our curriculum is further strengthened by:
weekly personal development assemblies linked to wellbeing and values
School Council and leadership opportunities promoting pupil voice
safeguarding and online safety education
British Values and Protected Characteristics woven throughout learning
pastoral support from the Assistant Head Teacher and mental health team
strong partnerships with families
PSHE in EYFS
In Early Years, PSHE is embedded throughout everyday routines and play. It is mapped closely to the Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) area of the EYFS framework. With support from the Connect curriculum, children learn to:
manage their emotions
play cooperatively
develop friendships
solve small conflicts
become increasingly independent
understand how to care for themselves and others
This strong foundation prepares them for the Connect curriculum in Key Stage 1.
