1. Social, Personal and Health Education

2. Overall Aim To become familiar with Social, Personal and Health Education in general and with the primary school curriculum for SPHE in particular and to understand its importance in the personal development and well being of the child

4. Education Act
A recognised school shall.....promote the moral, spiritual, social and personal development of students and provide health education for them in consultation with their parents, having regard to the characteristic spirit of the school.                         Education Act,1998,9.(c)

5. Definition of SPHE
Social, personal and health education (SPHE) provides particular opportunities to foster the personal development, health and well-being of the individual child, to help him/her to create and maintain supportive relationships and become an active and responsible citizen in society.
Curriculum Statement, pg.2

6. Definition of SPHE
Through an SPHE programme that is planned and consistent throughout the school, children can develop a framework of values, attitudes, understanding and skills that will inform their decisions and actions both now and in the future.

7. Characteristics of SPHE
Life long process
Shared responsibility
Generic framework
Based on the needs, interests of the child
Spiral in nature
Developed in a combination of ways
Role of the teacher is crucial
Active engagement in learning
SPHE Teacher Guidelines p.5
….within a moral and spiritual framework……Education Act.

8. Strands of the SPHE curriculum
Notes on Slide 2 to cover

9. Strands and strand units
Myself
Self identity
Self-awareness
Developing self-confidence
Making decisions
Taking care of my body
Health and well-being
Knowing about my body
Food and nutrition
Growing and changing
As I grow I change
New life
Feelings and emotions
Safety and protection
Personal safety
Safety issues

10. Strands and strand units
Myself and Others
Myself and my family
My friends and other people
Relating to others

11. Strands and strand units
Myself and the wider world
Developing citizenship
My school community
Living in the local community
National, European and wider communities
Environmental care
Media Education

12. Exploring Objectives
“Consider particular ideas or activities which you could use in relation to your objective”

13. A whole school approach to S.P.H.E.
Creating a positive climate

14. Three contexts for learning
A positive school climate and atmosphere.
Discrete S.P.H.E. time.
An integrated approach.

15. Appropriate strategies for creating a positive climate and atmosphere
Building effective communication within the school.
Catering for individual needs.
Creating a health-promoting physical environment.

16. Appropriate strategies for creating a positive climate and atmosphere
Developing democratic process
Enhancing self-esteem.
Fostering respect for human and cultural diversity.

17. Appropriate strategies for creating a positive climate and atmosphere
Fostering inclusive and respectful language.
Developing appropriate communication between home and school.
Developing a whole school approach to assessment.

18. T.A.T.T.
T……Tiny
A……..Achievable
T……..Tickable
T…….Targets

19. Integrated Approach Discrete time Active Learning Strategies
SPHE
Integrated Approach
Discrete time
Active Learning Strategies

20. Suggested minimum weekly time framework
Language
L hrs
L hrs 30mins.
Maths hrs
SESE hrs
SPHE mins
PE hr
Arts ed hrs
Discretionary curr. Time 2hrs

21. Discrete SPHE time – time allocated specifically for teaching some elements of the SPHE programme
30 minutes per week
Flexibility – 1 hour per fortnight
When we talk about discrete time for SPHE we are referring to particular time allocated to it as a subject.In the case of SPHE this means 30 minutes a week .However there is flexibility around how we use this time .For example we may decide to arrange a block of time such as an hour a fortnight in order to adequately engage the class with a specific topic.Take for instance if you were covering a topic like Media Education it might involve the children in project work followed by processing what they have learned and this would certainly take up an hour.On the other hand an objective from Feelings and Emotions explored through Circle Time might only require 30minutes.
Open your Teacher Guidelines on p. 9(Slide 4) and we will have a look at the Overview of content for SPHE.It is important to note that it is not expected that every strand unit be confined to that 30 minute slot in the week.Many aspects of SPHE can be dealt with in a cross-curricular manner while others will benefit from the discrete time.In planning it will be important for the teacher to decide how these two approches can be used effectively to implement the curriculum.To illustrate this the Guidelines give us a number of exemplars.

22. Topic:Food and Nutrition
See page 43 of the teacher guidelines
Have a look at p.43 to see how Food and Nuitrition is dealt with(go through subjects mentioned using Slide 5).Now go back to p.9 and ask yourself which of the strand units cannot be taught in a cross-curricular way.(Either Brainstorm or take Oral feedback -You might want to use Slides 6,7 and 8 for this)The most likely to be mentioned will be Personal Safety,New Life Growing and Changing and Taking Care of my Body.Some must be done in Discrete Time because they may have school policies indicating procedures which may involve parent or teacher opt-out or Visiting speakers.Some areas will have the added back-up of resourced material such as RSE,Stay Safe and Walk Tall but it is important in planning around these topics we look closely at the specific objectives in the curriculum statement and match lessons to them.They may not all require Discrete timeE.G. Curr.Statement p.41 Birth and New Life obj.3.

23. Active learning activity “Treasure Island”
Appreciating that it is just after lunch and the intake of food can lead to an almost hypnotic contentment if you are allowed to sit down comfortably for too long,so we are going to move on to an activity now.
All of you have won a trip to an uninhabited Treasure Island and you will stay there for four full days. You have a list of equipment/supplies you can bring with you. Please list the items you wish to bring with you on the sheet provided. Hill walking and mountaineering are tremendous activities to develop fitness but we have to be very careful to treat our backs with care. Therefore, no-one can carry a rucksack which weighs more than 20 Kg. You can have less than 20 Kg of equipment and supplies in your pack but please make sure that:
You will be warm
You will be safe in strange terrain and a change of weather
You will have enough food and water. A compulsory food ration of 0.8 Kg has been included in your pack. You must add to it but not reduce it. Water must be brought but you decide on the volume. Each litre of water weighs one kilogramme.
Personal hygiene and comfort are important – there are no modern conveniences on the island – free of the trappings of tourism despite the spectacular beauty.
You can ask me questions at any time – I want everyone to listen to the question asked and the answer given. We will all learn from each other.
Facilitate open discussion – anticipating that the individuals will begin to form groups and develop strategies towards decision making.
This activity has been linked to the Strand “Myself” and the Strand Unit “Making Decisions”.See page 60 of the Curriculum Statement - SPHE
The content objective is:
The child should be enabled to discuss and practise a simple decision-making strategy
Pausing and thinking
Identifying the important facts and moral questions about the problem
Considering the possible consequences and solutions
Weighing up the advantages and disadvantages
Taking the decision
Reflecting on choice or decision
Ask the group to reflect on the activity to see if they “engaged” onto any of these decision-making strategies.
Discuss the opportunities to integrate with other subjects. These could be recorded on a chart.
What we have just done is experience Active Learning first-hand.This is the recommended approach for an effective SPHE programme.We are going to spend a while exploring what the concept of Active Learning is all about.Onto Slide 10

24. Defining feature of the curriculum
……accords equal importance to what the child learns and to the process by which he or she learns it.
Page 10 of the Introductory Documents
You may remember from your Introduction to the curriculum that it is based on a philosophy and psychology of teaching and learning that incorporates the most advanced educational theory and practice. Equal importance is given to what the child learns and to the process by which he or she learns it. The curriculum articulates not only the content, and the outcomes but a wide range of approaches to learning. The approach which is recommended for S.P.H.E. is Active Learning. In the past what types of approaches were taken when it came to education on societal issues, eg. alcohol, nutrition, diet, drugs? Let’s pause for a moment and think of our own experience.
What is our own experience?…..
……Just give me the facts ma’am.(We told children to pick up the litter in the yard,to eat healthy lunches,to be kind,to respect each other
……Scare them to death.
……It happened to me, don’t let it happen to you.
…...High-tech presentations.
Did any of this change their behaviour / attitudes / values in the long term, perhaps short term?
Active learning is essential to the S.P.H.E. programme. Through it, children can explore issues, acquire relevant information and development skills that are relevant to the personal and health dimensions of their lives. This programme is broader than information. We will also be looking at the area of skills, attitudes and values. As they engage in these processes and work together, they begin to internalise what they have learned and are able to transfer it to situations they encounter in everyday living. So in order to make and informed decision,
“ It must become part of who they are”
It contributes to fostering self-confidence, self-discipline and self-control.
What does active learning involve?

25. Active Learning Is a process
Can be carried out by individuals or in groups
Engages children at different levels
Promotes action
Active learning as a process:
Begin from what they already know
Explore possibilities
Question
Draw conclusions
Reflect outcomes
It is essential that children are given the opportunity to progress through the various stages of the process in order that they can make sense of the learning for themselves and make new connections
Can be carried out by individual children or in group situations and in all age groups:
..particular emphasis on small-group activities yet recognising that on occasions individual activities might be the most appropriate to the objectives set by the teacher.
Engages children at different levels:
Physical level: - making, constructing, designing – standing up or changing place as a response
Emotional level: - explore feelings about a topic, hypothesise or give opinions about a topic.
Cognitive level: - analysing, questioning, reflecting, negotiating, summarising.
If children engage at these levels, it can lead to increased motivation and maximise understanding.
Promotes action:
Transfer learning to everyday encounters
Health related activities – live them
Take steps to becoming responsible citizens

26. Active learning Places children at the centre of the learning process
Requires the teacher to guide and direct the work
Requires an atmosphere of trust and support
Places children at the centre of the learning process:
Activities relate as much as possible to the environment and lives of the children
That implies that issues explored are relevant and linked to the child’s own experience
Teacher to guide and direct the work:
Teacher as a guide, facilitator and a resource. Provide a wide variety of strategies in order to cater for the individual needs and to help all children to experience some success.
Atmosphere of trust and support:
Children to feel secure – able to give their own point of view. Know that they are respected as individuals, opinions are valued and taken into account.

27. By engaging children actively in learning ……
There is a greater chance that they will………
See page 54 of the teacher guidelines

28. Experience and discover the learning for themselves
Construct new meanings and acquire new understandings
Take increasing responsibility for their own learning
Simple narration of bulleted points with possible reference to the picture.

29. Make their own of the learning and internalise what has been learned
Become more critical and discerning
Be able to transfer the learning to different situations
Simple narration of bulleted points with possible reference to the picture.

30. Ways of engaging children in the learning process
Drama

31. Ways of engaging children in the learning process
Cooperative Games

32. Ways of engaging children in the learning process
Pictures/Images/Photographs

33. Ways of engaging children in the learning process
Discussion

34. Ways of engaging children in the learning process
Written Activities

35. Ways of engaging children in the learning process
Stories

36. Ways of engaging children in the learning process
Music

37. Ways of engaging children in the learning process
Information and Communication Technology.

38. Key messages.
SPHE lessons can be covered in a cross-curricular way or through Discrete time
Essential that a strategy is clearly linked to a content objective
Need to actively engage children
(Slides 19,20)As we approach the end of this session these are the key messages we have looked at.
Over the course of the whole day we have hopefully clarified for you what is meant by SPHE and how it pervades not only classroom practce but also our whole school environment.I would ask you to reflect for a few moments on some of the things we have talked about and write down one idea you might take into school with you from today.(This is something private ,not for sharing)It is important for you to remember that today was the first of two days devoted to SPHE and you don’t have to worry about planning in a formal way.
I would like to leave you with this thought