Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) is a vital part of our curriculum. We follow the SCARF scheme developed by Coram Life Education, a comprehensive and research informed programme built around the core themes of Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience and Friendship. SCARF provides a consistent, age-appropriate path from Nursery through to Year 6, ensuring children develop the personal skills they need to flourish both in and beyond school.
One of the reasons we value the SCARF scheme so highly is that it moves with the times. It is continually reviewed and updated to reflect the realities of modern society. It addresses topics such as online gaming, digital wellbeing, and most recently the responsible use of AI. This ensures our pupils receive guidance that is relevant and current.
The SCARF scheme is particularly effective because its structure supports clear progression. Unlike more traditional PSHE programmes that rely on isolated, stand-alone lessons, SCARF provides a curriculum where children revisit key themes, such as friendships, emotions, safe choices and personal identity, with increasing depth and maturity as they grow.
Mrs Budd, Deputy Head (Academic and Early Years), explains:
“PSHE is an essential part of our curriculum because it equips children with the knowledge, skills and confidence to navigate real-life situations with empathy, resilience and awareness. It underpins their wellbeing and helps them develop into thoughtful, responsible and kind members of our school community.”
This commitment to ‘Character Education’ also aligns strongly with one of our key school priorities for 2025/26: ‘to foster engaged, responsible citizenship in all our pupils.’ Through SCARF, children learn to understand themselves, respect others, and contribute positively to their wider community.
Across the year, children explore a wide range of PSHE concepts tailored to their developmental stage. Topics include understanding and expressing feelings, forming healthy relationships, celebrating differences, making safe decisions, managing responsibilities, and developing personal strengths. As pupils progress through the school, they also learn about growing and changing, personal safety, cooperation, problem-solving and strategies for maintaining both physical and emotional wellbeing.
PSHE at Forest Prep supports our belief that education should nurture the whole child. Through the SCARF curriculum, we help pupils grow into compassionate, confident and responsible young people, ready to thrive in an ever-changing world.
