Curricular Studies & Perspectives
ISSN (Online): 3108-6772

Research article    |    Open Access
Curricular Studies & Perspectives 2026, Vol. 2(1) 4-26

PSHE Education in UK Primary Education: Health and Welfare, Relations and Living in a Wider World

Mustafa Şenel

pp. 4 - 26   |  DOI: https://doi.org/10.29329/csp.2026.1433.2

Publish Date: April 30, 2026  |   Single/Total View: 1/0   |   Single/Total Download: 1/0

PDF Download

Abstract

This study systematically examines the core components of the Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) curriculum implemented in primary schools in the United Kingdom, to evaluate the structural integrity, developmental progression and pedagogical orientations of the curriculum within an analytical framework, and to draw conclusions in this direction by revealing the principles of quality practice that support students’ holistic development. The research was conducted based on the document analysis method from qualitative research designs; official curriculum documents, teaching frameworks, and achievement structures were examined through a multi-stage analytical process in terms of content, thematic organisation, developmental continuity, and pedagogical consistency. During the analysis process, the conceptual foundations of the curriculum, the horizontal and vertical alignment of learning areas, the way skills and values are structured according to age levels, and the curriculum's capacity to support students' holistic development were evaluated using a critical synthesis approach. The research findings reveal that the PSHE curriculum offers a holistic and developmentally progressive framework structured under the headings of “Health and Wellbeing,” “Relationships,” and “Living in a Wider World” for the process from nursery to Year 6. Furthermore, it was determined that the curriculum exhibits a progressive structure that supports the integrated development of cognitive, affective, and social skills, and contains a consistent pedagogical progression aimed at developing students' self-awareness, social responsibility, and civic participation skills. This study not only defines the structural characteristics of the PSHE curriculum but also provides a critical evaluation in terms of developmental continuity, pedagogical consistency, and capacity to support holistic development, offering theoretical and practical insights into value-based and skill-focused curriculum design.

Keywords: PSHE, personal, social, health and economic education, British Education Model, skills education, values education

How to Cite this Article?

APA 7th edition
Senel, M. (2026). PSHE Education in UK Primary Education: Health and Welfare, Relations and Living in a Wider World. Curricular Studies & Perspectives, 2(1), 4-26. https://doi.org/10.29329/csp.2026.1433.2

Harvard
Senel, M. (2026). PSHE Education in UK Primary Education: Health and Welfare, Relations and Living in a Wider World. Curricular Studies & Perspectives, 2(1), pp. 4-26.

Chicago 16th edition
Senel, Mustafa (2026). "PSHE Education in UK Primary Education: Health and Welfare, Relations and Living in a Wider World". Curricular Studies & Perspectives 2 (1):4-26. https://doi.org/10.29329/csp.2026.1433.2

References
  1. Benham-Clarke, S., Roberts, G., Janssens, A., & Newlove-Delgado, T. (2023). Healthy relationship education programmes for young people: Systematic review of outcomes. Pastoral Care in Education, 41(3), 266–288. https://doi.org/10.1080/02643944.2023.2187219 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  2. Brown, J., Busfield, R., O’Shea, A., & Sibthorpe, J. (2011). School ethos and personal, social, health education. Pastoral Care in Education, 29(2), 117–128. https://doi.org/10.1080/02643944.2011.573491 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  3. Bryman, A. (2012). Social research methods (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar]
  4. Burns, M. (1995). Writing in math class: A resource for grades 2–8. Math Solutions Publications. [Google Scholar]
  5. Bücker, S., Nuraydin, S., Simonsmeier, B. A., Schneider, M., & Luhmann, M. (2018). Subjective well-being and academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Journal of Research in Personality, 74, 83–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2018.02.007 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  6. Bye-Brooks, N. (2019). Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. In Surviving and thriving in the secondary school (pp. 125–138). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351037143-10 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  7. Central Advisory Council for Education. (1967). Children and their primary schools: The Plowden report. Her Majesty's Stationery Office. https://education-uk.org/documents/plowden/plowden1967-1.html [Google Scholar]
  8. Chester, K., Klemera, E., Magnusson, J., Spencer, N., & Brooks, F. (2019). The role of school-based health education in adolescent spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development. Health Education Journal, 78(5), 582–594. https://doi.org/10.1177/0017896919832341 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  9. Cornerstone Academy Trust. (2025, September 26). PSHE. https://tcat.education/pshe/ [Google Scholar]
  10. Cotton, R. (2016). Delivering high quality personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. British Journal of School Nursing, 11(4), 175–177. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjsn.2016.11.4.175 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  11. Çubukçu, Z., & Gültekin, M. (2006). Social skills that should be acquired by primary school students. Elementary Education Online, 5(2), 23–31. https://www.acarindex.com/pdfler/acarindex-5930-5295.pdf [Google Scholar]
  12. Daniel, S. K., Abdel-Baki, R., & Hall, G. B. (2020). The protective effect of emotion regulation on child and adolescent wellbeing. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 29(7), 2010–2027. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01708-0 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  13. Davies, E. L., & Matley, F. (2020). Teachers and pupils under pressure: UK teachers’ views on the content and format of personal, social, health and economic education. Pastoral Care in Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/02643944.2020.1713868 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  14. Davies, I., Wright, M., Cotton, J., & Davies, I. (2000). Book review: Your life: The complete course for PSHE and citizenship, buying into the 21st century. Living Earth: Ideas into action, from prejudice to genocide: Learning about the Holocaust. https://doi.org/10.2304/csee.2000.4.1.57 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  15. Department for Education. (2017). Policy statement: Relationships education, relationships and sex education, and personal, social, and health and economic education. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/595828/170301_Policy_statement_PSHEv2.pdf [Google Scholar]
  16. Eisenberg, N., & Sulik, M. J. (2012). Emotion-related self-regulation in children. Teaching of Psychology, 39(1), 77–83. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628311430172 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  17. Evans, C., & Evans, B. (2007). More than just worksheets? A study of the confidence of newly qualified teachers of English in teaching personal, social and health education in secondary schools. Pastoral Care in Education, 25(4), 42–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0122.2007.00413.x [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  18. Farrelly, N., Barter, C., & Stanley, N. (2023). Ready for relationships education? Primary school children’s responses to a healthy relationships programme in England. Sex Education, 23(4), 425–441. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2022.2164536 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  19. Gander, M. J., & Gardiner, H. W. (1993). Child and adolescent development (A. Dönmez & N. Dönmez, Trans.). İmge Kitabevi. [Google Scholar]
  20. Garrote, A., Zurbriggen, C. L., & Schwab, S. (2023). Friendship networks in inclusive primary classrooms: Changes and stability related to students’ gender and self-perceived social inclusion. Social Psychology of Education, 26(6), 1479–1497. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-023-09834-9 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  21. Hamre, B. K., & Cappella, E. (2015). Measures of early adolescent development and school contexts. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 35(5–6), 586–596. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431615578275 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  22. Hodge Hill Primary School. (2025, September 26). Why is PSHE education important to schools? https://hodgehillprimary.bham.sch.uk/key-information/curriculum/pshe [Google Scholar]
  23. Holzer, J., Korlat, S., Haider, C., Mayerhofer, M., Pelikan, E., Schober, B., Spiel, C., et al. (2021). Adolescent well-being and learning in times of COVID-19: A multi-country study of basic psychological need satisfaction, learning behaviour, and the mediating roles of positive emotion and intrinsic motivation. PLOS ONE, 16(5), e0251352. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251352 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  24. Hossain, S., O’Neill, S., & Strnadová, I. (2023). What constitutes student well-being: A scoping review of students’ perspectives. Child Indicators Research, 16(2), 447–483. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-022-09977-9 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  25. Hu, T., Zhang, D., Wang, J., Mistry, R., Ran, G., & Wang, X. (2014). Relation between emotion regulation and mental health: A meta-analysis review. Psychological Reports, 114(2), 341–362. https://doi.org/10.2466/03.20.PR0.114k22w4 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  26. Huebner, E. S., Hills, K. J., Jiang, X., Long, R. F., Kelly, R., & Lyons, M. D. (2014). Schooling and children’s subjective well-being. In A. Ben-Arieh, F. Casas, I. Frønes, & J. Korbin (Eds.), Handbook of child well-being (pp. 797–819). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9063-8_26 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  27. Irawan, N., & Hidayat, R. (2021). Primary and secondary education during COVID-19: Disruptions to educational opportunity during a pandemic. Education 3–13, 51(6), 711–713. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2021.2014926 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  28. Karasar, N. (2005). Scientific research method. Nobel Publishing. [Google Scholar]
  29. Karvonen, S., Tokola, K., & Rimpelä, A. (2018). Well-being and academic achievement: Differences between schools from 2002 to 2010 in the Helsinki metropolitan area. Journal of School Health, 88(11), 821–829. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12691 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  30. Khulan, K. (2025a). Evaluating the implementation and impact of the PSHE curriculum in British schools abroad. Science, Technology and Social Development Proceedings Series. https://doi.org/10.70088/q9d4dq72 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  31. Khulan, K. (2025b). Cultural adaptation of the PSHE curriculum for international schools in Mongolia. International Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.70088/yzp17e32 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  32. Lereya, S. T., Patalay, P., & Deighton, J. (2022). Predictors of mental health difficulties and subjective wellbeing in adolescents: A longitudinal study. JCPP Advances, 2(2), e12074. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.12074 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  33. Lopes, S., Lima, M., & Silva, K. (2020). Nature can get it out of your mind: The rumination-reducing effects of contact with nature and the mediating role of awe and mood. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 71, 101489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101489 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  34. Mamas, C., & Trautman, D. (2025). Defining and exploring relational inclusivity: Attending to inclusion across four dimensions of schooling. Frontiers in Education, 10, 1544512. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1544512 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  35. Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. Jossey-Bass. [Google Scholar]
  36. Obradović, J., Sulik, M. J., & Armstrong-Carter, E. (2021). Taking a few deep breaths significantly reduces children's physiological arousal in everyday settings: Results of a preregistered video intervention. Developmental Psychobiology, 63(8), e22214. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.22214 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  37. OECD. (2017). PISA 2015 results (Volume III): Students’ well-being. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264273856-en [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  38. The Office for Standards in Education [Ofsted]. (2012). Not yet good enough: Personal, social, health and economic education in schools. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/413178/Not_yet_good_enough_personal__social__health_and_economic_education_in_schools.pdf [Google Scholar]
  39. Powell, M. A., Graham, A., Fitzgerald, R., Thomas, N., & White, N. E. (2018). Wellbeing in schools: What do students tell us? The Australian Educational Researcher, 45(4), 515–531. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-018-0273-z [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  40. Prescot Primary and Nursery School. (2025, September 26). PSHE. https://www.prescotprimary.org.uk/our-school/curriculum/pshe [Google Scholar]
  41. Pugh, V. M., & McPhee, S. L. (2023). Developing quality PSHE in secondary schools and colleges. Routledge. [Google Scholar]
  42. Pugh, V. M., & McPhee, S. L. (2024). Building a foundation for healthy relationships. Routledge. [Google Scholar]
  43. PSHE Association. (Accessed date 02/10/2025). PSHE education lesson plans. https://pshe-association.org.uk/lesson-plans-home [Google Scholar]
  44. Reimers, F. M. (2022). Primary and secondary education during Covid-19: Disruptions to educational opportunity during a pandemic. Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81500-4 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  45. Robson, D. A., Allen, M. S., & Howard, S. J. (2020). Self-regulation in childhood as a predictor of future outcomes: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 146(4), 324–354. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000227 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  46. Rushton, E. A., Walshe, N., & Johnston, B. J. (2025). Towards justice-oriented climate change and sustainability education: Perspectives from school teachers in England. The Curriculum Journal. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585176.2025.2345678 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  47. Sak, R., Şahin Sak, İ. T., Öneren Şendil, Ç., & Nas, E. (2021). Document analysis as a research method. Kocaeli University Education Journal, 4(1), 227–250. https://doi.org/10.33400/kuje.843306 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  48. Salmela-Aro, K. (2020). The role of motivation and academic wellbeing – The transition from secondary to further education in STEM in Finland. European Review, 28(S1), S121–S134. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1062798720000952 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  49. Slaten, C. D., Ferguson, J. K., Allen, K. A., Brodrick, D. V., & Waters, L. (2016). School belonging: A review of the history, current trends, and future directions. The Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 33(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1017/edp.2016.6 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  50. Stubbs, J. (2024, September 20). PSHE's role in supporting emotional regulation and mental wellbeing. PSHE Association. https://pshe-association.org.uk/news/taking-care-of-our-mental-health [Google Scholar]
  51. Şenel, M. (2019). The effect of diary writing on the development of students’ creative and critical thinking skills and verbal ability levels [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Gaziantep University. [Google Scholar]
  52. The Cobbs Infant and Nursery School. (2025, September 20). Personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE). https://www.thecobbs.org.uk/warrington/primary/thecobbs/site/pages/curriculum/pshe [Google Scholar]
  53. Threshfield Primary School. (2025, September 20). Jigsaw: The mindful approach to PSHE. https://www.threshfieldprimary.co.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/media/files/jigsaw-knowledge-and-skills-progression-combined-pdf.pdf [Google Scholar]
  54. Thornhill Primary School, (accessed date, 02 October 2025). PSHE Progression of Knowledge. https://www.thornhillsch.net/personal-social-and-health-education-pshe/ [Google Scholar]
  55. Torre, J. B., & Lieberman, M. D. (2018). Putting feelings into words: Affect labelling as implicit emotion regulation. Emotion Review, 10(2), 116–124. https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073917742706 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  56. Yıldırım, A. & Şimşek, H. (2008). Sosyal Bilimlerde Nitel Araştırma Yöntemleri. (7. Baskı). Ankara: Seçkin Yayıncılık. [Google Scholar]
Meta
Vol. 2 (1)
Download
Metric
History
Related

Volume 2 Issue 1

April 2026

All Manuscript

Curricular Studies & Perspectives

Copyright © 2026 Curricular Studies & Perspectives.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. CC BY
All elements of this website have been created using the BOQ™ - eJournal Management System.