Review of B Squared PSHCE material

By Gillian Roberts, Kildwick Primary School, Kildwick. North Yorkshire

Layout:

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The amount of material available at first glance was impressive. The selection of books seemed to cover the whole spectrum of PSHCE for the primary curriculum. The paperback documents were divided into separate volumes relevant to each component of PSHCE. This made locating the correct section of the curriculum to be used very straightforward. I also think that the division of the different sections of the curriculum into singular books is useful as more then one teacher can use them at a time. The resource sheets were in a clear type face making accessibility easy for children.

Activity Sheets:
During the lesson the children responded well to the sheets provided and were able to clearly understand the written instructions given on the page. Throughout the entire scheme, I noticed that the activity sheets were well differentiated to three levels, suiting the needs of most children within the class, therefore easing access to children with SEN without highlighting separate work and segregating them from the class. The continuity of each subject area within the book was excellent providing teachers with an extensive resource which can run through several lessons. Each topic can be as sensitive and as in-depth as one needs it to be - apparent by the range of material available within that chosen subject area.

Lesson Content:
Although no specific whole class teaching ideas were given, this is not detrimental to the resources due to the depth and quality of the activity sheets. Lessons stemming from the activity sheets have proved popular, interactive and stimulating to the children. The materials also allow teachers to be creative and imaginative in their ideas often making lessons more fruitful than simply following a manual.

In Conclusion
Overall, I think that this is a valuable classroom resource which will be used throughout the school not only at PSHCE level but for many other cross curricular activities. It offers strong links with literacy, as there are a lot of opportunities for writing within the resources available which can be used as seen or doctored to suit the subject. I think that it is about time that PSHCE was resourced properly with proven, quality materials - and this collection seems to do the trick.