Hedgewood School adopts an integrated approach to PSHE and wellbeing. We believe that all children should have the knowledge and skills to lead confident, safe, healthy and independent lives.  Most of our pupils are autistic and this shapes our positive approach to supporting behaviour, and empowering our children to learn to use strategies to self-regulate at school, at home and in the community to have positive outcomes, stay safe and achieve high levels of well- being. They will do this by learning the skills required to:

• stay safe 
• stay healthy
• become responsible young adults
• understand how to develop and maintain positive relationships
• understand feelings and emotion

By teaching these skills we aim for our pupils to become healthier and more independent learners. 

For some pupils, skills are taught to support their emotional regulation and emotional wellbeing.  Advice is sought from our occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, positive behaviour support and Family services to enable teachers to plan regulation activities that have a positive impact on individual pupil’s behaviour and emotional well being. This will help them to achieve and maintain a calm, alert state, ready for learning.  

The development of PSHE skills are taught across all environments, enabling pupils to consolidate their learning and transfer skills. It is embedded within our four phases of our curriculum, and is taught  through short 1:1 interventions throughout the school day in addition to whole group sessions. Children are provided with opportunities to apply these skills within the wider community.

This in turn broadens opportunities for our pupils having a positive impact on their mental health and well-being, resulting in them having a better quality of life.