Taking on responsibility for PSHE can be an exciting opportunity, but if you are a new PSHE Lead, it can be difficult to know where to start.

PSHE leadership now involves much more than simply ensuring lessons are on the timetable. From understanding statutory RSHE requirements and mapping curriculum coverage to supporting staff, assessing pupil progress and evidencing wider Personal Development, there can be a lot to get your head around.

The good news is that you do not need to tackle everything at once.

Here are some of the key areas to focus on when getting started as a PSHE Lead in a primary school.

1. Understand What Your School Is Already Doing

Before making changes, take some time to understand your school's current PSHE and RSHE provision.

Look at what is being taught across each year group and how this connects with wider areas of Personal Development, including mental health and wellbeing, relationships, online safety, British Values and SMSC.

Useful questions to consider include:

• Is there clear progression from year to year?
• Are statutory RSHE requirements fully covered?
• Do teachers know what pupils have learnt previously?
• Are there any obvious gaps or areas of duplication?
• Can you clearly evidence what pupils know and understand?

Having good curriculum mapping and Knowledge and Skills Progression documents can make this process considerably easier.

2. Make PSHE Manageable for Your Teachers

Being a successful PSHE Lead does not mean delivering every lesson yourself. A large part of the role is giving other members of staff the confidence and tools to deliver PSHE effectively.

Consider how easy it is for teachers to find what they need.

Clear lesson resources, teacher guidance, knowledge organisers, planning documents and editable materials can reduce workload while helping to create consistency across the school.

This is one of the reasons programmes such as 1decision provide a dedicated Teacher Area alongside their pupil resources. PSHE Leads can access planning tools, mapping documents, model policy support, parent and carer presentations, Knowledge and Skills Progression documents and other leadership materials in one place.

3. Build Staff Confidence in PSHE and RSHE

Some areas of PSHE and RSHE can understandably feel more challenging to teach than others.

Staff may worry about answering unexpected questions, teaching sensitive subjects appropriately or knowing when something a pupil says becomes a safeguarding concern.

High-quality PSHE training can therefore be just as important as having good classroom resources.

1decision includes a CPD-accredited Training Portal designed to support both PSHE Leads and their wider teams. The immersive training explores areas including delivery, safeguarding, pupil voice, sensitive topics, assessment and impact.

Staff can also receive a CPD certificate following completion, helping schools evidence the professional development that has taken place.

For a new PSHE Lead, having a structured rshe training pathway can make it much easier to bring the whole team with you rather than feeling responsible for developing everyone's confidence alone.

4. Think About Assessment from the Beginning

One question PSHE Leads are increasingly considering is:

How do we know our PSHE provision is making a difference?

Showing that a lesson took place is not necessarily the same as demonstrating what pupils have understood or remembered.

A strong approach to PSHE assessment should help you understand pupils' starting points, recognise progress and identify areas where additional teaching or support may be required.

1decision embeds assessment opportunities throughout its programme, helping teachers monitor individual pupil understanding and giving subject leaders greater visibility of progression across the school.

This can also help make assessment part of everyday PSHE delivery rather than another job added to the PSHE Lead's workload.

5. Look Beyond Individual PSHE Lessons

PSHE plays an important role within a school's wider approach to Personal Development.

As a new subject leader, it can therefore be helpful to consider how classroom learning connects with assemblies, pupil voice, safeguarding, behaviour, wellbeing and targeted support.

For example, whole-school assemblies can reinforce important messages being explored within the curriculum.

There may also be times when staff identify that an individual pupil or group would benefit from additional support around a particular area.

1decision includes an Assembly Library alongside dedicated Nurture Support resources, allowing schools to reinforce learning at whole-school level or provide more focused support where appropriate.

6. Make Sure Parents and Carers Are Part of the Journey

Communication with parents and carers is another important element of effective PSHE and RSHE leadership.

Helping families understand what children are learning, why particular topics are being taught and how the curriculum progresses can build confidence and encourage greater engagement.

Having ready-made parent and carer materials can make this much easier, particularly when you are new to the role.

7. Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Support

You are not expected to know everything on your first day as a PSHE Lead.

Good subject leadership develops over time, and having somewhere to turn when questions arise can make an enormous difference.

Alongside onboarding resources and guidance, 1decision users can access an AI-assisted Support Centre to help them navigate the platform and locate resources.

The human support team is also available during office hours, with a ticketing system for questions submitted outside those times.

Building Your Confidence as a PSHE Lead

The first few weeks as a new PSHE Lead do not need to be about changing everything.

Start by understanding your current provision. Check your curriculum coverage and progression. Talk to your teachers. Look at how pupil understanding is assessed and identify where staff may need additional support.

From there, you can begin building a PSHE and Personal Development approach that works for your pupils, your staff and your school.

Having the right resources and systems around you can make that process much simpler.

1decision supports primary schools with PSHE, RSHE and wider Personal Development through progressive curriculum resources, assessment, leadership tools, CPD-accredited training, assemblies and targeted nurture support.

Explore the Resources for Free

If you would like to see how the resources work before making any decisions, schools can access a free 1decision taster pack.

It includes example materials so you can explore the approach, see the quality and structure of the resources and consider how they could support PSHE and Personal Development in your school.

Explore the free 1decision taster pack and see how it could support you in your PSHE Lead role.

Access the free 1decision taster pack