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Part of the Heath Family (NW)

SHINE curriculum

Developing essential life skills from EYFS to Year 6

We are proud to launch our new SHINE Curriculum Framework, designed to help every child grow into a confident, capable and caring individual.

SHINE focuses on developing essential life skills alongside academic learning, from Early Years through to Key Stage 2. Rather than teaching these skills in isolation, they are woven throughout everyday learning and school life.

Our vision:
Children who are safe, happy, respectful and inclusive citizens, who celebrate diversity and contribute positively to their community.

What Does SHINE Stand For?

SHINE is built around five key areas:

1. Safe – Looking After Self and Others

Children learn how to:

  • Keep themselves safe in the real world and online

  • Understand boundaries, consent and personal safety

  • Recognise risks and know how to seek help

  • Stay safe in the community (e.g. road, water and rail safety)

  • Understand emergency response and basic first aid

We also ensure every child feels safe, respected and valued for who they are.

2. Healthy – Making the Right Choices for a Good Life

Children develop an understanding of:

  • Mental wellbeing and managing emotions

  • Physical health, including nutrition, exercise and sleep

  • Healthy and respectful relationships

  • Age-appropriate learning about substances

  • Body changes and growing up

We promote wellbeing in ways that respect different cultures, family structures and individual needs.

3. Independent – Taking Responsibility

Children are supported to become:

  • Confident decision-makers

  • Good problem-solvers

  • Organised and responsible

  • Effective communicators

  • Thoughtful leaders and team players

They learn to understand their own identity and celebrate the differences of others.

4. Nurturing – Being Kind and Thoughtful

Children learn to:

  • Develop empathy and understand others’ perspectives

  • Build respectful, inclusive relationships

  • Resolve conflict peacefully

  • Challenge unfairness and discrimination

  • Celebrate different cultures, beliefs and backgrounds

Kindness, respect and belonging are central to this area.

5. Engaged – Understanding Our Place in the Wider World

Children are encouraged to:

  • Think critically about the world around them

  • Understand fairness, equality and responsibility

  • Care for the environment

  • Use technology responsibly

  • Explore future careers without stereotypes

  • Become active, responsible citizens

How SHINE Is Taught

SHINE is not a standalone subject. Instead, it is built into everything we teach. SHINE is woven through all subjects, assembly time and Rainbow groups— ensuring children apply these life skills in meaningful ways every day.

Working in Partnership with Families

Strong partnerships with parents and carers are essential to SHINE. We will:

  • Share information and home learning guidance

  • Welcome families to share their cultures and experiences

  • Maintain open communication about children’s development

  • Ensure all families feel valued and included

We believe children thrive when school and home work together.

Why SHINE Matters

SHINE:

  • Builds strong foundations from Early Years onward

  • Connects life skills with academic learning

  • Promotes inclusion and belonging

  • Celebrates diversity

  • Teaches British Values

  • Challenges discrimination and unfairness

  • Prepares children for secondary school and beyond

Our aim is that every child leaves primary school not only academically prepared, but also confident, compassionate and ready to make a positive difference in the world.

 
Promoting British Values at Litherland Moss

The Department for Education has recently reinforced the need “to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.”

The Government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy, and these values were reiterated in 2014. At Litherland Moss, British values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways:

Democracy

At the beginning of each year children affirm the school’s expectations and the rights and responsibilities associated with these. Every child and staff member takes responsibility for instilling these values into the school community. The children and staff actively engage with each other to create harmonious learning environments where everyone is responsible for the high expectations through our ‘Litherland Moss Way’.

Democracy is taught during assemblies and class-based PSHE sessions. Children regularly get opportunities to express their views in school through Pupil Voice interviews and questionnaires. 

The rule of Law

The importance of laws, whether they are those that govern the class, the school or the country, is consistently reinforced at Litherland Moss.

Pupils are taught from an early age the rules of the school through our Classroom and Playground rules and our six school values. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind rules and laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves, and the consequences when laws are broken. Through our whole school approach, we enable children to develop the language and strategies to solve conflict and to right wrongs. 

Individual Liberty

At Litherland Moss, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school, we educate and provide boundaries for our young pupils to make informed choices, through a safe environment and an empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand, and exercise their rights and personal freedoms. They are advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our e-Safety and PSHE lessons.

From the very start of their school life children are encouraged to challenge themselves by giving them ownership of their own learning. Children have next steps shared with them, whether verbally or with feedback in books, so that they know exactly what they can do to progress. Children are excited to respond and to forward their own learning and to achieve their goals.

Mutual Respect

Respect and independence are key values that permeate all aspects of school life at Litherland Moss. They are fundamental to the way we support and care for each other, for the community and for the environment.

At Litherland Moss, we value the close, positive relationships between all adults and children, and see this as being key to enabling all children to access their learning, in a welcoming and safe environment. Assemblies regularly cover the theme of ‘respect’, and pupils have been part of discussions related to what this means and how we show it. Children learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community treat each other with respect.

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

This is achieved through enhancing pupils’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by educating them and giving them opportunities to experience different faiths and beliefs, be they similar or different to their own. 

  1. Shine Overview

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