Be the Best Me

Be the Best Me is unique to Heyes Lane. We created this bespoke area of our curriculum to give children the opportunity to learn about a wide range of important issues in a structured, meaningful and age‑appropriate way. This curriculum covers all strands of the statutory Relationships Education and the national expectations for teaching physical health and mental wellbeing at primary school. It provides clear, progressive teaching under the following themes:

relationships
healthy bodies
growing and changing
goals and character traits
equality and diversity.

These themes are carefully sequenced and revisited each year, enabling children to build on prior learning and deepen their understanding as they move through school.

We believe children’s health and wellbeing are central to their success in school and in life. Our Be the Best Me curriculum supports pupils in developing the knowledge, understanding and awareness needed to make informed, positive decisions about their bodies, minds and personal development. This may include learning about healthy lifestyles, understanding the changes that take place as they grow, exploring equality and fairness, or recognising the personal attributes and character traits that help them thrive now and in the future.

Circle Time and Emotional Intelligence

As part of our commitment to pupils’ wellbeing, we teach a structured Circle Time programme designed to develop children’s emotional intelligence and confidence in understanding themselves and others. Objectives are taught under four key strands: identifying feelings, managing feelings, empathy and social skills. Children take part in a weekly 30‑minute session where these concepts are explored through active games, stories, discussion and role‑play. The feelings and ideas covered are progressive, with vocabularyand emotional understanding deepening as children move through school -for example, pupils in KS1 explore basic emotions such as sadness, in LKS2 they learn about more complex experiences such as feelings of loss and by UKS2 they are introduced to the idea of sadness that lasts over time, such as depression. Each Circle Time session ends with a mindfulness activity, helping children develop practical strategies to regulate their emotions and cope with strong feelings. We place strong importance on our children’s wellbeing and emotional intelligence, ensuring they leave Heyes Lane equipped with lifelong skills for emotional awareness, resilience and healthy relationships.

Progression and Outcomes

Through our Be the Best Me and Circle Time curriculum, children build their understanding of health, wellbeing, relationships, emotions and personal development in a carefully sequenced and age‑appropriate way. By the time they leave Heyes Lane, our aim is that all pupils will have developed the knowledge, skills, attitudes and character traits needed to thrive both now and in the future. Ultimately, our curriculum ensures pupils are emotionally literate, confident, resilient and ready for the next stage of their lives.

By the end of their journey at Heyes Lane, children will:

Have the knowledge to make informed decisions about their own health and wellbeing.
Understand the link between physical health and mental wellbeing and the importance of maintaining both.
Demonstrate resilience, perseverance and determination when faced with challenges.
Have positive self-esteem and confidence in their ability to achieve.
Show respect for themselves, others and the diverse world around them.
Be open-minded, socially aware and responsible members of society.
Build and maintain positive, healthy relationships both now and in the future.
Understand the key concepts of Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) at an age-appropriate level.
Recognise, understand and regulate their emotions effectively.
Use a rich emotional vocabulary to express their thoughts and feelings with confidence, honesty and respect.

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Be the Best Me

Circle Time and Emotional Intelligence

Progression and Outcomes