Personal Social Health & Economic (PSHE) Education under the coalition government

The place of (Personal Social Health and Economic) PSHE in schools has been debated widely and central government policy has shifted from the subject almost becoming statutory in 2010, towards being almost entirely devolved in the school led system under the coalition government. PSHE is currently non-compulsory, however schools are expected to teach the subject despite the lack of available training for teachers or teaching materials. This research conducted by Ben Willis and Claire Wolstenholme in the Centre for Education and Inclusion research at Sheffield Hallam University builds on the 2011 mapping study across England conducted by CEIR. This is a small scale study which attempts to investigate how schools in one local authority area in the north of England are dealing with the new policy landscape of PSHE. The specific aim was to explore the extent to which the status and provision of PSHE in schools has altered under the coalition government of 2010 to 2015.