PSHE
What is PSHE?
PSHE Education (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) is a planned programme of learning where children and young people acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to successfully manage their lives – now and in the future. PSHE Education develops the qualities and attributes that our pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society. At Appleton C of E Primary School, we adopt a whole-school approach to the teaching of Personal, Social and Health Education to support every pupil's personal development, and because we believe that this also supports their learning capacity.
Aims of PHSE
Here, at Appleton C of E Primary School we value PSHE as one way to support children’s development as human beings, to enable them to understand and respect who they are, to empower them with a voice and to equip them for life and learning. We include the statutory Relationships and Health Education within our whole-school PSHE Programme. For us, PHSE should:
- Teach pupils to take individual responsibility for their physical and mental wellbeing.
- Help pupils to develop resilience, independence and responsibility.
- Equip pupils with the personal and social skills required to succeed in life.
- Promote the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school.
- Prepare pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.
- Promote British values.
How is PSHE taught?
At Appleton C of E Primary School, we allocate 1 hour to PSHE each week to teach the PSHE knowledge and skills in a developmental and age-appropriate way. We value PSHE as one way to support children’s development as human beings, to enable them to understand and respect who they are, to empower them with a voice and to equip them for life and learning. Therefore, we use the Jigsaw Programme, which offers us a comprehensive, carefully thought-through scheme of work, bringing consistency and progression to our children’s learning in this vital curriculum area. We include the statutory Relationships and Health Education within our whole-school PSHE Programme.
Jigsaw is a whole-school approach and embodies a positive philosophy and creative teaching and learning activities to nurture children's development as compassionate and well-rounded human beings as well as building their capacity to learn. Each academic year is split into 6-unit puzzle pieces, each focussing on a different theme that is taught from EYFS – Year 6. Each piece is outlined below.
Being Me in My World – this unit covers a wide range of topics, including a sense of belonging, welcoming others and being part of a school community, a wider community, and a global community; it also looks at children’s rights and responsibilities, working and socialising with others, and pupil voice.
Celebrating Difference – this unit focuses on similarities and differences, and teaches about diversity (such as disability, racism, power, friendships, and conflict); children learn to accept everyone’s right to ‘difference’, and most year groups explore the concept of ‘normality’. Anti-bullying, including cyber and homophobic bullying, is an important aspect of this Puzzle.
Dreams and Goals – this unit aims to help children think about their hopes and dreams, their goals for success, what their personal strengths are, and how to overcome challenges, using team-work skills and tasks. There is also a focus on enterprise and fundraising. Children learn about experiencing and managing feelings of pride, ambition, disappointment, and success. They get to share their aspirations, the dreams and goals of others in different cultures/countries, and their dreams for their community and the world. It is great for children to have this experience, to think ambitiously, and to aspire.
Healthy Me – this unit covers two main areas of health: Emotional/mental health (relaxation, being safe, friendships, mental health skills, body image, relationships with food, managing stress) and Physical health (eating a balanced diet, physical activity, rest and relaxation, keeping clean, drugs and alcohol, being safe, first aid). Most of the statutory content for Health Education (DfE) is contained within this Puzzle.
Relationships and sex education (RSE)
At Appleton C of E Primary School, we include the statutory Relationships and Health Education within our whole-school PSHE Programme.
Relationships – this unit starts with building a respectful relationship with self and covers topics including families, friendships, pets and animals, and love and loss. A vital part of this Puzzle is about safeguarding and keeping children safe; this links to online safety and social networking. Children learn how to deal with conflict, build assertiveness skills, and identify their own strengths and strategies for building self-esteem and resilience. We explore roles and responsibilities in families and friendship groups and consider stereotypes.
Changing Me – this unit deals with change of many types, from growing from young to old, becoming a teenager, assertiveness, puberty, self-respect and safeguarding. Each year group looks ahead (for example, moving year groups or the transition to secondary school) and thinks about how to cope positively with changes and transitions. Life cycles and human reproduction are taught in Upper Key Stage 2.
Intent
At Appleton C of E Primary School, PHSE is an essential part of our curriculum, and we strive to help all children to develop the skills and understanding needed to play a positive and successful role within our society. We aspire for children to adopt a growth Mindset and believe that anything can be achieved with determination and resilience. It is intended that through using the Jigsaw scheme, we will offer a cohesive, whole-school approach which enables our children to become healthy, independent and responsible members of society whilst also encouraging children to demonstrate the school vision of ‘Building Wisely for Life’. We aim to deliver high-quality teaching that provides a safe and supportive environment for children to develop their emotional literacy, to build resilience and to nurture mental and physical health. Weaving through the heart of our PSHE teaching is a commitment to enhancing and promoting our core values: Kindness, Respect and Responsibility.
Implementation
At Appleton C of E Primary School, we use Jigsaw PSHE which is a clear and comprehensive scheme of work, adhering to the National Curriculum requirements.
Jigsaw consists of six half-term units of work (Puzzles), each containing six lessons (Pieces) covering each academic year. Every Piece has two learning intentions: one is specific to Relationships and Health Education (PHSE) and the other is designed to develop emotional literacy and social skills.
Term 1: Being Me in My World
Term 2: Celebrating Difference (including Anti-Bullying)
Term 3: Dreams and Goals
Term 4: Healthy Me
Term 5: Relationships
Term 6: Changing Me (including Sex Education)
Each Puzzle is launched with a whole-school Collective Worship and the final outcomes for each Puzzle are shared during a celebration Collective Worship.
The lessons are split into six sections:
- Connect Us
- Calm Me
- Open My Mind
- Tell Me/Show Me
- Let Me Learn
- Help Me Reflect
There is also a weekly Jigsaw Celebration which directly links to the main theme of the Puzzle Piece covered that week. All classes display the Jigsaw Celebration scroll and write the names of the children who demonstrate the week’s focus. Those children then receive a Jigsaw sticker at the end of the week and are celebrated in Collective Worship.
Impact
At Appleton C of E Primary School, our PSHE curriculum supports children in having a good understanding of how to stay safe, healthy and develop good relationships, as well as appreciating what it means to be a positive member of a diverse society. All children can develop their emotional literacy, as well as their understanding of the British Values of Democracy, Tolerance, Mutual Respect, Rule of Law and Liberty. The Jigsaw scheme is relevant to children living in today’s world and encourages a sense of belonging and community.