PSHE and RSE: Understanding Health, Finance and Sex Education

PSHE and RSE Subject Leader: Mr P Wrobel

Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) is a necessary part of all pupils’ education to help them to stay healthy, safe, and prepared for life. Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) enables young people to learn about healthy relationships, their mental well-being and their understanding of their bodies.

Intent

At Cliffe Woods Primary School we believe that personal, social and health education (PSHE) enables our children to become healthy, safe, independent and responsible members of society. Using the Jigsaw scheme aims to help children to understand how they are developing personally and socially and tackles many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up. We are dedicated to ensuring that Cliffe Woods is a happy, stimulating and caring place and we expect high standards of behaviour and good manners throughout the school. Behaviour and attitude to learning are underpinned by values that are taught through PSHE lessons, making it integral to the success of the whole school.

Implementation

We encourage our children to take part in a range of practical roles and activities that promote active citizenship: School Council member, whole school fundraising, reading buddies and engagement in school and local events. Children have opportunities to meet and work with members of the community, such as: health workers, firefighters, police officers, librarians, sports coaches, secondary school pupils, artists, authors, representatives from the local church, mosque and Medway Council. We participate in, and promote National events such as: Democracy Week, Anti-Bullying Week and Road Safety Week. NSPCC, Children in Need, Comic Relief

Personal, social and health education is taught as both explicit lessons, using the Jigsaw, the mindful approach to PSHE, but it is also embedded in other areas of the curriculum and day-to-day life of the school. Jigsaw is a progressive and spiral scheme of learning. In planning the lessons, Jigsaw PSHE ensures that learning from previous years is revisited and extended, adding new concepts, knowledge and skills, year on year as appropriate.

Jigsaw 3-11 offers a comprehensive programme for Primary PSHE, including statutory Relationships and Health Education, in a spiral, progressive and fully planned scheme of work, giving children relevant learning experiences to help them navigate their world and to develop positive relationships with themselves and others.

Pastoral support is also given to those children who may need Talk Time or therapy through play.

Impact

Jigsaw holds children at its heart, and its cohesive vision helps children understand and value how they fit into and contribute to the world. With strong emphasis on emotional literacy, building resilience and nurturing mental and physical health, Jigsaw 3-11 properly equips schools to deliver engaging and relevant PSHE within a whole-school approach. Jigsaw lessons also include mindfulness allowing children to advance their emotional awareness, concentration, focus and self-regulation.

As a result we have children who are able to form happy and positive relationships. They can show empathy and compassion to others. They have the confidence to make the most of their abilities but also value and respect diversity. The children in the school show respect for others’ rights to their own values and beliefs. They can use appropriate strategies for managing influence and are encouraged to take positive risks. They are developing as aspirational individuals who are confident to set their own goals for success.

PSHE and RSE in Each Stage

PSHE and RSE at EYFS Stage

Children’s personal, social and emotional development (PSED) is crucial for children to lead healthy and happy lives, and is fundamental to their cognitive development. Underpinning their personal development are the important attachments that shape their social world. Strong, warm and supportive relationships with adults enable children to learn how to understand their own feelings and those of others. Children should be supported to manage emotions, develop a positive sense of self, set themselves simple goals, have confidence in their own abilities, to persist and wait for what they want and direct attention as necessary. Through adult modelling and guidance, they will learn how to look after their bodies, including healthy eating, and manage personal needs independently. Through supported interaction with other children, they learn how to make good friendships, co-operate and resolve conflicts peaceably. These attributes will provide a secure platform from which children can achieve at school and in later life.

At EYFS we implement:

Weekly ‘Jigsaw’ circle time.
Weekly ‘Core Values’ circle time.
Weekly ‘Celebration’ assembly, dojo rewards, golden certificates, WOW stars.
Daily early morning outside session linked to the principles of ‘Sensory Circuits’ to improve focus and concentration.
Stories that prompt discussion about emotions, friendship, family, kindness, resilience, healthy eating, e.g. Rainbow Fish, Grub, Cleversticks, Oliver’s Vegetables, Not Now Bernard, Elmer, Owl Babies, So Much
Resources clearly labelled with pictures and words to promote independent learning.
Focus lessons on belonging, our bodies, healthy living, how we grow and develop, keeping safe. Road safety and Fire safety talks.
Healthcare professionals talking about dental hygiene, our bodies and keeping healthy.
Cooking – vegetable soup, cakes, pizza

PSHE and RSE at Key Stage 1

The pupils explore themes using six Puzzle units each year. Our pupils start each term with a celebration assembly where they are introduced to a new Puzzle (unit). This is an excellent chance for all to find out about the theme, ask questions and express opinions. These units are taught across the whole school and children cover the same Puzzle piece at the same point in the year. However, the learning deepens and broadens each year. Depending on the age of the children, every year group has different content/outcomes for the specific Puzzle piece they are working on.

Our school, with the help of Jigsaw, nurtures our children to be confident and successful, increasing their capacity to learn and preparing them for the challenges of the modern world. The carefully planned, broad and thorough PSHE programme allows our pupils to understand and respect who they are, to feel empowered and equipped for later learning in and out of the classroom.