Subject leader: Ms Philippa Bates

If you have any questions regarding PSHE or RSE, please contact Ms Bates via the school office.

Intent:

We want to give Halton pupils relevant learning experiences to help them navigate their world and to develop positive relationships with themselves and others. We want our PSHE curriculum to build on our school values and equip  our children for the real world.  Our PSHE curriculum needs to meet the needs of all of our pupils and build on earlier skills and knowledge.

Many of our children have struggled with mental health and well-being as an impact of two lockdowns. Our PSHE curriculum needs a strong  emphasis on emotional literacy, building resilience and nurturing mental and physical health. PSHE lessons need to include  mindfulness allowing children to advance their emotional awareness, concentration and focus following the impact of COVID.

Implementation:

We are using the Jigsaw scheme for PSHE in order to properly equip our school to deliver an engaging and relevant PSHE within a whole-school approach.  Jigsaw offers a mindful approach to PSHE/Health and Well-being.  It fulfils all the requirements for the statutory Relationships and Health Education curriculum (as announced by the DfE in England in 2019). This scheme goes even further and provides  a spiral and progressive comprehensive programme in which all the statutory elements sit and are embraced. 

Jigsaw is designed with all year groups working on the same theme (Puzzle) at the same time. This enables each Puzzle to start with an introductory assembly, generating a whole school focus for adults and children alike.

We are using Jigsaw because it  provides a comprehensive Programme for Primary PSHE which covers all the requirements of the government guidance and outcomes including  statutory Relationships and Health Education, in a spiral, progressive and fully planned scheme of work. Jigsaw consists of six half-term units of work (Puzzles), each containing six lessons (Pieces) covering each academic year.

Term 1: Being Me in My World

Term 2: Celebrating Difference (including anti-bullying)

Term 3: Dreams and Goals Term

Term 4: Healthy Me Term

Term 5: Relationships Term

Term 6: Changing Me (including RSE)

PSHE is taught as a weekly lesson in all classes from Poppies to Year 6.  As we are aware of the harm that PSHE can do if not taught well, we are using Jigsaw (3-11) to improve teaching and learning and provide a clear pedagogical framework.  Another reason for choosing Jigsaw is to ensure that  teaching strategies are varied and are mindful of preferred learning styles and the need for differentiation.

Units of work (Puzzles) are launched with a whole-school assembly containing an original song, with each year group studying the same unit at the same time (at their own level), building sequentially through the school year, facilitating whole-school learning themes.

The various teaching and learning activities are engaging and mindful of different learning styles and the need for differentiation and the Early Years (EYFS) planning is aligned to the National Early Years Framework (England). Each lesson is built upon a  Charter which underpins the behaviour and respect that is the basis for each lesson.

Impact:

Halton pupils are growing up in a rapidly changing world, full of opportunities but with few guarantees. We want our PSHE education to prepare children for life at the moment and their transition into the next stage of education in this changing world.  Our PSHE curriculum is designed help children to stay safe online and offline, to enjoy better physical and emotional health, to develop character and resilience, to achieve academically and to improve their employment prospects in the future.

By the time our children leave Halton we believe our PSHE curriculum will have allowed them to develop the vocabulary and confidence needed to clearly articulate their thoughts and feelings in a climate of openness, trust and respect. The children will have a willingness and ability to try new things, push themselves and persevere. They will understand what is meant by ‘resilience’ and attain the ability to bounce back from life’s everyday challenges.  They will have a good understanding of how to stay safe, healthy and develop good relationships. They will also have an appreciation of what it means to be a positive member of a diverse, multicultural society and have a strong self-awareness, interlinked with compassion of others.

Statutory Relationship and Health Education (DfE, England 2019)

Our PSHE curriculum provides a comprehensive programme which covers all the requirements of the government guidance and outcomes, and more. The Relationships and Healthy Me units  cover most of the aspects in the guidance but these are enhanced, revisited a throughout the child's journey through the school.   Our programme starts by building positive self-image, a sense of identity and a healthy relationship with self, and from that starting point helps children grow healthy relationships with others.

Our health education embraces not only physical health but has a strong focus on mental health and emotional literacy throughout, and empowers children to be aware of their own thoughts and feelings and know how to manage and regulate these e.g.using Calm Me (mindfulness techniques).

The curriculum values every child and so takes inclusivity as a given, promoting acceptance of individuals for who they are and who they will become.