PSHE

(Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education)

What are we trying to achieve through our PSHE curriculum? (Intent)

At Westrop Primary and Nursery School all we do is underpinned by our strong vision and values. Our vision and values support our ‘Curriculum Drivers’ which offer golden threads throughout our curriculum and ensure we have clear drivers for all that we want to achieve for our children.

	In PSHE, it is our intent to install confidence in each child by encouraging opportunities for children to take leadership over their learning and instil confidence when taking risks. Children aim high in their achievements and have a ‘can do’ attitude so that when they are presented with a challenge in their life, they embrace it, using the skills they have learnt in PSHE to combat it.
	In PSHE, it is our intent to use the skills taught in lessons to encourage children to problem solve and reason with the challenges they face in everyday life. Children are encouraged to keep trying and given the support needed as individuals as we understand everyone is different. Children are taught the importance of wellbeing and are given strategies to understand and regulate their emotions.
	In PSHE, it is our intention to provide children with opportunities to challenge themselves and take the chance to change their mindset and overcome the fear of failure. Children are taught to believe in themselves and each other, encouraging peers to tackle challenges and to value ideas and opinions presented by each other.
	In PSHE, it is our intent that our pupils develop a sense of community and belonging. Children learn to always listen and value others, being considerate of their views whilst respectfully questioning each other and encouraging peers to be the best they can be. In PSHE children learn that they have a right to be heard and their voice can have an impact for change in their community.
	In PSHE, it is our intent to communicate our understanding and show honestly in our everyday life. Children know that it is ok to make mistakes and use this philosophy to communicate their errors and how they have addressed them. Children learn the skills to move forward following a set back and try hard to show integrity and reliability.

How is the PSHE Curriculum delivered? (Implementation)

According to the National Curriculum, every school needs to have a broad and balanced curriculum that:

promotes the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school;
prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life;
promotes British values.

Jigsaw

At Westrop Primary and Nursery School we use the Jigsaw scheme of work for our PSHE teaching. 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. Jigsaw is a comprehensive and completely original PSHE Education programme (lesson plans and teaching resources) for the whole primary school from ages 3-11. Written by teachers and grounded in sound psychology, it also includes all the statutory requirements for Relationships and Health Education, and Sex Education is also included in the Changing Me Puzzle unit.

Jigsaw has two main aims for all children:

to build their capacity for learning
to equip them for life

Jigsaw brings together PSHE Education, compulsory Relationships and Health Education, emotional literacy, mindfulness, social skills and spiritual development. It is designed as a whole school approach, with all year groups working on the same theme (Puzzle) at the same time, at their own level. There are six Puzzles (half-term units of work) and each year group is taught one lesson per week. All lessons are delivered in an age- and stage-appropriate way so that they meet children’s needs.

Many themes taught in PSHE are reinforced through other areas of the curriculum and across the school day for example, themed weeks (e.g. Anti-bullying week, E-Safety Week), trips and visits (e.g. Multiskills sports, education trips), visitors in classes and assemblies, whole-school initiatives (Healthy Schools, OPAL). Children learn that PSHE is not just a lesson but a way of living which is reinforced in every aspect of their lives.

Relationships and Sex Education

An important part of the Jigsaw PSHE Education programme is delivered through the ‘Relationships’ and ‘Changing Me’ puzzle pieces which are covered in the summer term.

From September 2020, primary schools in England also need to teach Relationships and Health Education as compulsory subjects and the Department for Education strongly recommends this should also include age-appropriate Sex Education. Schools also have statutory responsibilities to safeguard their pupils (Keeping Children Safe in Education, DfE, 2019) and to uphold the Equality Act (2010).

There are four main aims of teaching RSE:

to enable children to understand and respect their bodies
to help children develop positive and healthy relationships appropriate to their age and development
to support children to have positive self-esteem and body image
to empower them to be safe and safeguarded.

Each year group will be taught appropriate to their age and developmental stage. At no point will a child be taught something that is inappropriate; and if a question from a child arises and the teacher feels it would be inappropriate to answer (for example, because of its mature or explicit nature) this information with be shared with you by your child’s class teacher. The question will not be answered to the child or class if it is outside the remit of that year group’s programme.

Further information about how the school approaches the teaching of Relationships and Sex Education through the Jigsaw programme can be found within the documents listed below.

What difference is the PSHE Curriculum making? (Impact)

From their different starting points, all children will make at least good progress and achieve their potential academically, emotionally, creatively, socially and physically. Knowledge, understanding and skills will be secured and embedded so that children attain highly.
Pupils will have strong communication skills, and will listen respectfully and with tolerance to the views of others.
Pupils will take pride in all that they do, always striving to do their best.
Pupils will demonstrate emotional resilience and the ability to persevere when they encounter challenge.
Pupils will develop a sense of self-awareness and become confident in their own abilities.
Pupils will gain a perspective of themselves as both local and global citizens.
Pupils will be well prepared for their journey towards life and work in modern Britain.
Pupils will be well prepared for the changes that will happen to themselves and others as they grow up.
Pupils will understand how to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Pupils will be able to recognise the differences between right and wrong and the consequences of people’s behaviour or actions.
There will be acceptance of and engagement with the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
There will be an appreciation of the richness of cultures in both the United Kingdom and the wider world.