PSHE and RSE
The Academy uses the Jigsaw PSHCE scheme of work to support teaching and learning in PSHCE. The scheme is structured to provide knowledge and skills development, with application of these to children's lives’ within and beyond school. We have used the scheme to support us to develop a sequenced and progressive programme of learning.
Our intent for PSHCE is that it;
- Enables children to be aware of their thoughts and feelings as they happen, in the present moment, on purpose with no judgement.
- It promotes mindfulness by teaching children the techniques of dealing with their thoughts. This is then practised weekly. We believe mindfulness is a vital tool for life, not only does it support the regulation of emotion and build emotional resilience but also enhances focus and concentration; both helping to optimise learning.
- Our PSHE Education brings together, emotional literacy, social skills and spiritual development in a comprehensive scheme of learning. Teaching strategies are varied and are mindful of preferred learning styles and the need for regularly retrieving information and spacing practice.
- Our PSHCE approach is designed as a whole school spiral curriculum, with all year groups working on the same theme at the same time. This enables each Puzzle to start with an introductory assembly, generating a whole school focus for adults and children alike.
Our Implementation of PSHCE
There are six Puzzles in the PSHCE Jigsaw that are designed to progress in sequence from September to July:
- Autumn 1: Being Me in My World
- Autumn 2: Celebrating Difference (including anti-bullying)
- Spring 1: Dreams and Goals
- Spring 2: Healthy Me
- Summer 1: Relationships
- Summer 2: Changing Me (including Sex Education)
Each Puzzle has six Pieces (lessons) which work towards an ‘end product’, for example, The School Learning Charter or The Garden of Dreams and Goals.
Each puzzle piece has two Learning Intentions: one is based on specific PSHE learning (covering the non-statutory national framework for PSHE Education but enhanced to address children’s needs today); and one is based on emotional literacy and social skills (covering the SEAL learning intentions but also enhanced). The enhancements mean that Jigsaw is relevant to children living in today’s world as it helps them understand and be equipped to cope with issues like body image, cyber and homophobic bullying, and internet safety.
Every lesson contributes to at least one aspect of Spiritual, Moral, Social or Cultural development.
Our school promotes a safe, open and positive learning environment based on trusting relationships between all members of the class, adults and children alike.
Within the PSHCE units circle time is included. This is a tried and tested teaching approach, popularised most successfully in recent years by Jenny Mosley. It brings children and adults together to feel equal and valued so that they can share ideas, thoughts and feelings. Sitting in a circle either all on chairs or all on the floor means adults and children are sharing the experience and learning together.
Through our PSHCE curriculum we discuss confidentiality with the children and how this should be observed within lessons. Children are taught to respect the privacy of others and to keep what is said in PSHCE and circle time confidential. The teacher does emphasise that they cannot promise complete confidentiality as they must report any information relating to safeguarding concerns.
Alongside our PSHCE Jigsaw curriculum we also incorporate a half termly mental health lesson based on the Kapow mental health work.
Progression in PSHCE
RSE
Below is an outline of how the academy intends to meet the new statutory regulations for the revised Health Education and Relationships Education curriculum.
The academy will be consulting with parents before the implementation of this.
At Crowle Primary Academy we intend to deliver the RSE curriculum through a number of different ways including our PSHE scheme of work (see PSHE progression document), Gooseberry Planet Online Safety scheme of work, RE scheme of work (see RE progression document), Mental Health and wellbeing work and our Science curriculum (see Science curriculum progression document).
To support us to deliver the RSE curriculum we intend to continue to work alongside Big Talk Education who deliver their Growing Up Safe: Whole School Approach (GUS) programme annually in school.
GUS is a spiral curriculum therefore pupils will see the same topics throughout their school career, with each encounter increasing in complexity and reinforcing previous learning. Consequently, the topics included for Nursery and KS1 will be included right the way up until year 6.
Please note that the statutory RSE guidance states that children must know each of the elements of the curriculum by the time they leave primary school at the end of year 6, for this reason the GUS programme each year builds on the children’s knowledge from previous years.