PSHE at Whixall C.E. Primary School

Intent
Our intention is that when children leave Whixall C.E. Primary School, they will do so with the knowledge, understanding and emotions to be able to play an active, positive and successful role in today’s diverse society.

Our PSHE lessons develop the acquisition of knowledge and skills that will enable children to access the wider curriculum and prepare them to be global citizens now and in the future. It promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of our children. Our Relationships and Sex Education planning is progressive and seeks to help our children to learn how to be safe and to understand and develop healthy relationships, both now and in their future lives.

We want our children to have high aspirations; a belief in themselves; and realise that anything is possible if they put their minds to it. In an ever-changing world, it is important that they are aware, to an appropriate level, of different factors which will affect their world. We wish for all children to develop strategies to learn how to deal with these factors to support their mental and physical health and well-being.

Implementation
PSHE is highly valued and an integral part of our school. In keeping with the opportunities set out in the ‘PSHE Association’s Programme of Study’, and statutory ‘Health Education and Relationships Education guidance’, we ensure coverage of Health and Well-Being; Relationships; and Living in the Wider World learning throughout our weekly PSHE lessons.

Within the Foundation Stage, PSHE and citizenship are embedded throughout the curriculum. The objectives taught are the Personal, Social and Emotional Development statements from ‘Development Matters’ and the PSED Early Learning Goals. Reception also uses the Jigsaw Scheme of Work materials to deliver specific PSHE lessons.

All children are taught PSHE using ‘Jigsaw’, which is a spiral, progressive scheme of work that aims to prepare children for life, helping them to know and value who they are and understand how they relate to other people in this ever-changing world. Within each unit, there is a strong emphasis on emotional literacy, building resilience and nurturing mental and physical health. The Jigsaw curriculum includes mindfulness to allow children to advance their emotional awareness, concentration and focus. Jigsaw provides links to British Values, and SMSC and is taught in such a way as to reflect the overall aims, values, and ethos of our school.

At Whixall CE Primary School, in addition to Relationships Education, we also teach aspects of Sex Education through the ‘Jigsaw’ scheme. As part of this, we teach children about different kinds of relationships, including same-sex relationships, and gender identity because it is important that our children should have an understanding of the full diversity of the world they live in and be prepared for life in modern Britain.

PSHE is taught through Jigsaw’s six half-termly themes with each year group studying the same unit at the same time (at their own level):

Autumn 1: Being Me in My World
Autumn 2: Differences (including anti-bullying)
Spring 1: Dreams and Goals
Spring 2: Healthy Me
Summer 1: Relationships
Summer 2: Changing Me (including Sex Education)

 

PSHE within the Wider Curriculum  

• We aim to help our children build resilience, independence and confidence, embrace challenge, and foster a love of learning. We do this through the language we use in class, praising children for their efforts, and using strategies to encourage children to change their way of thinking. This supports both our school and PSHE values.
• PSHE, including social, moral, spiritual and cultural, and British Values, is an integral part of the whole school curriculum and is therefore often taught within another subject area.
• Visitors such as emergency services and the school nurse complement our PSHE curriculum by offering additional learning.          
• We encourage our children to develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community. We challenge all of our children to look for opportunities to show school values.
• School assemblies and Worships are linked to PSHE, British Values and SMSC, as well as additional sessions that would benefit the whole school.                                                        

Impact
By the time our children leave school, they are able to approach a range of real-life situations and apply their skills and attributes to help navigate themselves through modern life.  The children appreciate difference and diversity and have had the opportunity to explore, understand and learn strategies to manage their emotions. Through our PSHE work, our children are on their way to becoming healthy, open-minded, respectful, active members of society. They are aware of, and can express, how school life allows them to demonstrate knowledge of British Values.