Personal, Social and Health Education and Relationships and Sex Education at Thingwall
At Thingwall Primary School, we teach Personal, Social, Health Education and Relationships and Sex Education as a whole-school approach to underpin children’s development as people and because we believe that this also supports their learning capacity.
We currently teach PSHE and RSE using the Jigsaw Programme which offers us a comprehensive, carefully thought-through Scheme of Work bringing consistency and progression to our children’s learning in this vital curriculum area.
Jigsaw covers all areas of PSHE and RSE for the EYFS and primary phase including statutory Relationships and Health Education. The table below gives the learning theme of each of the six Puzzles (units) and these are taught across the school; the learning deepens and broadens every year.
| Term | Puzzle (Unit) | Content |
| Autumn 1: | Being Me in My World | Includes understanding my own identity and how I fit well in the class, school and global community. Jigsaw Charter established. |
| Autumn 2: | Celebrating Difference | Includes anti-bullying (cyber and homophobic bullying included) and understanding |
| Spring 1: | Dreams and Goals | Includes goal-setting, aspirations, who do I want to become and what would I like to do for work and to contribute to society |
| Spring 2: | Healthy Me | Includes drugs and alcohol education, self-esteem and confidence as well as healthy lifestyle choices, sleep, nutrition, rest and exercise |
| Summer 1: | Relationships | Includes understanding friendship, family and other relationships, conflict resolution and communication skills, bereavement and loss |
| Summer 2: | Changing Me | Includes Relationships and Sex Education in the context of coping positively with change |
At Thingwall Primary School we allocate 1 lesson to PSHE each week in order to teach the PSHE knowledge and skills in a developmental and age-appropriate way. The lessons are taught by the class teacher or another substantive member of staff.
These explicit lessons are reinforced and enhanced in many ways:
Assemblies and collective worship, praise and reward system, through relationships child to child, adult to child and adult to adult across the school. We aim to ‘live’ what is learnt and apply it to everyday situations in the school community.
Jigsaw aims to help children know and value who they really are and how they relate to other people in this ever-changing world.
This also supports the “Personal Development” and “Behaviour and Attitude” aspects required under the Ofsted Inspection Framework, as well as significantly contributing to the school’s Safeguarding and Equality Duties, the Government’s British Values agenda and the SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social, Cultural) development opportunities provided for our children.
We can see the impact of the programme through the programme through the behaviours and attitudes of the pupils within school and their relationships with each other.
PHSE and RSE in the Early Years
Within the Early Years PHSE is delivered as part of the Personal, Social and Emotional development strand of the curriculum. The children will work towards the Early Learning Goals as set out in the EYFS through continuous provision and adult led activities.
During the Early Years children will also have access to the Jigsaw scheme of work and follow the same six 'puzzle pieces' which are taught across the whole school. Through this children learn about how to express their emotions, consider the thoughts and feelings of others whilst gaining understanding of building relationships. Lessons are mostly discussion based with small linked activities however through continuous provision children will begin to further practise what they have learnt within their Jigsaw sessions.