PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education)

KS1 & KS2 PSHE

Children at Little Mead study PSHE using the Jigsaw curriculum. Jigsaw PSHE Education (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) is a planned programme of learning through which children and young people acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to successfully manage their lives – now and in the future. As part of a whole-school approach, PSHE Education develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society.

According to the National Curriculum, every school needs to have a broad and balanced PSHE 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.

Primary schools in England also need to teach Relationships and Health Education as compulsory subjects and the Department for Education strongly recommends that they should also include age-appropriate Sex Education.

The Jigsaw PSHE curriculum supports all these requirements and has children’s wellbeing at its heart. 

The Jigsaw PSHE curriculum 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 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 at the same time at their own level.

There are six themes which the children explore throughout the year, 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.

 The six themes within Jigsaw PSHE are as follows:

• Being Me in My World: This theme covers a wide range of topics, including a sense of belonging, welcoming others and being part of a school community, a wider community, and a global community; it also looks at children’s rights and responsibilities, working and socialising with others, and pupil voice.
• Celebrating Difference: This theme focuses on similarities and differences and teaches about diversity, such as disability, racism, power, friendships, and conflict; children learn to accept everyone’s right to ‘difference’, and most year groups explore the concept of ‘normality’. Anti-bullying, including cyber and homophobic bullying, is an important aspect of this Puzzle.
• Dreams and Goals: This theme aims to help children think about their hopes and dreams, their goals for success, what their personal strengths are, and how to overcome challenges, using team-work skills and tasks. There is also a focus on enterprise and fundraising. Children learn about experiencing and managing feelings of pride, ambition, disappointment, success; and they get to share their aspirations, the dreams and goals of others in different cultures/countries, and their dreams for their community and the world.
• Healthy Me: This theme covers two main areas of health: Emotional/mental health (relaxation, being safe, friendships, mental health skills, body image, relationships with food, managing stress) and Physical health (eating a balanced diet, physical activity, rest and relaxation, keeping clean, drugs and alcohol, being safe, first aid). Most of the statutory content for Health Education (DfE) is contained within this theme.
• Relationships: This theme starts with building a respectful relationship with self and covers topics including families, friendships, pets and animals, and love and loss. A vital part of this Puzzle is about safeguarding and keeping children safe, this links to online safety and social networking. Children learn how to deal with conflict, build assertiveness skills, and identify their own strengths and strategies for building self-esteem and resilience. They explore roles and responsibilities in families and friendship groups and consider stereotypes.
• Changing Me: This theme deals with change of many types, from growing from young to old, becoming a teenager, assertiveness, puberty, self-respect and safeguarding. Each year group thinks about looking ahead, moving year groups or the transition to secondary school and how to cope positively with such changes. Life cycles and human reproduction are taught in some year groups at the school’s discretion. Jigsaw has produced a separate leaflet explaining the approach taken with Relationships and Sex Education which can be made available to parents and carers on request.

Click here for further information.

You can explore the Jigsaw PSHE curriculum further using the following link: Jigsaw Education Group