PSHE at Christ Church

At Christ Church, we follow the Jigsaw scheme to deliver PSHE. Jigsaw brings together PSHE Education, emotional literacy, social skills and spiritual development in a comprehensive scheme of learning. It is a whole school approach, with all year groups working on the same theme (Puzzle) at the same time.

With the Jigsaw approach, mindfulness is developed through the ‘Calm Me’ time in each piece (lesson). This consists of breathing techniques, awareness exercises and visualisations. 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 for our children!

There are six Puzzles in Jigsaw that are designed to progress in sequence from September to July:

Being Me in My World
Celebrating Difference (including anti-bullying)
Dreams and Goals
Healthy Me
Relationships
Changing Me (including Sex Education)

Each 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.

The creation of Jigsaw is motivated by the genuine belief that if attention is paid to supporting children’s personal development in a structured and developmentally appropriate way, this will not only improve their capacity to learn (across the curriculum) but will ultimately improve their life chances. That’s why Jigsaw is completely child-focussed.

This is reflected in the innovative way that Pieces (lessons) are structured:

Connect us – This section is designed to maximise social skills, to engender positive relationships and enhance collaborative learning.

Calm me - This section aims to still the children’s minds, relaxing them and quietening their emotions to a place of optimum learning capacity. This will also engender a peaceful atmosphere within the classroom. It is an invaluable life skill which also enhances reflection and spiritual development.

Tell me or show me - This section is used to introduce new information, concepts and skills, using a range of teaching approaches and activities.

Let me learn - Following Piaget’s learning model, after receiving new information/concepts, children need to manipulate, use, and play with that new information in order for it to make sense to them and for them to ‘accommodate’ it into their existing learning.

Help me reflect -Throughout Jigsaw, children are encouraged to reflect on their learning experiences and their progress. By reflecting, children can process and evaluate what they have learnt, which enables them to consolidate and apply their learning.

Our children have really loved all their PSHE lessons following the Jigsaw scheme and we believe our children have been allowed to develop a greater understanding of their personal, social and health wellbeing as a result. It is definitely broadening our children’s outlook and perceptions of the world around them!

Click here for the Jigsaw EYFS Curriculum Overview

Click here for the Jigsaw Year 1 Curriculum Overview

Click here for the Jigsaw Year 2 Curriculum Overview

Click here for the Jigsaw Year 3 Curriculum Overview

Click here for the Jigsaw Year 4 Curriculum Overview

Click here for the Jigsaw Year 5 Curriculum Overview

Click here for the Jigsaw Year 6 Curriculum Overview

Relationship and Sex Education at Christ Church

What is Relationship and Sex Education (RSE)?

Relationship and Sex Education is lifelong learning about physical, moral and emotional development. It is about the understanding of the importance of marriage for family life, stable and loving relationships, respect, love and care. It is also about the teaching of sex, sexuality, and sexual health. It is not about the promotion of sexual activity – this would be inappropriate teaching (Department for Education and Employment, SRE Guidance, 2000). The National Curriculum framework document states that 'All schools should make provision for personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), drawing on good practice.’

At Christ Church, we will be guided by Christian principles and act with integrity, objectivity, love and honesty in the best interests of the children and the school. The school will look to use these principles when teaching the children about sex and relationships education. From September 2020 Relationships Education will become statutory in Primary schools in England, with government guidance being offered during 2018/19 as to the expected content of this curriculum.

Why is RSE needed?

More than ever before, children are exposed to representations of sex and sexuality through the media/social media and the social culture around them, so we need to present a balanced view of RSE and help them to be discerning and stay safe.
Rates of sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) and teenage pregnancy in the UK are relatively high – as is the regret felt by young people after early sexual experiences.
Research shows that most parents say they want the support of schools in providing RSE for their children.
Research consistently shows that effective RSE delays first sexual experience and reduces risk- taking.
Surveys of children and young people, as well as Ofsted, have repeatedly shown that RSE tends to be “too little, too late and too biological”.

Evidence suggests that high quality RSE actually delays young people’s first sexual experience, and it helps them become much more confident and comfortable about making informed choices. Good and appropriate RSE takes away children’s ignorance, not their innocence.

Teaching about safety and relationships as part of PSHE contributes to how schools approach the safeguarding of pupils. It helps them to recognise when they and others are at risk and equips them with the skills, strategies and language they need to take appropriate action. This is crucial to fulfilling statutory duties in relation to safeguarding pupils as well as to meeting Ofsted expectations. Ofsted expressed concern in its 2013 PSHE report that a lack of high-quality, age-appropriate RSE in over a third of schools left young people vulnerable to inappropriate sexual behaviours and exploitation. It is clear, therefore, that PSHE plays a vital part in helping to meet our responsibilities to safeguard our pupils, your children.

There are four main aims for teaching RSE within the context of Primary School PSHE (Personal, Social, and Health Education):

To enable young people to understand and respect their bodies, and be able to cope with the changes puberty brings, without fear or confusion.
To help young people develop positive and healthy relationships appropriate to their age, development etc. (respect for self and others).
To support young people to have positive self-esteem and body image, and to understand the influences and pressures around them.
To empower them to be safe and safeguarded.

What will my child actually be taught in RSE?

The 'Changing Me' and 'Relationships' units will be taught at the start of the Summer where each year group will be taught appropriate to their age and developmental stage. Please note: 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), the child will be encouraged to ask his/her parents or carers at home, and the question will not be answered to the child or class if it is outside the remit of that year group’s programme.

EYFS	Growing up: how we have changed since we were babies
Year 1	Boys’ and girls’ bodies; naming body parts using anatomical terms
Year 2	Boys’ and girls’ bodies; body parts (anatomical terms) and respecting privacy (which parts of the body are private and why this is)
Year 3	How babies grow and how boys’ and girls’ bodies change as they grow older
Year 4	Internal and external reproductive body parts, body changes in girls and menstruation
Year 5	Puberty for boys and girls, and conception
Year 6	Puberty for boys and girls and understanding conception to birth of a baby

All lessons are taught using simple, child-friendly language and pictures, which help children understand changes more effectively. As part of the lessons for Years 5 and 6, we aim for a school nurse to be present to further discuss any questions that may arise. During this visit, girls in years 5 and 6 may be shown a box of sanitary towels/tampons alongside an information leaflet. The key concepts that children learn in Jigsaw are inner strength, self-esteem and resilience. These are really important as they help keep children safe and it helps them make healthy decisions later in life.

Can my child be taken out of PSHE lessons on RSE?

With reference to the new guidance from the DfE, Relationships Education and Health Education is now compulsory from September 2021. Children cannot be withdrawn from Health Education which includes Puberty. At Christ Church, children in Years 4-6 are taught Sex Education and parents can choose to withdraw their child from this if they wish to. However, they are not permitted to withdraw their child from the Sex Education included in the National Curriculum Science Orders, as Science is a statutory subject.

If you are considering taking your child out of RSE lessons within PSHE, please consider the following:

All the other children in your child’s class will have been taught this information and may well talk to your child about it, perhaps in the playground… and potentially mislead them or confuse them as a result. It may prove far better to allow experienced and sensitive teaching staff to teach your child in a progressive, developmental way.

There is a useful guide for Parents/Carers who may be considering discussing sex and relationship with the children at home that can be accessed below.

Christ Church C of E Primary