PSHE Curriculum

Intent

At Eastchurch, it is our intent that all children will be ‘lifelong learners’ with the confidence and ability to develop their skills and understanding when having new experiences, meeting new challenges and finding themselves in unfamiliar situations. We share a cohesive vision to help children to understand and value how they and others fit into and contribute to the world. We have a strong emphasis on emotional literacy, building resilience and nurturing mental and physical health through the delivery of a programme of engaging and relevant PSHE within a whole school approach. We also promote and practise mindfulness allowing children to advance their emotional awareness, concentration and focus. Our approach aims to develop the qualities and attributes children need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society and the global community.

Implementation

PSHE at Eastchurch is implemented using the JIGSAW programme which is a whole school approach. Progression in skills and knowledge in the subject is outlined in the PSHE progression grid. The curriculum for PSHE is delivered throughout the whole school. The six topics covered are: Being Me in My World, Celebrating Difference, Dreams and Goals, Healthy Me, Relationships and Changing Me. Learning in each topic then takes place during weekly whole class Jigsaw lessons which explore the different themes. These themes are also embedded through all other lessons and the whole school day with everyone supporting and encouraging the children they interact with to use the skills they are developing and to make links to other areas of learning.

The aims of PSHE and Jigsaw within Eastchurch are to provide children with:

- accurate and relevant knowledge

- opportunities to create personal understanding

- opportunities to explore and challenge a range of values, attitudes, beliefs, rights and responsibilities

- a range of skills and strategies to live a healthy, safe, fulfilling, responsible, financially literate and balanced life

Our PSHE programme deals with the diverse beliefs, values and attitudes that individuals and societies hold. It helps pupils to develop themselves, their understanding of the world, and their ability to communicate their feelings. Children at Eastchurch also acquire an understanding and experiences of British values that are necessary if they are to make sense of their experiences, value themselves, respect others, appreciate differences and feel confident and informed as a British citizen.

PSHE – RSE

Intent

At Eastchurch Primary School, good relationships are fundamental to our ethos and our success in being a happy, caring and safe school. Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) is lifelong learning about relationships, emotions, looking after ourselves, different families, sex, sexuality and sexual health. We aim for the children in our school to acquire the appropriate knowledge, develop their skills and form positive beliefs, values and attitudes. RSE has a key part to play in the personal, social, moral and spiritual development of young people.

Implementation

RSE is taught as explicit lessons through the PSHE and science curriculums but is also embedded in other areas of the curriculum and day-to-day life of the school. In PSHE, RSE is specifically covered in the units ‘Relationships’ and ‘Changing Me’ and in science ‘Animals Including Humans’ and ‘Living Things and Their Habitats’ also cover the statutory requirements; other elements are also covered in the Religious Education curriculum. Children are taught by familiar adults who they have a good rapport with, in order to facilitate constructive and supportive discussions around sensitive topics in a safe and secure environment. Staff have received in-house CPD to support them in responding to the needs of the individual child and support children with any questions or concerns they may have. If staff feel uncomfortable or unsure when delivering the RSE curriculum or dealing with individual pupil needs, they know where to seek advice and support. The RSE curriculum has been mapped out clearly in the progression grids for PSHE and science which ensure coverage of all of the statutory elements by the end of the primary phase; these are delivered at the appropriate stage for our children. Our high expectations of behaviour, interpersonal relationships, respect and tolerance of others reflect the British Values upheld in both our community and the wider world. Through our rigorous and progressive curriculum, children develop key skills and are prepared for the wider world beyond primary school, a world in which they can keep themselves safe and healthy and thrive with the support of the positive relationships they forge with those around them.