PSHE & RSE
WHAT WE SAY ABOUT PSHE & RSE AT DEAN BANK PRIMARY SCHOOL
“I look forward to Jigsaw lessons because we learn new things every week and we do fun activities.” – Kieren, Year 6
“In Jigsaw we get to talk about our feelings a lot and how certain situations make us feel.” – Lilly May, Year 5
“I love Jigsaw because we learn more about our feelings.” – Evelyn, Year 2
Intent
The PSHE curriculum at Dean Bank Primary School has been designed in accordance with the Early Years Foundation Stage and the National Curriculum. It has been shaped in order to allow students’ skills and knowledge to develop in a clear, progressive structure.
For our weekly PSHE lessons, we use the Jigsaw programme which covers the same overarching topic at the same half term in each year group. This helps to see progression in the children’s learning across the school and also means that we can have a whole school assembly to launch each new topic at the start of the half term. Teachers adapt the planning and activities suggested within the scheme to meet the needs of the pupils in their classes.
There are six puzzles in Jigsaw designed to progress in sequence from the beginning of each academic year:
Term 1: Being Me in My World
Term 2: Celebrating Difference (including anti-bullying)
Term 3: Dreams and Goals
Term 4: Healthy Me
Term 5: Relationships
Term 6: Changing Me (including Puberty and Human Reproduction Education)
The rationale and philosophy underpinning Jigsaw resources is based on mindfulness philosophy and practice, sound psychology and is evidence-based. Jigsaw have explored how the brain works and how learning happens to structure Jigsaw lessons to maximise these processes.
Teachers also plan additional bespoke lessons based on our school values and a school calendar of national events such as Black History Month, Remembrance Day and European Day of Languages to meet the needs of our pupils following advice from the subject leader.
implementation
At Dean Bank Primary School, we are committed to developing opportunities to promote SMSC within our curriculum and the daily life of the school as part of our ‘Curriculum for Life’. Each class has a ‘Curriculum for Life’ book where evidence from the Jigsaw lessons is presented along with further learning in PSHE and SMSC from our class assemblies and additional ‘Curriculum for Life’ sessions.
Each week the children have an assembly led by Mrs Hall dedicated to British Values and SMSC development, which is often based upon Picture News and discusses key issues each week linked to British Values and the protected characteristics. Classes then have a weekly class assembly where we reinforce these messages with linked tasks that are age appropriate for each key stage.
The long-term plan has been created in order to follow the principles of the Jigsaw PSHE scheme which is a whole school approach from EYFS upwards. Staff are expected to follow the planning provided by Jigsaw but they may adapt the activities to meet the needs of their class. They should familiarise themselves thoroughly with lesson content and activities.
PSHE Lessons
The creation of Jigsaw was motivated by the 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 is why Jigsaw is completely child-focused. This is reflected in the innovative way that pieces (lessons) are structured, which also reflects understanding of the learning process.
In each lesson it is imagined that children are asking the teacher to:
- Improve their social skills to better enable collaborative learning (Connect us)
- Relax their bodies and calm their minds to prepare them for learning (Calm me)
- Help the brain to focus on specific learning intentions (Open my mind)
- Initiate new learning (Tell me or show me)
- Facilitate learning activities to reinforce the new learning (Let me learn)
- Support them in reflecting on their learning and personal development (Help me reflect)
Using these child-centred headings for the sections of each piece is very significant. It encourages teachers to see their pupils as whole children who want and deserve to learn.
PSHE in EYFS
In EYFS, there is Jigsaw planning for nursery age (3-4) and reception age (4-5) children. The children will largely follow the scheme for their age but teachers may decide to choose activities from the other pack based on pupils’ needs. As in the rest of the school, there are six puzzles, one for each half-term through the school year.
Jigsaw PSHE is based upon the idea that very young children are intrinsically curious, questioning and spiritual, and can, with well-planned teaching and learning opportunities, gain knowledge, skills and experience that support their ongoing development.
Jigsaw PSHE could contribute to most of the areas of learning in EYFS, particularly when a goal or challenge is chosen for or by the children, however, the most significant are:
- personal, social and emotional development
- communication and language
- understanding the world
The numerous contributions to Physical Development are also relevant as is the contribution the Jigsaw songs and use of music can make to the Expressive Arts and Design area.
impact
Teachers will be using formative assessment continually within their teaching and using this to support children to develop the appropriate knowledge and skills. They will then use recall and retrieval activities to support students to retain information and support their own ongoing assessment. Summative assessment statements used by staff are based upon guidance from Jigsaw.
In EYFS, teachers will use the setting’s assessment system to track progress against the prime and specific areas but will also record evidence of children developing key skills and knowledge through the use of Seesaw.
More about Picture News
As Picture News is based on up to date news events there is no long term planning but you can click here for the coverage document that indicates what was covered last year. Find out more about Picture News on their website here.
Jigsaw uses a half-termly scheme with each class covering a similar topic each half term but at an age appropriate level. Each half term, the topic is introduced in a whole school assembly by Mrs Hall before the children then learn more about the topic each week.