At Isle of Ely Primary School, we use Jigsaw to teach PSHE and RSE.
PSHE and RSHE at Isle of Ely Primary School
Intent
At Isle of Ely Primary School, we teach Personal, Social, Health Education as a whole-school approach to underpin children’s development as people and because we believe that this also supports their learning capacity.
Jigsaw covers all the requirements of the government guidance and outcomes, and more. The Relationships and Healthy Me Puzzles (units) cover most of the aspects in the guidance but these are enhanced, revisited and foundations built throughout the Jigsaw Programme. Jigsaw’s philosophy starts by building positive self-image, a sense of identity and a healthy relationship with self, and from that starting point helps children grow healthy relationships with others.
Here, at Isle of Ely Primary School we value PSHE as one way to support children’s development as human beings, to enable them to understand and respect who they are, to empower them with a voice and to equip them for life and learning.
Implementation
Jigsaw 3-11 offers a comprehensive Programme for Primary PSHE including statutory Relationships and Health Education, in a spiral, progressive and fully planned scheme of work, giving children relevant learning experiences to help them navigate their world and to develop positive relationships with themselves and others.
Jigsaw consists of six half-term units of work (Puzzles), each containing six lessons (Pieces) covering each academic year.
Autumn 1: Being Me in My World
Autumn 2: Celebrating Difference (including anti-bullying)
Spring 1: Dreams and Goals
Spring 2: Healthy Me
Summer 1: Relationships
Summer 2: Changing Me (including Sex Education)
Every Piece has two Learning Intentions, one specific to Relationships and Health Education (PSHE) (in purple) and the other designed to develop emotional literacy and social skills (in green). Puzzles are launched with a whole-school assembly containing an original song, with each year group studying the same unit at the same time (at their own level), building sequentially through the school year, facilitating whole-school learning themes.
The various teaching and learning activities are engaging and mindful of different learning styles and the need for differentiation and the Early Years (EYFS) planning is aligned to the National Early Years Framework (England). Each lesson is built upon a Charter which underpins the behaviour and respect that is the basis for each lesson (one is provided within Jigsaw, but children and their teacher can write their own to ensure mutual respect and ownership). The lessons then split into 6 parts, all of which should be included in every session to ensure that the learning follows the optimum progression.
In addition to weekly Jigsaw lessons, each puzzle piece (unit) is launched with a whole school assembly at the start of each half term. These assemblies introduce the school to the topic, they provide experience of being a community, focussing on the same learning theme in every year group, thereby raising the profile of this learning.
Impact
PSHE is not an isolated subject and its impact is observed and monitored within the school community, through behaviours observed during learning walks and speaking with pupils directly. Jigsaw helps us to develop a positive school culture and pupils are able to develop and share their knowledge and understanding of how they can manage risk and keep themselves safe.
The Jigsaw cohesive vision helps children understand and value how they fit into and contribute to the world, staying safe, developing their emotional literacy, building resilience and nurturing mental and physical health. Through the mindfulness element of PSHE, children advance their emotional awareness, developing their ability to concentrate, focus and identify areas for self-improvement. PSHE education helps pupils to achieve their academic potential and prepares children for their next steps in education.