Outstanding PSHE teaching and learning enables our children to become independent, healthy, and responsible members of society. Weaving through the heart of our PSHE teaching is a commitment to enhancing and promoting the 5Cs (the core Elmhurst values); care, confidence, creativity, challenge, and character.
Our whole curriculum aims to enable all children, regardless of background, ability and additional needs to flourish and to become the best version of themselves. We want our children to be fully equipped with the tools to be resilient in the face of life’s challenges. For example, the Celebrating Difference unit, includes anti-bullying and diversity work on topics such as disability, sexism, racism, power dynamics, friendships and conflict resolution.
Meanwhile, within the Healthy Me unit a ‘mental health’ strand of learning is incrementally built upon from Reception up to Year 6, in a way that nurtures children’s understanding and develops their strategies to manage it. Understanding of these topics is bolstered through events in the school calendar such as Anti-Bullying Week and Children’s Mental Health Week. Additionally, a whole programme of assemblies have been designed to develop the children’s emotional and spiritual wellbeing, as well as their identity as part of the local and global community. This bespoke sequence of assemblies build on topics such as Being Me, Celebrating Difference and Healthy Me.
RSHE (Relationships, Sex and Health Education)
The focus for Relationships, Sex and Health Education at Elmhurst is teaching the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships, especially regarding friendships and family relationships. Children learn that we all have physical boundaries that should be respected and communicated, learning how to report appropriate and inappropriate touch. We also teach our children to understand the language they use and how when it is misused inappropriately, it can be an abuse of power that they learn how to challenge in a positive, non confrontational way.
We want a relationships, sex and health education curriculum that supports our pupils’ ongoing emotional and physical development and one that is tailored to the age and physical and emotional maturity of all pupils. We want to ensure that boys and girls are prepared for the changes that adolescence brings, in a community and faith-sensitive way.
As such, we have listened to and worked with the parents to ensure that they are content with our RSE curriculum. Our school has a diverse population and many parents have deeply held religious views. School leaders have engaged in numerous consultations with parents and governors, leading to sensible adaptations of the Jigsaw RSE curriculum that have been agreed upon by the governing body, parents, and teaching staff whilst not compromising on content.
For more information, please see our Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) Policy.
Implementation
PSHE is taught weekly from Reception to Year 6. We follow the Jigsaw scheme and the areas of study for each year group are as follows:
1. Being Me in My World. This includes understanding my place in the class, school, and global community as well as devising Learning Charters.
2. Celebrating Difference. This includes anti-bullying (cyber bullying included) and diversity work (including racism and gender stereotypes).
3. Dreams and Goals. This includes goal-setting, aspirations for yourself and the world and working together.
4. Healthy Me. This includes drugs and alcohol education, self-esteem, mental health, as well as healthy lifestyle choices.
5. Relationships. This includes understanding friendship, family and other relationships, conflict resolution, and communication skills.
6. Changing Me. This includes sex and relationships education in the context of coping positively with puberty and physical change.
We have adapted the scheme to fit the needs of our pupils and tailored it to the wider Elmhurst curriculum. Year Heads used their curriculum expertise to select suitable Jigsaw lessons whilst simultaneously ensuring that the rest of PSHE is being covered through the subjects such as the Online Safety Curriculum, Science, History, and Religious Education. Pupils work on the same theme in every year group at the same time.
These themes build on each other, introducing, consolidating and deepening a pupil's understanding of each topic in an age and ability appropriate way. Each unit is revisited and builds from reception to year 6 so that children’s understanding of each topic deepens and consolidates.
Every lesson begins with ‘Calm Me’ mindfulness practice, allowing children to emotionally regulate and build emotional resilience. The Jigsaw charter frames each lesson, creating a trusting, open environment to establish ground rules. The open-ended, discursive nature of the lessons ensures that those children with SEND can share their ideas in a welcoming environment.
Outcomes
At the heart of our motivation for PSHE is always making things better for children both now and in their futures. Our outstanding PSHE practice aims to equip children with the tools for the rich tapestry of diverse twenty-first-century living, equipping our little seeds with the tools to have big dreams.
Having used all our professional creativity to tailor Jigsaw to our children’s needs, our PSHE curriculum helps children learn more about themselves, their peers, and their communities, whilst acknowledging the challenges they may have to overcome. Our ultimate priority is for Elmhurst children to be healthy and happy, equipped to cope in the world, and aware of its beauty and theirs.
Please take a look at our PSHE Curriculum Map.
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