Aims

PSHE stands for Personal, Social, Health and Economic education. It is an important and necessary part of all pupils’ education. Whilst it is a non-statutory subject, it includes a range of statutory content outlined in the national curriculum and within specific guidance on safeguarding, drugs education, financial education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and health education.

At Ark Blacklands, we are committed to providing a broad and balanced life-skills curriculum through PSHE education. This is taught through the three strands of Relationships and Sex Education, Health Education and Living in the Wider World. Our PSHE curriculum is essential to providing pupils with the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to manage their lives now, and in the future. Through quality delivery, it aims to develop:

  • Confident individuals who know and understand how to live safe, happy, healthy and fulfilling lives
  • Young people who are able to maintain positive, respectful and healthy relationships, within which they can thrive personally and socially
  • Responsible citizens who understand they have rights and responsibilities that help them to make a positive contribution to society
  • Successful learners who enjoy discovering new knowledge, making progress and achieving success

PSHE Overview

Curriculum Approach

At Ark Blacklands, we use the Jigsaw mindful and child-centred approach to PSHE. It is an original and comprehensive scheme of learning which integrates personal, social, health and economic education with emphasis on emotional literacy, mental health and SMSC, especially spiritual development. Jigsaw aims to help children know and value who they really are and how they relate to other people in this ever-changing world.

Our curriculum covers the development and learning of children in health, relationships and mental wellbeing and actively promotes children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development.

The knowledge and skills across the three main strands of PSHE education build sequentially through the following topics in Years 1 – 6, with pupils often revisiting an idea or concept again in a later unit:

  • Being Me in My World
  • Celebrating Differences
  • Dreams & Goals
  • Changing Me
  • Relationships
  • Healthy Me

The PSHE curriculum at Ark Blacklands, including RSE, is regularly reviewed to reflect the needs of the pupil population. In addition to regular PSHE lessons, we include specific teaching on wellbeing and mindfulness as well as enabling pupils to be reflective and able to self-regulate through an approach called Zones of Regulation. PSHE teaching often works with pupils’ real-life experiences, addressing a range of personal, social, emotional and health issues. A safe, supportive and respectful learning environment is created by establishing clear ground rules, developed and agreed with all pupils. Lessons are also characterised by active and interactive engagement. In every unit, a variety of teaching and learning styles are used including videos, information sheets, visual aids, games, story books, pictures and drawing, role play and visits by external professionals and theatre groups, for example. The non-statutory content relating to sex education is offered in the Changing Me term. Arrangements for parents to withdraw pupils from sex education lessons are clearly set out in the PSHE (inc. RSE) policy on our website.

Finally, as an inclusive school, Ark Blacklands values difference and diversity within our school community and the wider world. As such, PSHE education is delivered within the context of our school Habits of Success:

  • Responsibility, Courage, Independence, Curiosity, Determination, Aspiration and Resilience

We believe that pupils should receive comprehensive, balanced and accurate information that relates to their needs. In exploring their own feelings and attitudes, and those of peers and wider society, our pupils are able to develop values on which to base decisions about relationships, health and living in the wider world.

PDF iconPSHE Curriculum

Further Information

What is RSHE Education?

Teaching Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) as a fundamental part of the curriculum.

At Blacklands our aim is to provide effective, age-appropriate RSHE education that meets the needs of all our pupils within an inclusive and supportive learning environment using non-biased resources. Our experienced and skilled teachers are committed to giving children the skills, knowledge and values necessary to live and learn safely in the modern world.

RSHE will be taught using the Jigsaw Scheme that enables pupils to build on their prior learning by revisiting some themes to further develop knowledge, values and skills in an age and stage-appropriate manner.  Some themes are repeated as children move through the school to enable a deeper exploration of the related issues.

We invited parents and carers to attend a virtual parent’s information session in November 2020. In this, our subject lead talked through our proposed RSHE Policy, our approach to teaching and the curriculum content to be delivered to our pupils. Parents and carers were then invited to share their views via an online survey. We recieved 130 responses whcih were overwhelmingly positive. A full overview of the feedback can be viewed here:

PDF iconParent/carer consultation survey report: RSHE & PSHE Education Policy

The vast majority of RSHE is compulsory. There is no right to withdraw from Relationships Education or Health Education.

Parents and carers are only able to request that their child is excused from Sex Education, taught outside of the national curriculum for science. If a parent wishes their child to be excused from some or all of the non-statutory Sex Education, they should discuss this with the Principal, making clear which aspects of the programme they do not wish their child to participate in. The Principal will outline to parents/carers the benefits of receiving this important education and any detrimental effects that withdrawal might have on the child. This could include any social and emotional effects of being excluded as well as the likelihood of the child hearing their peers’ version of what was said in the classes rather than what was directly said by the teacher (although detrimental effects may be mitigated if the parents/carers propose to deliver sex education to their child at home instead).

Once a decision has been made, parents/carers must inform the school in writing stating their reasons as to why they would like their child withdrawn. Once these discussions have taken place, except in exceptional circumstances, our school will respect a parent/carers’ request to have their child excused from non-statutory sex education up to and until three terms before the child turns 16. After that point, if the child wishes to receive sex education, rather than be withdrawn, the school should make arrangements to provide the child with sex education during one of those terms. The school will document this process. Please also read RSHE A Guide for parents and carers Leaflet 2020 below.

Jigsaw – The mindful approach

This  programme helps us to deliver emotional literacy, social skills, mindfulness and spiritual development in a cohesive, comprehensive and creative way. Each class from Reception to Year 6 has a weekly lesson that promotes these very important aspects of learning. The lessons are supported by video clips, powerpoint presentations, music and discussions as well as a class mascot!

The whole school follows the same theme every half term pitched at the appropriate level. The themes are:-

  • Being Me in My World
  • Celebrating Difference
  • Dreams and Goals
  • Changing Me
  • Relationships
  • Healthy Me

Our Policy

PDF iconRSHE Policy

Information for Parents

PDF iconRSHE Letter to Parents re Consultation

PDF iconJigsaw Information Leaflet for Families

PDF iconJigsaw RSHE- a guide for parents and carers leaflet 2020

PDF iconJigsaw LGBT Leaflet for Families

PDF iconTop Tips for Talking to Your Child

PDF iconDfE Frequently asked questions SRE Statutory guidance

PDF iconUnderstanding Relationships and Health Education in your child’s primary school: a guide for parents

British Values

Jigsaw PSHE helps promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

PDF iconBritish-Values-Coverage-by-year-group.pdf

SMSC

Jigsaw PSHE actively promotes children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development.

PDF iconExample-Jigsaw-plan-referring-to-SMSC-coverage.pdf