PSHE
PSHE Subject Coordinator - Miss Evans
Intent
PSHE at Moat Farm Infant School lays the foundations for factual knowledge required by young people in later years. Effective PSHE lessons, encourage children to reflect upon and develop their own values, attributes, personal and social skills including awareness of the values of their own community and others, whilst understanding the beliefs and ideas of their peers and increase their knowledge and understanding, so that they are able to make informed decisions and life choices both now and in the future. This includes positive benefits of loving, rewarding, safe and responsible relationships, developing positive mental health and emotional well-being and develop the skills to be digitally safe. Thus, we hope that the PSHE curriculum at Moat Farm Infant School will allow children to be independent, curious and confident individuals.
Implementation
We believe that PSHE plays a vital part of Primary Education and is taught explicitly across all year groups within weekly Jigsaw lessons. Our PSHE lessons capture the requirements of the Department for Education for all schools ‘to promote the fundamental British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs’. Jigsaw is a comprehensive PSHE Education programme which has two aims for all children: to build their capacity for learning; to provide children with the knowledge and skills to equip them for life. Jigsaw brings together PSHE Education, emotional literacy, mindfulness, social skills and spiritual development. Jigsaw is a whole school approach, with all year groups working on the same theme (puzzle) at the same time.
There are six Puzzles (half-term units of work) each with six lessons which link directly with our school values:
• Being Me in My Word – Collaboration
• Celebrating Difference – Respect
• Dreams and Goals – Creativity
• Healthy Me – Perseverance
• Relationships – Caring
• Changing Me – Reflectiveness
Every year group studies the same Puzzle at the same time (sequentially ordered from September to July), allowing for whole school themes. Each year group is taught one lesson per week and all lessons are delivered in an age-appropriate so that they meet children’s needs. Our PSHE curriculum is constructed using statutory guidance detailed in Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education, 2020. In Key Stage 1, each Jigsaw lesson has two learning intentions and are highlighted in either purple or green. The purple learning intention is specific to Relationships and Health Education and the green learning intention is designed to develop emotional literacy and social skills.
Jigsaw lessons follow a set structure that focuses on promoting a calm and safe environment which is grounded in mutual respect and ownership. This is underpinned at the beginning of the school year through sharing The Jigsaw Charter. There are seven elements that we follow in each Jigsaw lesson:
Connect us – This is conducted through a game or activity designed to be fun and inclusive to build and maximise social skills which encourages building positive relationships and enhances collaborative learning.
Calm me – This section of the lessons helps the children to relax and quieten their thought and emotions to a place of optimum learning capacity. This moment also enhances reflection and spiritual development which underpins the mindful approach that Jigsaw advocates.
Open my mind – Though this element, we promote the most important aspects of the lesson to the children. If done well, this will filter out activity around them that is not significant to the learning intention.
Tell me or show me – This element is used to introduce new information, concepts and skills using a range of teaching approaches and activities.
Let me learn – After receiving new learning through information, concepts and skills, children need to manipulate, use and play with new learning in order to internalise it and accommodate it into their existing learning.
Help me reflect – Throughout Jigsaw, children are encouraged to reflect on their learning experiences and progress of the lesson. Through this, children can process and evaluate what they have learning allowing time for consolidation and application.
Closure – At the end of each Jigsaw sessions there needs to be safe closure. This includes the teacher praising the children for their effort and contributions in addition to a brief summary in about the key learning points for the children in the lesson.
In addition to our Jigsaw scheme, we implement circle times to discuss arising issues within the wider world or community, important news events, real-life concepts allowing children to debate, question and discuss. We use the safeguarding programmes ‘NSPCC Speak out. Stay safe.’ and ‘NSPCC PANTS’ to support children’s understanding of; what abuse it and how to recognise it and to support them in understanding their body belongs to themselves. These sessions are delivered at an age-appropiate level to the children.
Impact
Throughout their time at Moat Farm Infant School, our children are able to; understand and manage their emotions, look after their own mental health, physical health and well-being, develop positive and healthy relationships with their peers which they can apply in the future and recognise and apply the British Values to everyday life.
Monitoring in PSHE tells us that 19.2% of our Reception children are on track, upon entry to our school and by the end of Year 2, 92% of children are on track and have achieved the age-related expectations. Our children enjoy PSHE and say it is a safe space where they can talk to their peers and adults about their feelings and emotions. It is evident that most children are able to self-regulate their emotions appropriately. This is as a result of the mindfulness approach to learning our PSHE lessons adopt. At Moat Farm Infant School, our children are equipped with the necessary skills that enable them to progress into healthy, independent and proactive members of their communities; who challenge stereotypes and break perceived barriers that may impact upon their future potential.
Non-negotiables for PSHE
• In Reception and KS1, PSHE is taught weekly.
• Prior learning is consolidated at the beginning of each session.
• The learning ladybird is shared with children at the beginning of the session and is referred back to at the end of the lesson to consolidate learning.
• Opportunities are built upon during child-initiated play in Early Years to encourage turn-taking, being a kind friend, being resilient and persevering.
• All staff encourage children to show a resilient and persevering attitude towards daily challenges.
• A safe and calm environment is created at the beginning of each lesson.
• A floorbook per class in Reception to record all PSHE learning throughout the year.
• Evidence in floorbooks to be recorded in a variety of ways including but not limited to; photographs, blurbs and mind-maps.
• PSHE moments to be captured through photographs and shared with the children to retrieve prior learning in KS1.
• Enhancement days throughout the year including; World Mental Health Week, Children in Need, Anti-Bullying Week, NSPCC Speak out. Stay safe.
End of Key Stage Intentions for PSHE
Useful Websites and Links:
Downloads
PSHE Information
NSPCC PANTS
Mindfulness Activities
