'The Things that make me DIFFERENT are the things that make ME' - Pooh Bear

Intent

Our intention is that when children leave Aston Clinton, they will do so with the knowledge, understanding and emotions to be able to play an active, positive and successful role in today’s diverse society. We want our children to have high aspirations, a belief in themselves and realise that anything is possible if they put their mind to it. In an ever–changing world, it is important that they are aware, to an appropriate level, of different factors which will affect their world and that they learn how to deal with these so that they have good mental health and well-being.  This is why we refer to PSHE as 'Healthy Body, Healthy Mind'.  

Our PSHE curriculum develops learning, and results in the acquisition of knowledge and skills which will enable children to access the wider curriculum and prepare them to be a global citizen now and in their future roles within the international community. It promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils, preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. Our Relationships and Sex Education theme enables our children to learn how to be safe, and understand and develop healthy relationships, both now and in their future lives.

Implementation

Children are taught PSHE (Healthy Body, Healthy Mind) using ‘Jigsaw’ which is a spiral, progressive scheme of work, which 'aims to prepare children for life, helping them to know and value who they are and understand how they relate to other people in this ever-changing world’. There is a strong emphasis on emotional Literacy, building resilience and nurturing mental and physical health. It includes mindfulness to allow children to advance their emotional awareness, concentration and focus.

At Aston Clinton, in addition to Relationships Education, we also teach aspects of Sex Education which is covered in our Science Curriculum. Alongside this we teach about different kinds of relationships, including same sex relationships, and gender identity because it is important that our children should have an understanding of the full diversity of the world they live in and be prepared for life in modern Britain. The Sex Education aspects of PSHE are also taught through the ‘Jigsaw’.

To ensure a depth and accuracy of learning which builds upon prior learning, all classes undertake weekly PSHE lessons.  As a school, we follow a set theme each half term, which is introduced in a whole school assembly.

There are 6 lessons per theme and every lesson 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). Lessons are underpinned by the Jigsaw behaviour charter, which reinforces respect for each other – taking turns, being kind and positive and respecting confidentiality.

The 6 Jigsaw themes are:

Wider Curriculum  

• Children with additional PSHE needs have opportunities to engage in 1-2-1 or small group work with our Emotional Support Worker and, where appropriate, we use the Boxall Assessment Tool to support our understanding of the best programmes of support.

• We believe that focusing on developing a 'Growth Mindset' in our children will help them to build resilience, independence and confidence; embrace challenge; foster a love of learning; and increase their level of happiness. We do this through the approach we use in class, praising children for their efforts, and using language to encourage children to change their way of thinking. This supports both our school and PSHE aims and values, and we focus on Growth Mindsets in all aspects of school life.      

• We encourage our pupils to develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community.                                                                                                               
• Assemblies are linked to PSHE, British Values and Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC), and cover any additional sessions that would benefit the whole school.                                                        
• PSHE, British Values and SMSC displays throughout school reinforce the PSHE curriculum enabling children to make links.
• 'Buzz Fortnight' supports children transition from one year to the next and enables us to focus on supporting children's understanding of self-identity

Impact

Our children will demonstrate a healthy outlook towards school, and attendance will be at least in line with national levels. Our delivery of PSHE will also impact on our children’s behaviour socially, in the playground and as learners in the classroom. Through our RSE curriculum children will become confident individuals who have positive body awareness, an in depth knowledge of how to keep themselves safe and healthy, and who will, through respect, tolerance and understanding, forge and maintain positive relationships with a diverse range of family and friendship groups. They will grow up to be positive contributors to society.

At Aston Clinton School, we continuously assess the implementation and impact of our Jigsaw lessons so that all pupils grow and flourish as lifelong learners.  Teachers will use multiple methods to evaluate the impact of their teaching on pupils learning, to ensure that they make progress. The range of measures used include:

• Continuous assessment from teachers during individual lessons, which adapt and plan for necessary changes within the scheme based on individual need.
• Pupil voice surveys are used to assess knowledge of themselves as learners and be emotionally confident within the school.
• Circle times, class assemblies and whole school worship allow opportunities to address needs as they arise.
• Through meta-cognition and a growth mindset approach pupils are able to explain their learning and identify their own areas for development.
• Book looks and learning walks are used to gain a holistic understanding of the child’s learning including pride in their work, self-confidence, as well as their ability to explain their learning.

Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)

At Aston Clinton school, our RSE curriculum is firmly embedded in our Jigsaw (PSHE) curriculum

An important part of the Jigsaw PSHE programme is delivered through the 'Relationships' and 'Changing Me' puzzle pieces which are covered in the summer term.

There are four main aims of teaching RSE:

• To enable children to understand and respect their bodies

• To help children develop positive and healthy relationships appropriate to their age and development

• To support children to have positive self-esteem and body image

• To empower them to be safe and safeguarded.

Each year group will be taught appropriate to their age and developmental stage. At no point will a child be taught something that is inappropriate; and if a question from a child arises and the teacher feels it would be inappropriate to answer, (for example, because of its mature or explicit nature), this information will be shared with you by your child’s class teacher. The question will not be answered to the child or class if it is outside the remit of that year group’s programme.

Prior to commencement of this puzzle piece you will receive an email reminding you of its content.  

Below is a summary of RSE coverage within the Jigsaw scheme for each year group:

• Foundation Stage - Growing up: how we have changed since we were babies

• Year 1 - Boys’ and girls’ bodies; naming body parts

• Year 2 - Boys’ and girls’ bodies; body parts and respecting privacy (which parts of the body are private and

   why this is)

• Year 3 - How babies grow and how boys’ and girls’ bodies change as they grow older

• Year 4 - Internal and external reproductive body parts, body changes in girls and menstruation

• Year 5 - Puberty for boys and girls, and conception

• Year 6 - Puberty for boys and girls and understanding conception to birth of a baby

Further information about how the school approaches the teaching of Relationships and Sex Education through the Jigsaw programme can be found within the documents listed below:

Overviews, Sample Knowledge Organisers & Resources

For more details about your child's learning, please use the following link to the year group learning pages.

Further Resources and Information