St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School

St Thomas of Canterbury
Catholic Primary School "Jesus is at the heart of everything we think, do and say"

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE)

Click here to view our PSHE curriculum overview

Intent

 

PSHE is not a statutory subject in the National Curriculum.  However, the National Curriculum states that ‘all schools should make provision for personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), drawing on good practice’.

At St Thomas of Canterbury, it is our intent that all pupils will be ‘lifelong learners’ with the confidence and ability to develop their skills and understanding to play a positive and successful role within our society, both as a child and as an adult within the future. We offer a nurturing and inclusive learning environment in which each child is encouraged to develop their full potential and where their individual achievements and successes are celebrated and rewarded. Our PSHE curriculum is tailored to the needs and requirements of our school community and we adapt our curriculum to meet any specific needs. As a school, we believe that pupils are all individuals and we aim to encourage mutual respect, responsibility and foster self-esteem in a happy and caring environment. Through using the Jigsaw and Journey in Love schemes, our pupils acquire knowledge, understanding and the skills they need to prepare them for life, helping them to know and value who they truly are and to understand how they relate to other people in this ever-changing world. Using a growth mindset strategy, the children will become resilient, flexible learners, knowledgeable for the future. It develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members of society and the global community.

Our intent for the children therefore is:
  • To fulfil the three new strands of PSHE – health and well-being, relationships and the wider world.
  • To be given the opportunities to explore and challenge a range of values, attitudes, beliefs, rights and responsibilities.
  • To develop the “whole child’ intellectually, morally, socially and spiritually.
  • To acquire and develop knowledge, skills and understanding of the world around them in order to help them develop as young citizens within a global community.
  • To promote mental wellbeing and empathy across the school and into the community.
  • To develop tolerant, respectful young people, prepared for their future lives.
  • To ensure all children are able to stay safe, making the correct choices about their use of technology.
  • To make informed choices with regards to diet and exercise.
  • To provide understanding of the diversity in our country as a whole in terms of race, religion and relationships.

Implementation

The school curriculum will focus on three core learning themes: health and well-being, relationships and living in the wider world. We follow the Jigsaw scheme of work throughout our whole school. The Jigsaw program brings together PSHE education, emotional literacy, social skills and spiritual development in a comprehensive scheme of learning. We follow the Journey in Love scheme for delivery of Sex Education.
 
Each half-term has a unit theme:
  • New Beginnings
  • Getting On and Falling Out
  • Going for Goals
  • Good To Be Me
  • Relationships
  • Changes
These are taught to an appropriate level depending upon the age of the children.
 
Each 'puzzle' has six lessons of approximately 45 minutes each. Every lesson follows a set structure:
  • Calm
  • Connection
  • Open Mind
  • Tell Me or Show Me
  • Let Me Learn
  • Help Me Reflect
Each 'piece' has two Learning Intentions: one is based on specific PSHE learning (covering the non-statutory national framework for PSHE Education) and one is based on emotional literacy and social skills. With careful enhancement we ensure that Jigsaw is relevant to children living in today’s world as it helps them understand and be equipped to cope with issues like body image, cyber bullying, and internet safety.
  • Children have access to key knowledge, language and meanings in order to understand PSHE and use across the wider curriculum.
  • The scheme of work also includes links to PSHE, British Values (BV), Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) and the language is used consistently by all staff.
  • Whole school, Key Stage and class assemblies make a link to PSHE, BV and SMSC.
  • There are links to safeguarding, the school values, BV, rights and responsibilities and growth mindset so that children have an overall knowledge within these areas of the curriculum.
  • There are specific focus weeks within the curriculum – Friendship and Anti-bullying Week, Internet Safety Week and Health and Fitness Week.
  • There are regular cross-curricular links with RE, Science, English, Computing and PE.
  • Lessons consist of class discussions, debates, circle-time, group activities. Our aim is to ensure that children will develop their Cultural Capital and be academically and socially prepared for life in Britain and the modern world through our visits from external professionals (school nurse, community police officer, fire brigade, road safety team) and visits off-site (local fire station, Metro Bank, Kensington and Chelsea Town Hall, Houses of Parliament).
  • Whole school and Key Stage assemblies also make links to PSHE, BV and SMSC.
  • Much of the PSHE curriculum is practical and discussion based, what written work that is recorded is kept in a PSHE learning journal.
Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) is taught from the Life to the Full – Ten Ten scheme of work during Summer Term 2.

Impact

At St Thomas of Canterbury, we continuously assess the implementation and impact of our Jigsaw lessons so that all pupils ‘gain, attain and grow’ as lifelong learners and ensure that we provide the support that is necessary for all pupils to achieve whether that is in class or with additional  identified support. Teachers will use various methods to evaluate the impact of their teaching on pupils learning to ensure that pupils make progress.
  • Continuous assessment from teachers during individual lessons, to adapt and plan for necessary changes within the scheme based on individual needs.
  • 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 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 whole child’s learning including self-confidence, as well as their ability to explain their learning.
Our school values and inclusion of safeguarding within the curriculum ensure that our children are safe and happy so that they can excel in all aspects of school life. They are provided with a chance to reflect and learn about key issues which they may face in every-day life.
  • Children will demonstrate and apply the British Values of democracy, tolerance, mutual respect, rule of law and liberty.
  • Children will develop positive and healthy relationships with their peers both now and in the future.
  • Children will understand the physical aspects involved in RSE at an age appropriate level.
  • Children will have respect for themselves and others.
  • Children will have positive body images.
  • Children will know how to keep themselves safe physically, mentally and technologically.
  • Children will demonstrate a healthy outlook towards school, demonstrating positive behaviour and good attendance.
As a result of this, children at St Thomas of Canterbury will become healthy, independent and responsible members of a society who understand how they are developing both personally and socially.