- Marion Wright Elderman
At Willow Tree we believe that PSHE gives pupils the knowledge skills and attributes they need to keep themselves safe and prepare them for life and work in Britain. Good PSHE education will equip pupils with skill they need and will use throughout life.
We have adopted the Jigsaw scheme as this curriculum covers a wide range of topics relating to physical and mental health, wellbeing, safeguarding and healthy relationships. We also promote and practise mindfulness allowing children to advance their emotional awareness, concentration and focus.
Through this cohesive approach our children will develop the confidence and ability to develop their skills and understanding when having new experiences, meeting new challenges and finding themselves in unfamiliar situations.
Jigsaw is a comprehensive PSHE programme, including statutory Relationships and Health Education, in a spiral, progressive and fully planned scheme of work, giving children relevant learning experiences to help them navigate their world and to develop positive relationships with themselves and others. At Willow Tree Primary School, we deliver this between 45 minutes – 1 hour session every week.
Jigsaw consists of six half-term units of work (Puzzles), each containing six lessons (Pieces) covering each academic year.
Term 1: Being Me in My World
Term 2: Celebrating Difference (including anti-bullying)
Term 3: Dreams and Goals
Term 4: Healthy Me
Term 5: Relationships
Term 6: Changing Me (including Sex Education)
Every Piece 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).
Puzzles are launched at the beginning of each half term, building sequentially through the school year, facilitating whole-school learning themes. The various teaching and learning activities are engaging and mindful of different learning styles and the need for differentiation and the Early Years (EYFS) planning is aligned to the National Early Years Framework (England).
Each lesson is built upon a Charter which underpins the behaviour and respect that is the basis for each lesson. The lessons then split into six parts, all of which should be included in every session to ensure that the learning follows the optimum progression.
Connect us - This is a game or activity designed to be fun and inclusive and to build and maximise social skills. ‘Connect us’ engenders positive relationships and enhances collaborative learning. It sets the atmosphere at the beginning of each Jigsaw Piece and can be used again at the end should the teacher feel the atmosphere needs to be lifted after some deep work during the lesson.
Calm me - This section of the Piece helps children gain awareness of the activity in their minds, relaxing them and quietening their thoughts and emotions to a place of optimum learning capacity. It is an invaluable life skill which also enhances reflection and spiritual development. This underpins the mindful approach advocated in Jigsaw.
Open my mind - The Reticular Activating System of the brain filters the many stimuli entering the child’s mind at any given time. It is designed only to allow in that which is significant. Therefore, it is important to engage this system with the most important aspects of learning intended for each Piece (lesson). If we do this well, it will enable children to filter out activity around them not significant to this learning intention, thereby improving concentration and learning.
Tell me or show me - This section of the Piece (lesson) is used to introduce new information, concepts and skills, using a range of teaching approaches and activities.
Let me learn - Following Piaget’s learning model, after receiving new information/concepts, children need to manipulate, use, and play with that new information in order for it to make sense to them and for them to ‘accommodate’ it into their existing learning.
Help me reflect - Throughout Jigsaw, children are encouraged to reflect on their learning experiences and their progress. By reflecting, children can process and evaluate what they have learnt, which enables them to consolidate and apply their learning. They are also asked to stop and become aware of their thoughts and feelings in any given moment in Pause Points (brief pauses within the lesson where the children can have a couple of moments to just stop and be to consider whether what they are learning may be particularly meaningful to them).
Closure - Each Piece needs safe closure. This will always include the teacher praising the children for their effort, positive attitude and achievement, as well as giving one or two sentences to summarise the key learning points for the children. Learners can be scaffolded, and any individual needs can be supported where necessary.
The summative assessment process offers criteria for children either working at, beyond or towards the age-related expectations. Greater depth children can be challenged to ensure that they are being given the opportunities to enrich their learning further.
Our teaching of PSHE will lead to children meeting the standards of attainments across the school and those that are expected of our children nationally. Children will each make progress relative to their own individual starting point. The implementation and impact of the PSHE curriculum is assessed across school to ensure that children are provided with the best possible chance at succeeding.
We strive to ensure that by the end of their time with us at Willow Tree Primary School each child will:
