“Everyone is a star and deserves a chance to shine”

Marilyn Monroe

Subject Leader for PSHE and RSE: Mrs Lisa Shooter

Curriculum Driver – PSHE and RSE
PSHE RSE Long Term Plan

Personal, Social and Health Education and Relationships Education

At Abbeyfields we aim to provide a high-quality personal, social and health education, which will engage, inspire and challenge our pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to give them confidence, respect, and all the cultural capital they need for their future lives. 

Aims in teaching PSHE and RSE at Abbeyfields:

PSHE: Teaching PSHE is vital in providing Abbeyfields pupils with the knowledge, confidence and independence they need to help them make informed opinions and decisions as they grow. The spiral curriculum used in the Jigsaw scheme of work helps to embed vital life skills and prepare them for their futures.

RSE: RSE is a statutory aspect of the curriculum that covers a range of topics in order to help children at Abbeyfields understand the importance of relationships and the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships.  

How is the content / theme chosen?

Whenever possible, we teach through a themed approach, to enable children to embed learning and make connections, which leads to a greater depth of understanding within the subject. The content is therefore chosen to make effective links with key themes, reflect expectations in the National Curriculum programmes of study and Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework and engage and inspire our children. The content may also be chosen based upon the needs or interests of specific cohorts or links to events which are taking place in the community or wider world .

How do we ensure progression of knowledge and skills?

At Abbeyfields we follow the Jigsaw scheme of work for both PSHE and RSE, which is used for planning, to ensure sequenced and appropriate content for specific year groups, as well as a build up of knowledge and skills. Within this there are also opportunities for differentiation, in order to meet the needs of all learners.

How is the subject taught?

PSHE and RSE  permeates throughout our curriculum and is one of our key subject drivers in developing the Holistic Education side of our school curriculum.  The children are taught weekly using the Jigsaw scheme of work therefore following a clear sequence of learning. This is a  spiral program of six main units  meaning that the children have the opportunity to revisit, embed and build on the knowledge and understanding from previous years. Each unit begins with a whole school assembly to  introduce the main theme.

Teaching PSHE and RSE in EYFS

The children are expected to develop a specific set of skills and knowledge appropriate to their age. This is often beyond the expectations that are set out in the end of year Early Learning Goals, as we prepare them with the skills they need for Year 1.

As well as topic work and the discrete teaching of skills and knowledge, children in EYFS are given the opportunity to continually practise and embed their skills through the areas of provision set up in the indoor and outdoor learning environments.

How do we know that our children are making progress?

Ongoing assessments of the children’s knowledge and skills is observed by the class teacher. Misconceptions are addressed and next steps carefully planned. Children’s outcomes are compared to the subject specific skills and knowledge documents. Children are given many opportunities to verbalise their thoughts and opinions which enable the teacher to ascertain the understanding, as well as the marking of written work.

Our curriculum drivers are central to our curriculum. How do we promote reading, vocabulary acquisition, holistic education and diversity?

  • Children have access to high quality texts (fact and fiction) about feelings, emotions, relationships, equality and diversity
  • Children are taught subject specific PSHE and RSE vocabulary
  • Children discuss their ideas using subject specific vocabulary when describing and evaluating their work and the work of others
  • Children work collaboratively and develop in confidence as their skills improve
  • Children make their own choices
  • PSHE and RSE promotes engagement in learning, improving concentration skills through a carefully planned scheme (Jigsaw)
  • Children are creative, independent, as well as demonstrate a sense of pride in their work.
  • Children recognise how to sensitively respond to others when offering evaluations of their work
  • Children value and celebrate diversity in PSHE and RSE
  • All children are provided with equal access to the PSHE and RSE curriculum. Parents are fully consulted about content (RSE) and we meet with them to discuss any concerns or requests. We aim to provide suitable learning opportunities regardless of gender, ethnicity or home background
  • Children learn about and are taught to challenge stereotypes connected to gender, wealth, disability and cultural background. They are educated that differences should be celebrated and are not a barrier to achievement.
  • Through the PSHE and RSE curriculum, children are enabled to discover how events, and key figures have shaped our understanding of the world and contributed to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation and the wider world.

What wider opportunities are provided for our children?

Use of cross-curricular learning helps provide many opportunities for the children to enhance their learning, such as internet safety in computing, healthy eating in Science, cultural diversity in Geography and debating skills in English. 

Additional activities include:  Internet Safety Day, Bikeability, Wansbeck Valley Foodbank – raising awareness and making contributions, Show Racism the Red Card. 

Relationships Education and Health Education

Since September 2020, Relationships and Health Education has become statutory in all schools across the UK.

‘Today’s children and young people are growing up in an increasingly complex world and living their lives seamlessly on and offline. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks. In this environment, children and young people need to know how to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way.” (Secretary of State for DFE)

At Abbeyfields  we deliver the Jigsaw scheme of work as we are confident that this programme covers all aspects of Relationships and Health Education in an age appropriate way. The Jigsaw scheme of work covers all of the statutory requirements.

Please see our Relationships & Health Education policy for further details
Parental Consultation Letter and Parental Consultation recording