PSHE Our Intent

At Kingston Park Academy, we have adopted the Jigsaw programme because it will:

  • Deliver a wider range of experiences
  • Provide pupils with the knowledge, understanding, attitudes, values and skills they need in order to reach their potential as individuals and within the community.
  • Encourage pupils to recognise their own worth, work well with others and become increasingly responsible for their own learning.
  • Enable participation in a wide range of activities and experiences across and beyond the curriculum, contributing fully to the life of their school and communities.
  • Help pupils learn to reflect on their experiences and understand how they are developing personally and socially, tackling many of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up.
  • Foster understanding and respect for our common humanity, diversity and differences so that pupils can go on to form the effective, fulfilling relationships that are an essential part of life and learning.

Organisation and Implementation of Jigsaw in School

Jigsaw PSHE will support the development of the skills, attitudes, values and behaviour, which enable pupils to:

  • Have a sense of purpose
  • Value self and others
  • Form relationships
  • Make and act on informed decisions
  • Communicate effectively
  • Work with others
  • Respond to challenge
  • Be an active partner in their own learning
  • Be active citizens within the local community
  • Explore issues related to living in a democratic society
  • Become healthy and fulfilled individuals

The Learning Environment:

  • Establishing a safe, open and positive learning environment based on trusting relationships between all members of the class, adults and children alike, is vital. To enable this, it is important that ‘ground rules’ are agreed and owned at the beginning of the year and are reinforced in every Piece – by using The Jigsaw Charter. Ideally, teachers and children will devise their own Class Charter. It should include the following aspects:
  • We take turns to speak
  • We use kind and positive words
  • We listen to each other
  • We have the right to pass
  • We only use names when giving compliments or when being positive
  • We respect each other’s privacy (confidentiality)

What is PSHE Education?

PSHE Education (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) is a planned program of learning through which children and young people acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to successfully manage their lives – now and in the future.

As part of a whole-school approach, PSHE Education develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society. What do schools have to teach in PSHE Education? According to the National Curriculum, every school needs to have a broad and balanced curriculum that:

• promotes the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school;

• prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life;

• promotes British values.

From September 2020, primary schools in England also need to teach Relationships and Health Education as compulsory subjects and the Department for Education strongly recommends this should also include age-appropriate Sex Education. Schools also have statutory responsibilities to safeguard their pupils (Keeping Children Safe in Education, DfE, 2019) and to uphold the Equality Act (2010). 

RSE

Our Relationship and Sex Education is provided within our Jigsaw scheme. Children are provided with age appropriate, progressive sessions so our children are prepared and ready for changes with their body, sex education and healthy relationships. An inclusive ethos is promoted, understanding that differences, such as those of sexual orientation, gender, religion or race, should be celebrated. More information can be found in our policy below. Online and offline risks are discussed, which is elaborated further in our E Safety policy.

What is Jigsaw, the mindful approach to PSHE, and how does it work?

Jigsaw is a whole-school approach and embodies a positive philosophy and creative teaching and learning activities to nurture children’s development as compassionate and well-rounded human beings as well as building their capacity to learn. Jigsaw is a comprehensive and completely original PSHE Education program (lesson plans and teaching resources) for the whole primary school from ages 3-11.

Written by teachers and grounded in sound psychology, it also includes all the statutory requirements for Relationships and Health Education, and Sex Education is also included in the Changing Me Puzzle (unit). Jigsaw has two main aims for all children:

• To build their capacity for learning

• To equip them for life Jigsaw brings together PSHE Education, compulsory Relationships and Health Education, emotional literacy, mindfulness, social skills and spiritual development.

How does Jigsaw work at Kingston Park Academy?

It is designed as a whole school approach, with all year groups working on the same theme (Puzzle) at the same time at their own level. There are six Puzzles (half-term units of work) and each year group is taught one lesson per week. All lessons are delivered in an age- and stage-appropriate way so that they meet children’s needs. Each Puzzle starts with an introductory assembly, generating a whole school focus for adults and children alike. There is also a Weekly Celebration that highlights a theme from that week’s lesson across the school encouraging children to live that learning in their behaviour and attitudes.

We teach our Jigsaw sessions as part of our whole school ‘Thrive Thursdays’. Thrive Thursdays are a holistic afternoon of learning that has been carefully planned to nurture and promote positive mental health for our children. The afternoon is structured to include Thrive activities, PSHE taught through Jigsaw and Music.

CONSULTATION

Engagement is a positive step – it helps to ensure that everyone involved understands what is being taught, when and how. It helps develop a shared set of values between parents and schools on these subjects. It gives parents a voice and the knowledge that their views are being listened to. It helps to dispel myths about the subjects and it creates an opportunity to build stronger relationships with parents. Crucially with these subjects, it can help parents to understand how they can support what their child is learning in school with their own teaching at home. Relationships Education is best delivered with cooperation and support from parents. Engagement works best when everyone involved enters into it with an open mind.

We are seeking parent’s views on the statutory relationships education curriculum that is in place from this year and will be taught in the Summer term. You can see our curriculum below.

Please send any comments in via info@kingstonpa.org.uk