PSHE and RSE

Intent

At Dovedale Primary School, teaching PSHE and RSE is at the core of what we do. Our rich and exciting curriculum enables our children to become independent, confident, healthy and responsible members of society, as well as developing the “whole child” intellectually, morally, socially and spiritually. 

PSHE & RSE is taught across the school from EYFS to Year 6 through our spiral curriculum that is built upon year on year. Through this approach, we enable all our children, including those with SEND and vulnerable children, to understand and respect who they are, empower them with a voice and equip them for life and learning. We follow the Jigsaw PSHE & RSE scheme of work, which fulfils all of the requirements for the statutory Relationship and Health Education framework. 

Our curriculum equips children with relevant, current and meaningful content, which is supported through a strong emphasis on emotional literacy, building resilience and nurturing mental and physical health. With an ever-changing society, we provide our children with the opportunity to develop a strong understanding and appreciation of the diverse world around them while supporting them in playing a positive role, contributing to both the school and the wider community. 

Implementation

Our curriculum is shaped by our school vision, which aims to enable all children, regardless of their background, ability or additional needs to flourish to become the very best version of themselves they can possibly be. To ensure progression and a spiral curriculum, we utilise the resources within the Jigsaw scheme of teaching and learning programme. The Jigsaw scheme not only provides resources for teaching our children highly relevant and current topical information in an ever-changing world, but also allows for the simultaneous consistent study of topics across the entire school. The programme directs our aim of developing the “whole child” through a spiral curriculum approach to developing knowledge, skills and understanding in the six Jigsaw puzzle areas.

• Being me in my World – Understanding my place in the class, school and global community, devising learning charters. 
• Celebrating Difference – Anti-bullying, cyber and homophobic bullying, celebrating diversity. 
• Dreams and Goals – Goal setting, individual aspirations, the world and working together. 
• Healthy Me – Drugs and alcohol education, self-esteem and confidence, healthy lifestyle choices. 
• Relationships – Friendship, family and other relationships, conflict resolution, communication skills and bereavement, loss and change. 
• Changing me – Sex and relationships education, coping positively with change. 

The programme is underpinned by mindfulness philosophy and practice. The six Jigsaw themes progress in sequence from September to July. Every year group works on the same theme at the same time allowing for a whole school approach. Children will be able to build upon each unit of learning year after year through exciting and engaging content with a clear purpose for study so that the learning is meaningful and relevant to the children. 

In addition to the planned element of our PSHE & RSE curriculum, we also cover anything topical, responding to the needs of our children. For example, if children need additional learning on staying safe, bullying, relationships and developing friendships. This is incorporated into our teaching as the need arises. Teachers use practical resources, role-play and visits to support children’s learning. Teachers provide a safe and supportive learning environment where children develop the confidence to ask questions, challenge the information they are offered, draw on their own experience, express their views and opinions and put what they have learned into practice in their own lives.

Assessment underpins the PSHE teaching process with staff continually checking children’s understanding, identifying misconceptions and adapting their teaching to address children’s individual needs. Our learning is implemented and recorded in a variety of ways such as; written work, discussion, debate and role-play, with each theme concluding with an age-appropriate assessment to help track each child’s social, emotional, moral, spiritual and cultural development. Meanwhile, written and oral feedback is given depending on the topic and the child’s individual needs. 

Supplementing our learning, Dovedale children work together to produce a PSHE Newsletter each half term that corresponds to the theme we are covering each term. Each half term, the group of Year 6 journalists cover topical issues related to the current PSHE topic, issues related to EDI, while also sharing a range of local news stories and fascinating scoops from the wider-world. This is then shared with our Dovedale community to promote discussions related to our themes and topical issues related to EDI to ensure our children gain a well-rounded appreciation of the world around them.

Impact

All children, regardless of their starting points, will make strong social, emotional, moral, spiritual and cultural progress. Children will have knowledge, skills and understanding that will be secure and embedded across other areas of the curriculum and school life as well so they are able to reach their full potential and have the best possible start to secondary school. 

All children will develop resilience and have a ready willingness and ability to try new things, push themselves and persevere through potential hardship. They will have a well-rounded understanding of how to stay safe, healthy and develop good relationships. Moreover, they will be kind, respectful and honest and have an appreciation of what it means to be a positive member of a diverse, multicultural society. Finally, Dovedale children will have a strong sense of self-awareness, responsibility and an understanding of their own role within the world.

Dovedale’s Definition of Sex Education

At Dovedale Primary School, we define Sex Education in accordance with the DFE’s Statutory
Guidance on Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education (page 23-24). Sex
Education is not compulsory in primary schools although, “the Department continues to
recommend...that all primary schools should have a sex education programme tailored to the age
and the physical and emotional maturity of the pupils” (page 23). All work around puberty is
considered statutory under Health Education, and therefore all children must participate in these
lessons. At Dovedale, we consider Sex Education in Primary School to be the of teaching ‘human
reproduction’. This teaching will take place over three lessons (one lesson in Year 4, one lesson in
Year 5 and one lesson in Year 6) in the final half-term of the year, and children are able to be
withdrawn from these lessons if parents and carers wish. As Sex Education is compulsory at
Secondary School, we feel that it is important that by Year 6 pupils are well informed and prepared
so that their secondary school may support their ongoing emotional and physical development
effectively and would encourage parents and carers to allow their children participate in these
sessions.

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