PSHE
At Grange Park Junior School, we use the Jigsaw scheme to teach PSHE lessons and the 'Just Enough'company to cover those important issues that help to keep children safe, such as knife crime, hate crime, online bullying and Health and Happiness.
Jigsaw is a planned programme of learning through which children and young people acquire knowledge, understanding and skills they need to manage their lives with now and in their futures. It develops the qualities and attributes children need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society and the global community.
Jigsaw has two aims for all children:
- to build their capacity for learning
- to equip them for life
Jigsaw brings together PSHE Education, emotional literacy, mindfulness, social skills and spiritual development. Jigsaw is designed as a whole school approach, with all year groups working on the same theme (called puzzles) at the same time. This enables each Puzzle to start with an introductory assembly, generating a whole school focus for adults and children alike.
Being Me In My World covers a wide range of topics, including a sense of belonging, welcoming others and being part of a school community, a wider community, and a global community; it also looks at children’s rights and responsibilities, working and socialising with others, and pupil voice.
Celebrating Difference focuses on similarities and differences and teaches about diversity, such as disability, racism, power, friendships, and conflict; children learn to accept everyone’s right to ‘difference’, and most year groups will explore the concept of ‘normal’, bullying – what it is and what it isn’t, including cyber and homophobic bullying.
Dreams and Goals aims to help children think about their hopes and dreams, their goals for success, what personal strengths are, and how to overcome challenges, via team work skills and tasks. There is also a focus on enterprise and fundraising. Children learn about experiencing and managing feelings of pride, ambition, disappointment, success; and they get to share their aspirations, the dreams and goals of others in different cultures/countries, and their dreams for the world.
Healthy Me covers two main areas of health: Emotional health (relaxation, being safe, friendships, mental health skills, body image, relationships with food, managing stress) and Physical health (eating a balanced diet, physical activity, rest and relaxation, keeping clean, drugs and alcohol, being safe, first aid) in order for children to learn that health is a very broad topic.
Relationships has a wide focus, looking at diverse topics such as families, friendships, pets and animals, and love and loss. A vital part of this Puzzle is about safeguarding and keeping children safe; this links to cyber safety and social networking, as well as attraction and assertiveness; children learn how to deal with conflict, their own strengths and self-esteem. They have the chance to explore roles and responsibilities in families, and look at stereotypes. All Jigsaw lessons are delivered in an age- and stage-appropriate way so that they meet children’s needs.
Changing Me deals with change of many types, from growing from young to old, becoming a teenager, assertiveness, self-respect and safeguarding. Self and body image, puberty, attraction and accepting change are diverse subjects for children to explore. Each year group thinks about looking ahead, moving year groups or the transition to secondary school. Life cycles and how babies are made and grow are treated sensitively and are designed to meet children’s needs. All year groups learn about how people and bodies change. This Puzzle is intrinsically linked with the Science curriculum when teaching children about life cycles, babies and puberty.