PSHE
The intent of our PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Education) curriculum, delivered through the *Jigsaw* programme, is to equip pupils with the knowledge, skills, and values to lead healthy, safe, and fulfilling lives. We aim to nurture children’s personal development and well-being, enabling them to become confident, resilient, and empathetic individuals who are prepared to make positive contributions to their communities and society.
Our PSHE curriculum is designed to promote emotional literacy, social skills, and mental health, providing a comprehensive approach to children’s development. Using the *Jigsaw* programme’s structured, progressive framework, we cover key themes such as health and well-being, relationships, safety, and the world around us. Lessons encourage children to explore and reflect on their thoughts, feelings, and actions, helping them to understand and manage their emotions while building positive relationships.
We place a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ understanding of diversity, respect, and inclusion, ensuring they are equipped to navigate the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing world. Our curriculum promotes values such as kindness, responsibility, and respect for others, fostering a sense of belonging and community in the classroom and beyond.
Through interactive activities such as mindfulness, role-play, and group discussions, we aim to build children’s confidence in expressing themselves, making decisions, and resolving conflicts. By the end of primary school, pupils will have developed the skills to maintain positive physical and mental health, establish healthy relationships, and make informed choices as they move into secondary education and adulthood.
Key Aims:
- Develop emotional literacy, social skills, and resilience.
- Promote mental and physical well-being through a comprehensive PSHE curriculum.
- Foster respect for diversity and inclusion, promoting kindness and empathy.
- Equip pupils with the skills to build positive relationships and make safe, informed choices.
- Support personal development, empowering children to contribute positively to their communities.
Autumn 1 – Being me in my own world
EYFS |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
In this Puzzle (unit), the children learn about how they have similarities and differences from their friends and how that is OK. They begin working on recognising and managing their feelings, identifying different ones and the causes these can have. The children learn about working with others and why it is good to be kind and use gentle hands. They discuss children’s rights, especially linked to the right to learn and the right to play. The children learn what it means to be responsible. |
In this Puzzle (unit), the children are introduced to their Jigsaw Charter. As part of this, they discuss rights and responsibilities, and choices and consequences. The children learn about being special and how to make everyone feel safe in their class as well as recognising their own safety.
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In this Puzzle (unit), the children discuss their hopes and fears for the year ahead – they talk about feeling worried and recognising when they should ask for help and who to ask. They learn about rights and responsibilities; how to work collaboratively, how to listen to each other and how to make their classroom a safe and fair place. The children learn about choices and the consequences of making different choices and make the Jigsaw Charter.
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In this Puzzle (unit), the children learn to recognise their self-worth and identify positive things about themselves and their achievements. They discuss new challenges and how to face them with appropriate positivity. The children learn about the need for rules and how these relate to rights and responsibilities. They explore choices and consequences, working collaboratively and seeing things from other people’s points of view. The children learn about different feelings and the ability to recognise these feelings in themselves and others. They establish the Jigsaw Charter. |
In this Puzzle (unit), the children explore being part of a team. They talk about attitudes and actions and their effects on the whole class. The children learn about their school and its community, who all the different people are and what their roles are. They discuss democracy and link this to their own School Council, what its purpose is and how it works. The children learn about group work, the different roles people can have, how to make positive contributions, how to make collective decisions and how to deal with conflict. They also learn about considering other people’s feelings. They refresh their Jigsaw Charter. |
In this Puzzle (unit), the children think and plan for the year ahead, goals they could set for themselves as well as the challenges they may face. They explore their rights and responsibilities as a member of their class, school, wider community and the country they live in. The children learn about their own behaviour and its impact on a group as well as choices, rewards, consequences and the feelings associated with each. They also learn about democracy, how it benefits the school and how they can contribute towards it. They revisit the Jigsaw Charter.
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In this Puzzle (unit), the children discuss their year ahead, they learnt to set goals and discuss their fears and worries about the future. The children learn about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and that these are not met for all children worldwide. They discuss their choices and actions and how these can have far-reaching effects, locally and globally. The children learn about their own behaviour and how their choices can result in rewards and consequences and how they feel about this. They explore an individual’s behaviour and the impact it can have on a group. They learn talk about democracy, how it benefits the school and how they can contribute towards it. They establish the Jigsaw Charter.
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Autumn 2 Celebrating Difference
EYFS |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
In this Puzzle (unit), children are encouraged to think about things that they are good at whilst understanding that everyone is good at different things. They discuss being different and how that makes everyone special but also recognise that we are the same in some ways. The children share their experiences of their homes and are asked to explain why it is special to them. They learn about friendship and how to be a kind friend and how to stand up for themselves if someone says or does something unkind to them. |
In this Puzzle (unit), the children explore the similarities and differences between people and how these make us unique and special. The children learn what bullying is and what it isn’t. They talk about how it might feel to be bullied and when and who to ask for help. The children discuss friendship, how to make friends and that it is OK to have differences/be different from their friends. The children also discuss being nice to and looking after other children who might be being bullied. |
In this Puzzle (unit), the children learn about recognise gender stereotypes, that boys and girls can have differences and similarities and that is OK. They explore how children can be bullied because they are different, that this shouldn’t happen and how they can support a classmate who is being bullied. The children share feelings associated with bullying and how and where to get help. They explore similarities and differences and that it is OK for friends to have differences without it affecting their friendship.
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In this Puzzle (unit), the children learn about families, that they are all different and that sometimes they fall out with each other. The children practise methods to calm themselves down and discuss the ‘Solve it together’ technique. The children revisit the topic of bullying and discuss being a witness (bystander); they discover how a witness has choices and how these choices can affect the bullying that is taking place. The children also talk about using problem-solving techniques in bullying situations. They discuss name-calling and practise choosing not to use hurtful words. They also learn about giving and receiving compliments and the feelings associated with this. |
In this Puzzle (unit), the children consider the concept of judging people by their appearance, of first impressions and of what influences their thinking on what is normal. They explore more about bullying, including online bullying and what to do if they suspect or know that it is taking place. They discuss the pressures of being a witness and why some people choose to join in or choose to not tell anyone about what they have seen. The children share their own uniqueness and what is special about themselves. They talk about first impressions and when their own first impressions of someone have changed.
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In this Puzzle (unit), the children explore culture and cultural differences. They link this to racism, debating what it is and how to be aware of their own feelings towards people from different cultures. They revisit the topic of bullying and discuss rumour spreading and name-calling. The children learn that there are direct and indirect ways of bullying as well as ways to encourage children to not using bullying behaviours. The children consider happiness regardless of material wealth and respecting other people’s cultures.
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In this Puzzle (unit), the children discuss differences and similarities and that, for some people, being different is difficult. The children learn about bullying and how people can have power over others in a group. They discover strategies for dealing with this as well as wider bullying issues. The children learn about people with disabilities and look at specific examples of disabled people who have amazing lives and achievements.
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Spring 1 – Dreams and goals
EYFS |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
In this Puzzle, the children consider challenges and facing up to them. They discuss not giving up and trying until they have achieved their goal. The children are encouraged to think about jobs that they might like to have when they are older and are taught to associate what they learn now with being able to have the job they want. They also talk about achieving goals and the feelings linked to this. |
In this Puzzle, the children talk about setting simple goals, how to achieve them as well as overcoming difficulties when they try. The children learn to recognise the feelings associated with facing obstacles to achieving their goals as well as when they achieve them. They discuss partner working and how to do this well.
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In this Puzzle, the children explore setting realistic goals and how they can achieve them. They discuss perseverance when they find things difficult as well as recognising their strengths as a learner. The children consider group work and reflect on with whom they work well and with whom they don’t. They also reflect on sharing success with other people.
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In this Puzzle, the children look at examples of people who have overcome challenges to achieve success and discuss what they can learn from these stories. The children identify their own dreams and ambitions and discuss how it will feel when they achieve them. They discuss facing learning challenges and identify their own strategies for overcoming these. The children consider obstacles that might stop them from achieving their goals and how to overcome these. They reflect on their progress and successes and identify what they could do better next time.
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In this Puzzle, the children consider their hopes and dreams. They discuss how it feels when dreams don’t come true and how to cope with/overcome feelings of disappointment. The children discuss making new plans and setting new goals even if they have been disappointed. The class explore group work and overcoming challenges together. They reflect on their successes and the feelings associated with overcoming a challenge.
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In this Puzzle, the children share their dreams and goals and how they might need money to help them achieve them. They consider jobs that people they know do, they look at the fact that some jobs pay more money than others and reflect on what types of jobs they might like to do when they are older. The children look as the similarities and differences between themselves (and their dreams and goals) and someone from a different culture.
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In this Puzzle, the children share their own strengths and further stretching themselves by setting challenging and realistic goals. They discuss the learning steps they will need to take as well as talking about how to stay motivated. The children reflect on various global issues and explore places where people may be suffering or living in difficult situations; whilst doing this, they reflect on their own emotions linked to this learning. The children also discover what they think their classmates like and admire about them, as well as working on giving others praise and compliments.
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Spring 2 - Healthy me
In this Puzzle, children learn about their bodies: the names of some key parts as well as how to stay healthy. They talk about food and that some foods are healthier than others. They discuss the importance of sleep and what they can do to help themselves get to sleep. They talk about hand washing and why it is important. The class also discuss ‘stranger danger’ and what they should do if approached by someone they don’t know. |
In this Puzzle, the children learn about healthy and less healthy choices and how these choices make them feel. They explore about hygiene, keeping themselves clean and that germs can make you unwell. The children learn about road safety, and about people who can help them to stay safe.
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In this Puzzle, the children learn about healthy food; they talk about having a healthy relationship with food and making healthy choices. The children consider what makes them feel relaxed and stressed. They learn about medicines, how they work and how to use them safely. The children make healthy snacks and discuss why they are good for their bodies.
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In this Puzzle, the children learn about the importance of exercise and how it helps your body to stay healthy. They also learn about their heart and lungs, what they do and how they are very important. The children discover facts about calories, fat and sugar; they discuss what each of these are and how the amount they consume can affect their health. The children learn about different types of drugs, the ones you take to make you better, as well as other drugs. The children consider things, places and people that are dangerous and link this to strategies for keeping themselves safe. |
In this Puzzle, the children look at the friendship groups that they are part of, how they are formed, how they have leaders and followers and what role they play. The children reflect on their friendships, how different people make them feel and which friends they value the most. The children also learn about smoking and its effects on health; they do the same with alcohol and then look at the reasons why people might drink or smoke. Finally, they learn about peer pressure and how to deal with it successfully.
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In this Puzzle, the children investigate the risks associated with smoking and how it affects the lungs, liver and heart. Likewise, they learn about the risks associated with alcohol misuse. They are taught a range of basic first aid and emergency procedures (including the recovery position) and learn how to contact the emergency services when needed. The children investigate how body types are portrayed in the media, social media and celebrity culture. They also learn about eating disorders and people’s relationships with food and how this can be linked to negative body image pressures.
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In this Puzzle, the children discuss taking responsibility for their own physical and emotional health and the choices linked to this. They learn about different types of drugs and the effects these can have on people’s bodies. The children learn about exploitation as well as gang culture and the associated risks therin. They also learn about mental health/illness and that people have different attitudes towards this. They learn to recognise the triggers for and feelings of being stressed and that there are strategies they can use when they are feeling stressed.
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Summer 1 – Relationships
EYFS |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
Children are introduced to the key relationships in their lives. They learn about families and the different roles people can have in a family. They explore the friendships they have and what makes a good friend. They are introduced to simple strategies they can use to mend friendships. The children also practise Jigsaw’s Calm Me and how they can use this when feeling upset or angry. |
Children’s breadth of relationships is widened to include people they may find in their school community. They consider their own significant relationships (family, friends and school community) and why these are special and important. As part of the lessons on healthy and safe relationships, children learn that touch can be used in kind and unkind ways. This supports later work on safeguarding. Pupils also consider their own personal attributes as a friend, family member and as part of a community, and are encouraged to celebrate these. |
Learning about family relationships widens to include roles and responsibilities in a family and the importance of co-operation, appreciation and trust. Friendships are also revisited with a focus on falling out and mending friendships. This becomes more formalised and the children learn and practise two different strategies for conflict resolution (Solve it together and Mending Friendships). Children consider the importance of trust in relationships and what this feels like. They also learn about two types of secret, and why ‘worry secrets’ should always be shared with a trusted adult. Children reflect upon different types of physical contact in relationships, which are acceptable and which ones are not. They practise strategies for being assertive when someone is hurting them or being unkind. The children also learn about people who can help them if they are worried or scared. |
In this Puzzle, children revisit family relationships and identify the different expectations and roles that exist within the family home. They identify why stereotypes can be unfair and may not be accurate, e.g. Mum is the carer, Dad goes to work. They also look at careers and why stereotypes can be unfair in this context. They learn that families should be founded on love, respect, appreciation, trust and co-operation. Children are reminded about the Solve it together technique for negotiating conflict situations and the concept of a win-win outcome is introduced. Online relationships through gaming and apps are explored and children are introduced to some rules for staying safe online. Children also learn that they are part of a global community and they are connected to others they don’t know in many ways, e.g. through global trade. They investigate the wants and needs of other children who are less fortunate and compare these with their own. Children’s universal rights are also revisited.
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Learning in this year group starts focussing on the emotional aspects of relationships and friendships. With this in mind, children explore jealousy and loss/ bereavement. They identify the emotions associated with these relationship changes, the possible reasons for the change and strategies for coping with the change. The children learn that change is a natural in relationships and they will experience (or may have already experienced) some of these changes. Children revisit skills of negotiation particularly to help manage a change in a relationship. They also learn that sometimes it is better if relationships end, especially if they are causing negative feelings or they are unsafe. Children are taught that relationship endings can be amicable.
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Children learn about the importance of self-esteem and ways this can be boosted. This is important in an online context as well as offline, as mental health can be damaged by excessive comparison with others. This leads onto a series of lessons that allow the children to investigate and reflect upon a variety of positive and negative online/social media contexts including gaming and social networking. They learn about age-limits and also age-appropriateness. Within these lessons, children are taught the SMARRT internet safety rules and they apply these in different situations. Risk, pressure and influences are revisited with a focus on the physical and emotional aspects of identifying when something online or in social media feels uncomfortable or unsafe. Children are taught about grooming and how people online can pretend to be whoever they want. Rights, responsibilities and respect are revisited with an angle on technology use. Screen time is also discussed and children find ways to reduce their own screen time. This Puzzle aims to help children to be more discerning when viewing anything online or on social media. |
In this Puzzle, the children learn more about mental health and how to take care of their own mental well-being. They explore the grief cycle and its various stages, and discuss the different causes of grief and loss. The children learn about people who can try to control them or have power over them. They investigate online safety, learning how to judge if something is safe and helpful, as well as talking about communicating with friends and family in a positive and safe way.
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Summer 2- Changing me
EYFS |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
Children are encouraged to think about how they have changed from being a baby and what may change for them in the future. They consolidate the names and functions of some of the main parts of the body and discuss how these have changed. They learn that our bodies change in lots of different ways as we get older. Children understand that change can bring about positive and negative feelings, and that sharing these can help. They also consider the role that memories can have in managing change. |
Children are introduced to life cycles, e.g. that of a frog and identify the different stages. They compare this with a human life cycle and look at simple changes from baby to adult, e.g. getting taller, learning to walk, etc. They discuss how they have changed so far and that people grow up at different rates. They are also taught that nobody has the right to hurt private parts of the body. Change is discussed as a natural and normal part of getting older which can bring about happy and sad feelings. Children practise a range of skills to help manage their feelings and learn how to access help if they are worried about change, or if someone is hurting them. |
In this Puzzle, children compare different life cycles in nature, including that of humans. They reflect on the changes that occur (not including puberty) between baby, toddler, child, teenager, adult and old age. Within this, children also discuss how independence, freedoms and responsibility can increase with age. They are also reminded that nobody has the right to hurt these parts of the body, including a lesson on inappropriate touch and assertiveness. Children practise a range of strategies for managing feelings and emotions. They are also taught where they can get help if worried or frightened. Change is taught as a natural and normal part of growing up and the range of emotions that can occur with change are explored and discussed. |
This Puzzle begins learning about babies and what they need to grow and develop including parenting. Children are taught that it is usually the female that carries the baby in nature. This leads onto lessons where puberty is introduced. Children first look at the outside body changes in males and females. They learn that puberty is a natural part of growing up and that it is a process for getting their bodies ready to make a baby when grown-up. Inside body changes are also taught. Children learn that females have eggs (ova) in their ovaries and these are released monthly. If unfertilised by a male’s sperm, it passes out of the body as a period. Sexual intercourse and the birth of the baby are not taught in this year group. Children discuss how they feel about puberty and growing up and there are opportunities for them to seek reassurance if anything is worrying them. |
In this Puzzle, bodily changes at puberty are revisited with some additional vocabulary, particularly around menstruation. Sanitary health is taught, including introducing pupils to different sanitary and personal hygiene products. Conception and sexual intercourse are introduced in simple terms so the children understand that a baby is formed by the joining of an ovum and sperm. They also learn that the ovum and sperm carry genetic information that carry personal characteristics. The Puzzle ends by looking at the feelings associated with change and how to manage these. Children are introduced to Jigsaw’s Circle of change model as a strategy for managing future changes.
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In this Puzzle, the children revisit self-esteem, self-image and body image. They learn that we all have perceptions about ourselves and others, and these may be right or wrong. They also reflect on how social media and the media can promote unhelpful comparison and how to manage this. Puberty is revisited in further detail, explaining bodily changes in males and females. Sexual intercourse is explained in slightly more detail than in the previous year. Children are encouraged to ask questions and seek clarification about anything they don’t understand. Further details about pregnancy are introduced including some facts about the development of the foetus and some simple explanation about alternative ways of conception, e.g. IVF. Children learn that having a baby is a personal choice. Details of contraceptive options and methods are not taught as this is not age-appropriate. Reasons why people choose to be in a romantic relationship and choose to have a baby are also explored. Children look at what becoming a teenager means for them with an increase in freedom, rights and responsibilities. They also consider the perceptions that surround teenagers and reflect whether they are always accurate, e.g. teenagers are always moody; all teenagers have a boyfriend/girlfriend, etc. |
In this Puzzle, the children learn about puberty in boys and girls and the changes that will happen; they reflect on how they feel about these changes. The children also learn about childbirth and the stages of development of a baby, starting at conception. They explore what it means to be being physically attracted to someone and the effect this can have upon the relationship. They learn about different relationships and the importance of mutual respect and not pressuring/being pressured into doing something that they don’t want to. The children also learn about self-esteem, why it is important and ways to develop it. Finally, they look at the transition to secondary school (or next class) and what they are looking forward to/are worried about and how they can prepare themselves mentally.
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