At Oakwood Junior School, personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is an embedded part of our broad and balanced curriculum. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development is at the heart of our school ethos. British Values are promoted through the overarching aims and objectives of PSHE by supporting our children to become healthy, physically and mentally and responsible members of society, as well as preparing them for life and work in modern Britain.

The intent of our PSHE curriculum is to deliver a curriculum which is accessible to all, and that will maximise the outcomes for every child, so that they know more, remember more and understand more. PSHE is embedded in all that we do to enable our children to become independent, responsible, healthy and confident members of society.

Our PSHE curriculum has been built with the aim to support the development of the ‘whole child’, by helping them to understand how they are developing personally and socially as well as promoting their social, mental and physical development. Children will be able to develop the ability to tackle the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up.

Through our discreet lessons as well as wider cross curricular approach to teaching PSHE, children are taught how to keep themselves safe, physically and emotionally resulting in the acquisition of knowledge and skills, which enables children to access the wider curriculum. 

We provide our children with opportunities for them to learn about rights and responsibilities and appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society. Our children are encouraged to develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community.

At Key Stage 2, PSHE is taught through a clear and comprehensive scheme of work in line with the National Curriculum. We ensure we cover the Health and Well-Being, Relationships and Living in the Wider World Learning Opportunities set out in the PSHE Association’s Programme of Study, which comprehensively cover the statutory Health Education and Relationships Education guidance.  

Pupils are taught PSHE and RSE using ‘Jigsaw’ which is a progressive scheme of work, covering all of the above and aims to prepare children for life, by promoting positive behaviour, mental health, well-being, resilience and achievement. 

All aspects of PSHE and RSE are taught systematically in lessons, through assemblies which all pupils enjoy and through the culture and values within our schools which permeate throughout the school day. Children are taught to treat one another with kindness, respect and tolerance; to be thoughtful and reflective members of the school community and to work hard and do their best.

At Oakwood, in addition to Relationships Education, we also teach aspects of Sex Education which is covered in our Science Curriculum. Alongside this we teach about different kinds of relationships, including same sex relationships, and gender identity because it is important that our children should have an understanding of the full diversity of the world they live in and be prepared for life in modern Britain. The Sex Education and relationships aspects of PSHE are also taught through the ‘Jigsaw’ scheme.

PSHE and RSE are taught through Jigsaw’s six half termly themes with each year group studying the same unit at the same time (at their own level):

Autumn 1: Being Me in My World

Autumn 2: Celebrating Differences

Spring 1: Dreams and Goals

Spring 2: Healthy Me

Summer 1: Relationships

Summer 2: Changing Me 

NB: January 2024 Years 4 and 5 will be taught RSE Changing Me theme, from the previous year. 

(Letters to  consult with parents were sent: December 2023)

It also identifies links to British Values, protected characteristics and SMSC and is taught in such a way as to reflect the overall aims, values, and ethos of the school.

Wider Curriculum  

• We believe that focusing on developing a 'Growth Mindset' in our children will help them to build resilience, independence and confidence; embrace challenge; foster a love of learning; and increase their level of happiness. We do this through the language we use in class, praising children for their efforts, and using language to encourage children to change their way of thinking. This supports both our school and PSHE aims and values, and we focus on Growth Mindsets in all aspects of school life.

• PSHE, including SMSC and BV, is an integral part of the whole school curriculum, and is therefore often taught within another subject area.

• Visitors such as emergency services and the school nurse complement our PSHE curriculum to offer additional learning.          

• We encourage our pupils to develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community. We challenge all of our pupils to look for opportunities to show the school values of faith, hope and love.                                                                                                     

• Assemblies are linked to PSHE, British Values and SMSC and cover any additional sessions that would benefit the whole school.                                                        

• PSHE, BV and SMSC displays throughout school reinforce the PSHE curriculum enabling children to make links.

Impact

By the time our children leave our school they will:

• be able to approach a range of real life situations and apply their skills and attributes to help navigate themselves through modern life

• be on their way to becoming healthy, open minded, respectful, socially and morally responsible, active members of society

• appreciate difference and diversity

• recognise and apply the British Values of Democracy, Tolerance, Mutual respect, Rule of law and Liberty

• be  able to understand and manage their emotions

• be able to look after their mental health and well-being

• be able to develop positive, healthy relationship with their peers both now and in the future.

• understand the physical aspects involved in RSE at an age appropriate level

• have respect for themselves and others

• have a positive self esteem.