The Personal, Social, Health and Economic education programme of study is organised into three core themes:
- health and wellbeing
- relationships
- living in the wider world (covering economic wellbeing and careers)
These themes include various topics related to physical and mental health, alcohol and drug education, relationships (and sex) education, economic wellbeing and careers. Often our work in PSHE is cross curricula and covers British Values, Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education and also links into our Rights Respecting School agenda.
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PSHE at Cotsford
We, at Cotsford Primary are very excited to begin our journey with Jigsaw, the mindful approach to PSHE. It promotes positive mindsets and allows children to expand their knowledge of respecting their rights. Each class has it’s own character in the shape of a jigsaw piece. These are on display in each class and are used regularly to support children with decisions and their understanding.
| Term | Puzzle (Unit) | Content |
| Autumn 1: | Being Me in My World | Includes understanding my own identity and how I fit well in the class, school and global community. Jigsaw Charter established. |
| Autumn 2: | Celebrating Difference | Includes anti-bullying (cyber and homophobic bullying included) and understanding |
| Spring 1: | Dreams and Goals | Includes goal-setting, aspirations, who do I want to become and what would I like to do for work and to contribute to society |
| Spring 2: | Healthy Me | Includes drugs and alcohol education, self-esteem and confidence as well as healthy lifestyle choices, sleep, nutrition, rest and exercise |
| Summer 1: | Relationships | Includes understanding friendship, family and other relationships, conflict resolution and communication skills, bereavement and loss |
| Summer 2: | Changing Me | Includes Relationships and coping positively with physical and emotional change |
RSE at Cotsford
We include the statutory Relationships and Health Education within our whole-school PSHE Programme. To ensure progression and a spiral curriculum, we use Jigsaw. The mapping document: Jigsaw 3-11 and statutory Relationships and Health Education, which can be found within our policy, shows exactly how Jigsaw and therefore our school, meets the statutory Relationships and Health Education requirements. It also states our position on Sex Education. Additional information can be found by clicking on the links below.
PSHE (including RSE) Policy May 2021
RSHE A Guide for Parents and Carers leaflet 2020
Summer 2 – Changing Me
EYFS this term, have thought about how they are changing and thinking about their bodies. They have talked about what they can do, now they are nearly big Year 1s that they could not do at the start of reception. Mrs Laverick is very proud of their achievements even though they have had this awful coronavirus lurking around! They have also named lots of body parts including brain, heart, wrist, ankle and spine after they drew around a class member.
The children in Year 1 were learning about the simple changes humans go through as they grow up. First they looked at life cycles, then they drew some of the different stages of growing up. They also learned the names of body parts, which linked really well to their science topic.
Miss Smith has been very proud of the children’s mature attitude to this half term’s topic of change. They have been able to link their work in Science to changes that they see in nature and in themselves. The children thought carefully about the changes that they have experienced so far and what types of changes may still happen. Rebecca from Place2 Be also supported them to think about the changes that they will experience in school.
The children in Year 3 have understood that it is ok to feel worried as well as excited for the future. They had many heated debates about role models and male / female jobs. Opinions differed because of their own families, experiences and cultural differences. However, all children understood that everyone has a right to an opinion and that we should respect that (UNCRC, Article 13). They explored stereotypical pictures and discussed differences. Many children were embarrassed to discuss their body changes as they grow up, but they knew the importance of being able to identify changes and to respect each other as they change. The children have a firm understanding how their needs have changed from a baby to now, and how they will change in the future.
Year 4 have discussed important changes in life that they can and can’t control and how they can learn to overcome these changes.
Rebecca from Place2Be visited the children to talk about moving on and what it means to them. There have been some deep discussions about ways of coping with change.
The children in Year 5 have had some very frank conversations while discussing the changes that happen during puberty. They have focussed on menstruation and hormonal changes that will affect their thoughts and feelings. They were able to reflect on their relationships and the relationships of others, making observations and asking questions where appropriate. The children showed a great deal of maturity during this topic.
Year 6 have had mature discussions about the changes that happen to their bodies as they grow and how changes are different between males and females. The children have enjoyed learning what they see as the perfect girl or boy and realise that these qualities are different for everyone.
Summer 1
This term, in EYFS we have thought about our friends and our relationship with our friends. We all know how important our friends are to us! We have thought about how we treat others and how we can always be the best friend that we possibly can.
Year 1 enjoyed the relationships focus this half term. The children have talked about their families and have learned that there are lots of different types of families. They have looked at friendships and their own qualities as a person and a friend.
Year 2/3 have had some very thoughtful discussions about families and what makes a happy home and what types of physical touches we like and which ones we don’t. We agreed that we all like a hug. The children have worked hard to use the positive problem-solving steps to resolve any disrupts with their friends. As you can see in the picture below, they enjoyed creating their own circles of trust.
As part of our work in Science and History, we have talked about our right to a shelter (Article 21) and our right to play (Article 31). As you can see in the picture below, the children created shelters and thought about what is needed to survive. In History, we have been learning about holidays and the different ways children have played throughout the last 150 years.
Year 3 have engaged in many discussions and began to see relationships as a two way thing (Article 12 and 13). They began by acknowledging who are close to them and what roles each person has in their own lives. They found identifying their role in their family difficult as they only saw themselves as children. The tip of the iceberg was when we looked at roles of males and females within families and society. Many realised that their family set ups were different due to how many were in a family as well as whether their parents worked. The children made a huge effort to play with others within the class and build new friendships, giving everyone a sense of belonging! Many discussions took place about children and families in development countries which led onto discussions about fairtrade and rights (Article 24). The children are still debating whether they need or want phones, televisions and their own bedroom!
In Year 4 we have learned about the importance of different kinds of relationships such as family or our friendships, and linked this to our right to be safe. We have also talked about ways we can help feelings of jealousy if we are feeling sad about our friend spending time with other people. We then looked at different ways of mending friendships if we have fallen out with somebody close to us. The children also shared thoughtful ideas on loss and how we can remember people that are special in our lives. We read a book called ‘Badger’s Parting Gifts’ to support us in this topic.
One subject that Year 5 excel in is knowing how to keep themselves safe. Through discussions they explored different types of relationships and were able to engage in mature conversations about how to stand up for themselves, negotiate and to resist peer pressure.
Relationships! What a great topic our PSHE unit has been in Year 6. We began by discussing what we needed to do to keep ourselves safe and healthy. We talked about drugs (good and bad) and why people might use them. This led us on to learning about the different reasons why people buy illegal drugs and how some children can be exploited as part of a drugs ring. We enjoyed debating what a healthy, good relationship was and how we are all happier when we have kind considerate friends.
Spring 2 – Remote learning and return to school
This half term the children have been focusing on the topic, ‘Healthy Me’.
The children in EYFS have talked about who they have missed throughout Lockdown at home and who they were looking forward to seeing, once they were back in school. Since returning, they have loved seeing their friends and talked about how they must stay safe but also stay happy. The children have completed a Wellbeing Wall with their thoughts and feelings in class. They also have a reflective area in class to enjoy calming smells, colouring and reflecting on their feelings or day.
Staying healthy was the topic of conversation in Year 1! They have looked at what it means to be healthy and how we can keep themselves safe. They have also taken part in lots of circle time activities, to discuss staying safe during the pandemic and also how to reconnect with friends and learning.
Linking being healthy to their Science work and thought about what they need to stay healthy was the way Year 2/3 tackled Healthy Me. The children thought about how they can stay motivated and live healthy lifestyles. They particularly focused on eating healthy foods, and which types of foods they should eat.
During Home Learning, the children learnt about Fairtrade Fortnight. They looked at why it is important and how the children could take part. They looked for things at home that had the Fairtrade logo.
Working together again was the main focus when they returned to school. They spent a lot of time using the Inside Out characters and the Colour Monster story to support the children in understanding their feelings and emotions.
The children enjoyed going outside and drawing themselves, they represented their emotions in their own way.
The children in Year 3 have loved healthy me! During lockdown they completed a fitness challenge to improve their skills and understand the importance of healthy eating and exercise. Even the parents joined in! This continued in their PE lessons at home where they were encouraged to complete daily physical exercises. The children had time to reflect on challenges and goals, exploring the importance of keeping a healthy mindset. They identified the different food groups and understood the need for a balanced diet. The children enjoyed completing the, ‘how much sugar’ activity and were genuinely shocked at how much sugar was in a variety of food and drink.
Year 4 explored the different types of ways they can keep themselves healthy and explored how this was not just limited to a healthy diet. They looked at what things in their lives can make them happy and therefore healthy, focusing particularly on friendships. The children were encouraged to look at the relationships they have with different people and pick out positive qualities for each one, to help them understand that every relationship is different.
When the children came back to school, they did lots of work on feeling welcome and the importance of welcoming each other back into the classroom. Children participated in discussions about worries of coming back to school and things they were looking forward to. They also used the Inside Out characters to explore the range of emotions everybody has been feeling during this difficult time, and to encourage children to be open about how they are feeling.
Year 5 have been focusing on article 24 and the children’s right to be healthy. They investigated what substances can have harmful effects in the body. During their home learning they focused on the dangers of smoking and the effects it can have on the body.
In addition to this, they have completed some of the return to school coronavirus curriculum which focused on how they can feel safe at school, discussing their worries and ensuring that they felt happy in their return to school.
Year 5 have enjoyed having passionate discussions about how alcohol can affect the body and its link to antisocial behaviour. Given various scenarios and deciding whether what happened was right, if it was fair and what they might have dine in a similar situation.
In Year 6 the children have worked on reconnecting themselves as a class. They have taken part in activities such as: “Tell me”- where children think about their likes and dislikes about lockdown and how we continue to stay safe during lockdown.
Spring 1 – Remote Learning
This half term the children have been focusing on dreams and goals as well as mental health awareness.
In EYFS they have thought about likes and dislikes in our local area and could give reasons for their answers. The children have talked about their friends, completed drawings of them and said why they miss them and school right now. The children took a vote on a story they could listen to and most people chose Strick Man, learning a little democracy.
In year 1 the children discussed the word ‘success’. They thought about what it could mean and how success could be different for each person. The children then drew a picture of something they felt successful at and wrote a sentence to explain it. They then thought about how it feels to achieve a goal. From this, they then thought about the steps needed to achieve a goal – their goal was to make a jam sandwich!
In year 2 and 3 the children tried to choose a realistic goal, think about how to achieve it, the different challenges that they may face and how they might overcome these challenges. Once the children had decided on their goal they created a ladder so that each step helped them to work towards achieving their goal. Finally, the children designed imaginary birds for ‘A Garden of Dreams and Goals’.
As part of our online safety work in Computing, the children have talked about their right to be safe (Article 19) and how they can keep safe online.
The children in Year 3 began by learning the song ‘For Me’ outlining the importance of keep going until you reach your goals. They looked at a range of challenges people face and placed them in order of how they would find them difficult. They had some understanding that the ordering of challenges would be different for others. The children went onto complete their own dreams and goals flower – symbolising that a flower grows from a tiny seed and takes time. Just like some of the children’s dreams and goals. They were given the song ‘Proud’ by Heather Small to listen to and then to write what they had achieved in one week that they were proud of. The children continued the theme of being proud and kind to themselves as well as everyone else. They were given information on well-being and mindfulness activities.
In year 4 the children began the topic by reading the story ‘Salt in His Shoes’ by Roslyn and Deloris Jordan. The children learnt about how Michael Jordan achieved his dream of becoming a basketball player and the importance of resilience. Then, they shared some thoughts about the story and how it links to their own dreams.
The children also explored what advice they would give to somebody who was disappointed that their dream did not come true. Then, they shared their own dreams and goals for the future and how they plan to achieve them.
In year 5 the children have thought carefully about the contribution that people make to society in their jobs and whether they are paid appropriately. They have thought about their dreams, what they want to be able to do and what steps they need to achieve to get there.
In year 6 the children have used learning in other subjects to identify similarities and differences between people’s lives. They have used RE to understand why it is important to recognise and be respectful towards beliefs that are different form their own and have developed a firmer understanding of how life experiences vary in own own community and around the world.
As part of ‘Children’s Mental Health Week’ using the theme of ‘express yourself’, the children started the week with a live Mental Health Workshop delivered by The Foundation of Light and had wellbeing time every day so that the children could complete different activities from a list of 50 activities that didn’t involve any screen time.
In school ‘Minute to Win it’ videos were created in which staff were challenged to complete against each other to, for example, see who could make the most snowballs in a minute, build the highest tower with marshmallows, shovel the highest mound of snow. All in the name of fun and to share some positivity. In turn the children then had a go themselves at home.
Autumn 2
This half term our focus has been on celebrating difference.
In EYFS the children thought about what they are good at, to know that everyone is good at different things and that being different makes us all special. The children talked about what they liked and how we are all different but the same in some ways. They all liked sweets! The children thought about why our home is special and how they can be a kind friend.
In Year 1 children took part in weekly circle times, where they talked about how they were similar and different to each other. They looked at bullying and what they could do if someone was feeling unhappy. The children then learned how we could turn negativity around and practised giving and receiving compliments. They completed part of a gingerbread person each week and eventually added them to our class charter, all linked with a friendship token.
In Year 2 and 3 the children have explored the stereotypes that some people make about boys and girls and we have talked about the ways in which boys and girls are similar and different in our class. Year 2 and 3 understand that it is OK to be different from other people and that we shouldn’t judge people if they are different from us. They know that it is good to be friends with different people because differences make us all special and unique.
They started the half term by taking part in Anti Bullying Week and this year’s theme of ‘United Against Bullying’. The children explored what bullying is, how someone who is being bullied might feel and what we can do about it. We explored different scenarios and how we would deal with them. The children made posters to explain what they will do to stand up to bullying and then they each made their own person which we stuck together to show that we will are all united against bullying.
Across school we also celebrated Children in Need day by coming to school dressed in something that makes us happy. We joined in with Joe Wick’s 24 hour challenge and made Pudsey crafts.
As part of our work in Geography we compared different places around the world to our country thinking about which rights people have or which rights they are being denied.
In Year 3 the children began by discussing their own families and realised that everybody was different. Some lived with both parents, some had brothers or sisters and others lived with grandparents. The children were encouraged to be respectful of other people’s families. As a class the children began solving scenarios by following a ‘solve it together’ flow chart. This led onto discussing bullying and what we should do. The children debated about how to act if they saw someone bullying or they were being bullied as some felt it would put them in a difficult position.
In Year 4, the children began the unit by exploring how they can judge someone by their appearance and how this is not always helpful. We moved on to look at how each person comes to a situation with a different opinion because of their experiences in life and how this is okay. The children also looked in detail at what bullying is and how different people feel when bullying happens. We created a list of how the bully, the person being bullied and a bystander might feel when it is happening.
In Year 5 the children looked at what makes us different and how people should be treated if they are different. They discussed racism and how that could impact on a child’s life depending on where they went to school and if they were surrounded by others of the same race, religion or not. The children also investigated the rights of the child through our English model text, they discussed which rights had been denied Alyssa, how that had happened and how it had been rectified. During our PE lessons with Sunderland FC, the children were given the right to a voice (A.12) and were able to choose through voting their own rules for a game they made up as a class.
In PSHE, Year 6 have looked at pictures of people from all walks of life and from different parts of the world and discussed how they each have unique experiences. They have discussed the meaning of normal and how each and everyone of us has a different view of what normal is. Year 6 have also discussed disability, race, religion and sexual orientation and are learning to show acceptance regardless of these aspects.
Autumn 1
This half term each class were introduced to Jerrie the Jigsaw Cat and their class Jigsaw Friend. Each class has been working within the topic ‘Being Me in My World’.
In Early Years this term we read Enemy Pie and understanding the importance of being a kind friend. We are beginning to take turns and understand that we must listen to our friends and consider what they say. We have looked at people who help us within the community, school and at home.
In year one this half term, we launched Jigsaw in PSHE. The children took part in weekly circle times, where we discussed a good classroom environment and our class charter. We took part in a vote for our school council members and began to discuss how we can use our learning pit.
Year 2 and 3 have really enjoyed starting Jigsaw especially using Calm Me Time. The children can now close their eyes, listen to the chime and get ready for our Jigsaw lessons. They know the importance of Calm Me Time and making sure that our feelings don’t get too big. We have meet Jo and Jerrie Cat who help us during Jigsaw and our first Jigsaw piece called, Being Me in My World. During this unit the children shared their hopes and fears for the coming year, we made our Class Charter and we talked about appropriate rewards and consequences.
In year three this half term we introduced our new PSHE curriculum ‘Jigsaw’. We were introduced to Jerrie the Jigsaw cat and our own jigsaw piece ‘Jino’. We enjoyed the different structure of lessons beginning with calm me time using the chimes. We discussed and debated what should be included on our class charter to ensure we have a safe learning environment where everyone can learn. It was a unanimous decision to draw ourselves on jigsaw pieces so we could be like Jino. Throughout the topic ‘Being Me in My World’ we explored a nightmare class as well as a safe class. From this we tried daily to make our class a safe class where everyone feels valued. The children transferred their knowledge and skills to create a welcome card for a child into our class. The children had to promote all the good things about our class and ensure the child felt safe.
In year four PSHE, this term children have been following Jigsaw and looked at ‘Being me in my world’. Children looked at who is in their school community, identifying the role they play and what responsibilities they have within school. They then thought about their own responsibility within school. Children looked at how democracy works through the school council and thought about responsibilities linked to some of the articles voting on the top three for each article including article 28 ‘the right to an education’. They then looked at rewards and consequences to match the responsibilities for the articles, discussing how their actions and choices directly impact the award of a reward or consequence. Children enjoyed creating a freeze frame for the rest of the class to choose appropriate rewards or consequences for. They then looked at teamwork and how best to work together as a group designing a poster to remind others how to be an effective team.
In year five PSHE, this term children have been following Jigsaw and looked at ‘Being me in my world’. Children looked at how to positively face new challenges and thought about setting personal goals for themselves both academically and personally and worked out steps needed to achieve one of their goals. They earnt about children’s rights both in our world and in our school and discussed responsibilities linked to these rights. As a class we then discussed and voted for the top six things ALL children need in order to be able to learn and talked about what responsibilities children would have in order to uphold these ‘six rights’ and we looked at rewards and consequences to match. We discussed teamwork and how hard it can be at times and thought of a set of rules that could be followed when working as a group. We finished by using drama to visit a range of scenarios, thinking about useful advice that could be offered to the child in the scenario. The children also created their class charter which displays their rights at school.
In year six this term in PSHE, they have been discussing feelings around school and their transition to Secondary School. They have compared similarities and differences between Primary and Secondary and noted some of their ideas. Year 6 have had in-depth discussions around the lives of children in other countries and how they differ from theirs. We have identified the rights we all have and how we have a responsibility to respect the rights of others.
Curriculum Content
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