PSHE at Cotsford
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.
We, at Cotsford Primary, teach PSHE through 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 have explored how we change as we grow older and how we are preparing to go into year 1. The children have explored healthy eating, named parts of our bodies and made healthy smoothies as part of Health Week with Chef, Sarah.
Year 1 children have been looking at some things that have changed and some things that have stayed the same since they were a baby, and how they are changing as they grow. They also know that as they learn, they change a little bit more each time.
Year 2 have identified people who are older who they respect. The children identified changes to themselves, including their bodies as they grow up. This had a mix of emotions as some were excited as they looked at all the things they would be able to do when they were older i.e. lift heavier objects, learn more and make their own choices. Several discussions led to worries about changes i.e. more responsibility, changes to their bodies and not having as much time to play. Everyone is excited to move into Year 3 and are ready to learn even more!
The children in Year 3 have been taking time to learn about their bodies and the changes that they will go through as they get older. They have been able to take part in discussions about their emotions and feelings, as well as how they could manage their worries.
Year 4 have been developing their understanding of the changes that they will go through, as they get older. They have been looking at physical changes and also changes in situations and emotions.
The children have also taken part in health week, where they have learned about the ways to keep physically and mentally healthy.
Year 5 have spent a lot of time talking about the changes that they are going through now and in the near future. As you can see in the pictures below, they started by thinking about their own self-image, including their body image. They wrote down all the positive and negative things that they feel about themselves and then thought about how they could work towards changing some of those negatives into positives. Then, they had different stem sentences that they completed all about puberty. The children were fascinated to learn about some of the changes that will happen to them and their classmates during puberty, such as periods and the physical changes that their bodies will go through. Year 5 finished by making spinners for their pens to always remind them about the changes that they are looking forward to in Year 6 and beyond.
Year 5 had a wonderful experience with the Mini Police. They took part in a 6-week program looking at the role and responsibilities of the police. As you can see in the pictures below, their favourite sessions were trying on the uniform, wearing beer goggles to see the effects of drinking and taking part in Escape Room style challenges. They still have a Police Station visit to look forward to in Year 6.
Year 5 finished the year by holding their charity event. They each made a well-balanced, healthy snack to sell. They raised £24.01 which they decided to donate to the RSPCA. This is enough to look after a horse for two days. Well done Year 5!
PSHE for Year 6 has been all about how they are changing. They looked at how they view themselves and how to support themselves and others with their self-image. They moved onto looking at puberty and how their bodies change during this time. Finally, they worked on how they feel during the transition to secondary school and how they are looking forward to moving on to ‘big school’! They had some great sessions with Debs from Place2Be as well as transition days to the schools they are going to – everyone came back with exciting tales about these days! What exciting times are ahead!
Summer 1 – Relationships
Year 1 have focused on what makes a good relationship. They have explored that families are all different and unique, what it means to be a good friend, know appropriate ways of physical contact to greet their friends, identified who can help them in the school community, and how to recognise their own qualities as a person and a friend.
Year 2 have enjoyed looking at relationships; including understanding that each family is unique, understanding what acceptable touch and physical contact is and when to say they’re not comfortable, when to keep a secret and when to tell an adult, and how to trust and appreciate others.
Year 3 have talked about family roles and responsibilities, friendships, keeping safe online and what it means to be a global citizen. Through discussion, they have thought about how their actions can help and influence others and also how they can show appreciation to those around us.
Year 4 have discussed feelings of jealousy, love and loss. They have been able to discuss what it means to love the people around them and also how it feels to lose someone or something close to them. The children have also discussed how they can get along with each other and what to do when they have had a fall out.
Year 5 have had a busy half term thinking about online safety. As you can see in the pictures below, the children started by thinking about themselves and how they think and feel about themselves. Then, they completed a lot of quizzes about age restrictions and what they should share online, this led to a lot of in-depth conversations. The children discussed an example of a text message that someone might receive and wrote some replies. What advice would you give? Also, Year 5 thought about how to monitor screen time, their suggestions are below.
The children were also lucky enough to be part of the Investing in Children, Peer Mentoring program. They are not yet at the end of their journey. The children would still like to use their training to set up a group in school to help all the children in the school.
Year 5 and 6 had a fantastic morning working with Heart and Hopes of Horden. The children shared some of their ideas and feelings about Horden and then they drew some pictures to show what they would like Horden to be like in the future.
Year 6 have looked at the importance of mental health and different things they can do to take care of this, leading up to SATs. They worked on different breathing techniques and visualisation as well as learning who they can go to for support if they need it. Next, they focused on areas which may affect them at any time during their lives and thought about how grief may affect them. Finally, they looked at how important it is to make sure they are safe and respectful online and how to handle the responsibility of keeping safe online. These sessions built on work the children have completed throughout school and in computing topics, so everyone has the skills they need.
Spring 2 – Healthy Me
In Early Years the children have talked about the things they eat and how they can affect our bodies including having too many sugary sweets and drinks. They are so bad for our teeth! They enjoyed circle time when they shared their bedtime routines. Jigsaw Jennie was impressed with some of their routines including brushing teeth, sharing a story and then going to sleep. They even practised a little in class and lay on the floor, calming their bodies down and relaxing just as if they were going to go to sleep. They then talked about how their bodies were feeling. Zzzzzzzzz
They also looked at several important women on International Women’s Day!
Year 1 have learnt the differences between being healthy and unhealthy, what this means to them and this resulted in thinking about how they could make healthy lifestyle choices to keep clean and healthy. They also talked about medicines and other household products and how to use them safely.
Year 2 have explored bodies and mind. They looked at being healthy and had some great discussions on what food choices they could make as well as looking after themselves by relaxing. They explored how they could help others by being supportive during tricky times. They looked at a range of medicines and identified how they can help. From this they also talked about how to keep safe with medicine. The children enjoyed designing a healthy balanced meal! Some however, admitted they wouldn’t eat some of the food. In the end, they decided that they should keep trying new healthy foods. I wonder what they will try next?
This half term has helped Year 3 to understand how they too can keep healthy. They have learned what the most important things are that they need to do to make sure they look after themselves both physically and mentally. They know the people they can speak to if they have a problem and can identify who trusted adults are. They also learned which services they should contact in different circumstances.
Year 4 have looked at how different friendship groups are formed and how the children fit into them. Then the children focussed on how to be healthy, which also included understanding the facts about smoking and the effects of alcohol.
The children have also been taking part in weekly well-being sessions with Live Well North East. They have learned about their feelings and emotions, and how they can create a positive mindset. The children have also learned different massage techniques, that they can use when they feel any heightened emotions. The children have loved getting involved in these sessions – especially the relaxing part at the end!
Year 5 have been focusing on article 24 and the children’s right to be healthy. They explored how substances, like tobacco and alcohol, can have harmful effects on the body and the dangers of smoking and drinking. This enabled the children to reach informed decisions and clearly articulate their reasonings. They also looked at how pressures from celebrity culture and social media can impact on how we feel about ourselves. Through discussion and given scenarios, they were able to come up with different ways of feeling positive about ourselves and others.
Year 6 have been looking at how to keep safe and not to fall into peer pressure. The children also understand how to support people who may be going through tough times or have done something wrong. They have had a brilliant and informative visit from the fire service, explaining the issue of arson and how to make sure your house is safe from fire.
Spring 1 – Dreams and Goals
The whole school had a wonderful visit from The Great North Air Ambulance Service. They told us all about what they do and how they help us. They even brought a special visitor!
EYFS have had lots of fun talking about our short term and long-term dreams. They thoroughly enjoyed imagining they were on a rocket and thinking about what they would do if they travelled to the future. Their aspirations for careers included teachers, firefighters, vets and members of the police force.
Year 1 children thought about goals they could achieve together; a shared goal and about personal goals that they wanted to set and achieve.
Year 2 have explored a range of dreams which can be completed quickly and those which need further training and skills. They useed the PE ladders to see how many steps they needed to make in order to succeed. They looked at goals that can be achieved independently and those that need others to support. In class there was an emphasis on working as part of a team; they did this in PE to create a dance and gymnastics routine. As well, in music, they needed to work as a class to play a tune using the recorders. They completed this topic by creating a fantasy bird for a dream garden. The challenge was to work in groups but communicate with everyone. They explored the importance of listening to peers and acting on their ideas, not just our own. As part of Mental Health Week, they explored the importance of healthy growing and what they need to achieve their dreams and goals. Fingers crossed they all work hard to achieve their future goals and dreams! Debs, from Place 2 Be, supported their work by emphasising the value in us all connecting together – the children made a fabulous paper chain with everyone expressing themselves through art.
Year 3 have thought about their vision for the future and where they would like to be in years to come. The children have looked at how other people achieve their dreams and goals regardless of barriers in their way. Alongside this they have thought about different scenarios and made decisions on how these can be solved. They really enjoyed spending time designing relaxing spaces for people who have varying needs to support them in achieving their goals.
Year 4 have discussed their own dreams and goals, thinking about whether they are long term goals or sort term aims. They have also worked out the steps that they would need to take in order to achieve their goals. The children have also learned that reflecting on positive and happy experiences can help to counteract disappointment. There are some aspiring footballers, firefighters and business owners in our class!
Year 5 started by identify their own dreams and goals for the future. Then the children researched different jobs and thought about the steps they would need to complete to have a similar career. Next, Year 5 looked at the dreams and goals of young people in other cultures, including Mary from Kenya and a child in El Salvador, and thought about what is important to them and how it might be the same or different to themselves. Finally, the children started to think about how they could support each other and they have decided to work together to plan a charity event. Come back soon to see our event.
Year 5 also took part in Children’s Mental Health Week and the theme of ‘Let’s Connect’. As you can see in the pictures below, they started off the week by ‘dressing to empress’ and completing some activities to help them to connect with each other. Also as part of Children’s Mental Health week, Debs, from Place 2 Be, visited us. The children each made their own part of a paper chain to show how they all fit together.
Year 6 have spent time developing their understanding of the challenges people in our local environment, country and globally can face. It has been very interesting to think about the different ways they can help others, not just with money, but also with time, understanding and support. They looked at ways that they could help people in different situations and how they can help both directly and so people can have a better life.
As the children are now in their last year at Cotsford Primary School, they have also set themselves goals both in and out of school which they would like to achieve before making the exciting move to secondary school. They worked on how to achieve these goals and set themselves small manageable targets to achieve along the way as well as thinking about what they can do to keep themselves motivated.
Autumn 2 – Celebrating Differences
EYFS have looked at how we are different to each other and how we are sometimes the same. The children have looked at all the different houses that people live in all around the world. The children realised some peoples homes were very different to their homes. They explored their families and how they can be different too. This led to sorted them using their own ideas. They have also looked at how they can be kind friends, always.
Year 1 have worked hard this term to Celebrate Difference. They have been looking at some of the ways in which they are same and different to their friends, and how these differences make them all different and unique!
Year 2 thoroughly enjoyed creating odd socks as well as learning that it is good to be different. They all created their own jigsaw piece, adding what makes them individual. They discussed all of the pieces fitting together to create a class jigsaw. The children loved these so much, they asked if we could display them! The children have looked closely at all the differences within the class as well as all the similarities. From this they talked about bullying and identified what they could do in a range of situations. They all agreed, that it is good to talk to someone if they had any worries. Discussing gender stereotypes was heated, as many felt certain colours and toys were only for boys and some only for girls. They concluded, that people should be allowed to like or dislike what they choose, as individuals.
Year 3 have discussed the meaning of difference and they understand that it is ok to be different. They have looked at a range of scenarios and have worked together to come up with a talk it through, solve the problem flow chart to help them when hey find themselves in a tricky situation.
Year 4 have focussed on how everyone is different and how it is sometimes easy to make assumptions about people, based on what they look like. The children have used this to think about bullying and what they need to do if they think bullying is taking place. They have also been able to discuss what influences them and what makes them special. Year 4 have really enjoyed this unit and have had some really deep and meaningful conversations together!
Year 5 began by creating their own culture wheels, as you can see below, this then helped them to think about the things that are important to them. The children also looked at some of the challenges that different groups of people may face, such as racism and children in the developing world. They finished by creating the same culture wheels but this time for a different culture.
They also taken part in Anti-Bullying week. This year’s theme was ‘Reach Out’. The children wore odd socks, designed their own and made an anti-bullying game after looking at the different types of bullying, for example, name-calling, physical and cyber. It’s been a busy half term as they’ve also supported Road Safety Week and the theme, ‘All Safe’. As a class, they talked about how all road users have a right to be safe and the children enjoyed taking part in a road safety quiz.
In Year 6, the children have been celebrating their differences and looking at how they can support each other. This is vital as they begin the transition towards secondary school. Linking PSHE with Anti-bullying week, they worked with year 5 on creating a display of their thoughts, ideas and understanding of how to support each other. They also looked at why people may bully and how to make sure they get the support they need to ensure they can stamp out all bullying, prejudice and unkindness.
The children loved supporting Children in Need by wearing spots and going for a walk with their friends and families around Horden.
Autumn 1 – Being Me in My World
In Early Years this term the children have been introduced to Jennie and Jerry and thoroughly enjoyed their calm time experienced in PSHE lessons. The children are understanding the importance of being a kind friend and beginning to take turns and understand that they must listen to their friends and consider what they say. They have had a class cafe for part of their milk and snack time. They talked to a partner and asked them what they would like, collecting their drink and milk. It was so much fun. They even washed their own dishes up too!
The children also created a friendship potion mixing lots of different ingredients to make a good friend. They sang and clapped as they mixed and passed the potion around. I wonder what you would include in your potion?
Firstly, Year 1’s established important ‘ground rules’ for PSHE lessons through exploring the Jigsaw Charter and creating their own. The children were also introduced to ‘Jigsaw Jack’ after receiving a letter from him, and ‘he’ now plays a pivotal role in their lessons. The children learned that they have rights and responsibilities as a member of the class and how they can work together in lessons. They developed their understanding of how the choices they make have different consequences. Most importantly, they learned how special and unique they are all, and were pleased to receive their Jigsaw certificates!
Year 2 have explored their feelings and have agreed that it is okay to feel sad, angry, fearful and worried but more importantly that they tell someone and use a range of strategies to deal with it. The children looked at people who were close to them at home as well as in school and how they can make us feel a range of emotions depending on the scenario. The children explored their worries and used the worry monsters to try and find solutions. The big emphasis this half term has been to create a class charter that is meaningful to everyone and helps he children to learn, feel safe and to be heard. They explored several rights and voted on the most important for the class charter. The children then created their own and identified what a good role model would look like. Year 2 know how important it is to have a voice and how to respect it. The children voted for the school team class representatives and were introduced to the word democracy.
The children really enjoyed their visit by Police Officers Clare and Jet! They talked about what to do in an emergency and all the different ways police can help everyone.
Year 3 have explored how to make others feel welcome into our school and class, how to make our school community a better place, how everyone has a right to learn, caring about others’ feelings and how to work well with others. The children developed a Class Charter and looked at why our school community benefits from a Learning Charter and how they can help others to follow it by modelling it themselves.
Year 4 have looked at the different roles that people do, in and around our school. They have looked at rights and the different ways that we can respect each other’s rights. The children then helped to create a class charter, which includes all of the things that the children felt were important to follow.
Year 5 have thought about their individual goals for the year ahead. Mrs Cook even came to speak to them about the vision she has for our school this year. The children looked at some of the UNCRC rights which are important to them and how they can respect them. Each child created a list of five things that they need in order for them to learn best. They discussed how things like food and a good night’s sleep are just as important as books and pencils. As you can see in the pictures below, the children thought about some of the rewards that they would like in Year 5 so they have now started giving out the Golden Dojo. The children know that there are also consequences to their actions. Finally, the children created a new Class Charter and held a democratic vote for their new School Team members.
Year 6 have written their own Class Charter and they have explored why the school community benefits from a LearningCharter. They concluded that they could help others to follow it by modelling it themselves. They also explored how to make others feel welcome into their school and class, how to make their school community a better place, how everyone has a right to learn, caring about others’ feelings and how to work well with others.
