PSHE Subject Leader Planning Statement
As a Gold Rights Respecting School, we are know that under the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child:
Article 29 (goals of education)
Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment.
Article 2 (without discrimination)
The Convention applies to every child whatever their ethnicity, gender, religion, abilities, whatever they think or say, no matter what type of family they come from.
Article 31 (leisure, play and culture)
Every child has the right to relax, play and join in a wide range of cultural and artistic activities.
PSHE Education (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) is a vital, planned programme of learning through which children and young people acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to successfully manage their lives – now and in the future. As part of a whole-school approach, PSHE Education develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society. At Rickmansworth Park JMI we have chosen to follow the high quality curriculum provided by Jigsaw PSHE.
“Jigsaw holds children at its heart, and its cohesive vision helps children understand and value how they fit into and contribute to the world.
With strong emphasis on emotional literacy, building resilience and nurturing mental and physical health, Jigsaw 3-11 properly equips schools to deliver engaging and relevant PSHE within a whole-school approach. Jigsaw lessons also include mindfulness allowing children to advance their emotional awareness, concentration and focus.”
The Department for Education (DfE) has stated:
“Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is an important and necessary part of all pupils’ education. All schools should teach PSHE, drawing on good practice, and this expectation is outlined in the introduction to the proposed new national curriculum.”
The following units of work are each taught over a half term in weekly lessons in all classes across the school. This ensures consistent progression of knowledge and skills for all our learners. Lessons also include mindfulness and mind opening activities.
The PSHE Association states:
“PSHE education gives pupils the knowledge, skills, and attributes they need to keep themselves healthy and safe and to prepare them for life and work in modern Britain…. When taught well, PSHE education helps pupils to achieve their academic potential, and leave school equipped with skills they will need throughout later life.”
We believe our PSHE curriculum, combined with our work on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, equips all our children with the skills and knowledge to manage their lives positively and become responsible global citizens.
What makes our PSHE curriculum exceptional?
1. It is underpinned by aims, values & purpose
Article 29 UN Convention of Rights of the Child states: Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment.
At Rickmansworth Park school we promote excellence and support ambition within a caring, happy and safe environment. PSHE helps facilitate the development of the whole child and develop mutual respect and understanding as children grow into global citizens of the future.
2. It develops the whole person – knowledge, skills, understanding & attitudes.
Jigsaw PSHE is a whole-school approach with many layers above and beyond the lesson plans themselves. The aim is to support children to feel a strong sense of belonging and community by taking part in whole-school assemblies and to bring the learning alive through Weekly Celebrations to make it lived across the school community and in children’s lives outside of school.
3. It is broad and balanced.
Jigsaw, with its mindful approach to PSHE/HWB, brings together Personal, Social, Health Education, emotional literacy, social skills and spiritual development in a comprehensive scheme of learning.
In addition, as a Unicef Rights Respecting Gold accredited school, our pupils learn about the rights they have and the responsibilities that come with those rights.
4. There is clear progression in subject knowledge and skills.
We teach PSHE using Jigsaw PSHE, a carefully thought-through progressive programme with a full set of attainment descriptors and an assessment process embedded throughout.
5. It is filled with rich first-hand experiences.
Children have the opportunity to support charities through sponsored and fundraising events. Participation in the school council and the Rights Respecting Global Goals Group allows children to take on leadership roles and think like global citizens.
6. It is flexible and responsive to individual needs and interests.
Teachers focus on tailoring the lessons to their children’s needs and enjoy building the relationship with their class, getting to know them better as unique human beings.
Teaching strategies are varied and are mindful of preferred learning styles and the need for differentiation.
7. It has an eye on the future and the needs of future citizens.
PSHE prepares children for the future by building confidence, resilience and self-esteem. It provides opportunities to explore values, attitudes, beliefs, rights and responsibilities. PSHE develops and understanding of themselves, empathy and the ability to work with others to form good relationships, develop skills for future employability and better enjoy and manage their lives.
8. It encourages the use of environments and expertise beyond the classroom.
At Rickmansworth Park we place a strong emphasis on cultural capital and broadening the experiences of children beyond the classroom. In all subject areas and during our whole school Excellence and Enjoyment week, experiences beyond the walls of our school are promoted.
9. It makes meaningful links between areas of knowledge across the curriculum.
Achievements and issues are linked through celebration assemblies, circle time, sports clubs and participating in inter-school tournaments, residential and day trips, social and fund raising events, charity events and theme days.
10. It has a local, national and global dimension.
As a Rights Respecting gold school, the Unicef charter on the rights of the child is a thread that links all we do. Children are aware of themselves as global citizens and understand how the issues discussed in class on a local level are very much relevant to the wider world and life beyond school.
11. It is supported by high quality Subject Leader CPD.
The Jigsaw scheme provides for continuous, online teacher training and development, ensuring staff are up to date with essential changes and are aware of statutory requirements.
12. SMSC is embedded within the curriculum.
(See SMSC Subject Statement)
Social, Moral, Spiritual, Cultural Links – PSHE
Spiritual
PSHE supports spiritual development, through fostering children’s awareness and understanding of issues that involve differing beliefs and values in human society. PSHE helps children develop self-knowledge through an exploration of their identity and belonging, their ideals and commitment and the meaning or purpose they see in life.
Moral
PSHE helps moral development by enabling children to acquire a critical appreciation of issues of right and wrong, justice, fairness, rights and obligations in society. Children have opportunities to explore the ethical and moral dimensions of legal, political, social, economic and environmental issues and to exercise responsibility at a personal and social level.
Social
Social development is enabled through the study of PSHE, as children acquire the understanding and skills they need to become responsible and effective members of society. They develop an understanding of how society works and how decisions are influenced and made. They take part in community and social activities that help to promote personal and social skills.
Cultural
PSHE helps cultural development by helping children to understand the nature and role of the different groups to which they belong, to learn about the origins and implications of the diversity in society, and to develop respect for difference.
Opportunities to reflect on spiritual, moral, social and cultural dimensions occur through many aspects of PSHE education. Children are encouraged to consider their own views and opinions about them, for example, as they investigate and think about global and topical issues, problems and events, and as they participate in activities in school, in their neighbourhood and communities.