Our intent:

PSHE is taught through a mindful approach at South End Junior School. We bring together personal, social, health education, emotional literacy, social skills and spiritual development through our curriculum. We also make links with our school values and drive for a strong growth mindset. Connections with our community enable us to prepare our children for the modern world by ensuring they are tolerant and resilient with an understanding of safety within our local community, the wider world and the online world. We strive for children to aim high and achieve their dreams, always bettering themselves at the next stage. Our children leave our junior school with the skills to be successful, responsible and understanding members of our diverse society and ready for tomorrow’s world.

Please click here for the PSHE Long Term Overview for content and coverage.

Our way:

At South End Junior School, we teach PSHE lessons at least once weekly with additional sessions added where necessary (e.g. mini first aid lessons or NSPCC workshops). There are also regular assemblies to introduce the children to particular themes: Anti-Bullying Week and Black History Matters for example. During these sessions, we promote an open and inclusive environment where all children are encouraged to share their ideas and thoughts. We predominantly use the JIGSAW scheme which is recognised by the DfE and is National Curriculum compliant – this is adapted when necessary to suit the needs of the children. Teachers provide suitable scaffolds when needed and all sessions encompass different learning styles. To supplement JIGSAW, we also selectively use material from Real Love Rocks and the newly-launched Northamptonshire Virtual Safety Programme.

PSHE lessons at SEJ are planned for the year group by one person each term for consistency. This is then adapted when deemed necessary based on the needs of the pupils and feedback from staff, parents and pupils (e.g. suspicious searches, equality forms and break time incidents).

In each unit, there is a focus on vocabulary where key words are given during the lesson and children are asked for their own definitions of the words. This is then built upon during the lesson and the unit. At the end of each unit, children use their newly-gained knowledge and vocabulary to answer the ‘Big Question’, and this also allows teachers to make judgements on the pupils’ understanding and achievement. All work is recorded in a class PSHE showcase book with all children given the opportunity to have their contributions and work celebrated.

In the summer term, parents are invited to a Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) workshop, where they can ask any questions about what is to be taught to their children the following term. Teachers are also given a yearly refresher in relation to the new updated RSE statements and guidance to ensure the teaching is accurate and relevant.

To link in with our school values and curriculum drivers, an annual ‘Aspirations’ event is held to allow children to learn about a wide range of jobs and careers with the help and support of visitors linked to a variety of jobs.