Personal, Social & Health Education
The Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) curriculum focuses on teaching the children key skills, knowledge and connections to help them stay safe and healthy – helping to prepare them for the challenges that life can bring!
We follow a scheme of work, published by Jigsaw, which has a focus on child wellbeing and creating a safe space to explore feelings and ideas. It is a mindful approach to developing the key social, emotional and personal skills. Children build on these skills as they move through the school through key topics (see below). Special assemblies are held weekly to reward children as they demonstrate their increasing skills and knowledge.
We ask children to complete regular wellbeing surveys so that we can target any extra pastoral support they may need to help them build emotional resilience, friendship skills or other personal, emotional aspects of learning.
Alongside the PSHE curriculum, children also take part in key workshops, assemblies and events focusing on a range of issues such as online safety, charity fundraising, collecting for the local foodbank, Anti-bullying and Anti-racism weeks, awareness days (Autism, DLD) and many more!
You can find out more about the PSHE curriculum here and the Jigsaw approach – or you can read the attached Jigsaw pdf containing information for parents and carers.
Parent Carer RSE at STA Presentation 2021
LGBT Teaching and Learning At STA
Department for Education guidance states that from September 2020, all primary schools must teach Relationships and Health Education. The teaching of Sex Education in primary schools remains non-statutory, with the exception of the elements of sex education contained in the science national curriculum including the main external body parts, the human life cycle (including puberty) and reproduction in some plants and animals. Other related topics that fall within the statutory requirements for Health Education, such as puberty and menstrual wellbeing, will be included within PSHE education lessons.
Within the statutory guidance document for RSE and Health Education, the DfE also encourages schools to deliver age-appropriate sex education if they feel their pupils need this information:
“It will be for primary schools to determine whether they need to cover any additional content on sex education to meet the needs of their pupils. Many primary schools already choose to teach some aspects of sex education and will continue to do so, although it is not a requirement….
“It is important that the transition phase before moving to secondary school supports pupils’ ongoing emotional and physical development effectively. The Department continues to recommend therefore that all primary schools should have a sex education programme tailored to the age and the physical and emotional maturity of the pupils. It should ensure that both boys and girls are prepared for the changes that adolescence brings and – drawing on knowledge of the human life cycle set out in the national curriculum for science – how a baby is conceived and born”
As in the DfE guidance, Relationships Education is defined as teaching about the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships, with particular reference to friendships, family relationships, and relationships with other children and with adults.