JIGSAW - PSHE & RSE
From September 2020, the teaching of relationships and sex education (RSE) became statutory for all schools. This forms part of the wider personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum and at Fir Ends.
Delivery of this is in line with our PSHE & RSE Policy, found here: Policies Page
To ensure that our curriculum is consistent and creates a 'spiral' from EYFS to Year 6, we have introduced the JIGSAW scheme throughout the school.
Below, parents can find out a little more about what the programme involves.
Hard copies can also be made available for parents to read by the school office, on request and staff are happy to discuss specific content.
The bulk of relationship and sex education content is delivered in the summer term. At least two weeks prior to delivering content relating to puberty and human reproduction, parents will be notified by letter.
(last updated: June 2021)
Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE)
covers a wide range of areas, from how to become more resilient to dealing with fallouts between friends; the issues associated with drug abuse to what smoking does to lungs; how to make healthy food choices to the importance of exercise in maintaining positive mental health.
Many aspects of this are delivered within other learning activities, or through play - and day-to-day there are always ad-hoc opportunities for staff to provide input in all of these areas.
Within the JIGSAW scheme, there will be targeted sessions, following a termly cycle. These usually begin with a whole school assembly on a theme followed by age-appropriate activities in classrooms linked to this.
Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)
is a statutory component of the curriculum, becoming a legal requirement for all schools from September 2020.
Sex Education includes the vocabulary and processes and changes associated with mammalian reproduction, which is taught in science.
We also teach it through JIGSAW within the Relationships and Changing Me puzzles, which develop pupil understanding from EYFS onwards.
RELATIONSHIPS coverage includes reference to the wide range of relationships that we may encounter in society.
Different family situations and models will be included in session materials and the vocabulary relevant to LGBTQ will be covered.
This ensures that pupils from all family backgrounds feel included in society, and helps to remove stigmas that may be associated with not being part of a 'nuclear family' model.
Covering the language associated with the LGBTQ community also helps to ensure that children are able to understand the broad meaning of these terms and use them appropriately.
In all instances, the focus is on raising awareness of the different life choices available to, and made by, people in British society.