RSHE : Dereham Church Infant and Nursery School

Keeping Our Children Safe In The Modern World

Our RSHE Vision Statement:

“RSHE enables and equips children to understand their identity and position in the modern world. It provides a wide range of learning opportunities and develops children’s knowledge and understanding about relationships in order to keep safe, be happy and be healthy.”

New guidance, published in June 2019, has made two curriculum areas compulsory in primary schools for the first time. These two elements are Relationships and Health Education.

Relationships Education consists of five core areas. These are:

Families and people who care for me
Caring friendships
Respectful relationships
Online relationships
Being safe

Health Education areas at primary level include the following, however not all are compulsory for infant schools:

Mental well-being
Internet safety and dangers
Physical health and fitness
Healthy eating
Drugs, alcohol and tobacco
Road safety
Water safety

This new programme is embedded as part of a whole school approach to support our children to be safe, happy and prepared for life. As part of the new requirement, RSHE is included in our curriculum as a subject in its own right. In our teaching and learning, we already cover many topics of the new statutory requirements regarding relationships and health as part of our PSHE. This teaching includes learning about how families can be different from their own and how to show respect of those differences. We also cover equality and diversity, for example exploring and respecting different types of relationships.

Alongside RSHE, PSHE teaching enables us to promote spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of our children. Research highlights the benefits of effective PSHE on pupil’s health, wellbeing and attainment. As a school, we have identified the most appropriate teaching resource for our children. This resource is called:

Jigsaw

What is Jigsaw?

Jigsaw is a scheme of learning for teaching Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). It brings together emotional literacy, social skills and spiritual development. Jigsaw enables teachers to tailor the lessons to meet their children’s needs and to build a relationship with their class, to get to know them better as unique human beings.

Jigsaw is designed as a whole school approach with all year groups working on the same theme (puzzle) at the same time. The themes are differentiated and age appropriate so that a theme taught in Nursery will have different learning experiences to the same theme taught in Year 2. The theme will be introduced in collective worship with a story and a special song to focus and inspire the whole school. At the end of the theme, there is a sharing assembly where each class can share their learning.

What are the themes (puzzles) in Jigsaw?

There are six themes which are taught in sequence. One theme is taught each half term:

(1) Being me in my world – this theme develops children’s understanding of their place in the classroom, in their school and in the global community. They will learn how to love themselves and the world around them. This theme provides children with the opportunity to learn how to recognise and talk about their own feelings and emotions.

(2) Celebrating Difference – this theme focuses on similarities and differences. It explores diversity within our world, such as disability, racism, power, friendships and conflict. Celebrating Difference also addresses the types of bullying children, or their friends, may experience. During this theme, children learn to accept that everyone is different, to include everyone in their class and in their playground games, to know how to help if someone is being bullied, to solve problems, to use kind words and to know how to give and receive compliments.

(3) Dreams and Goals – this theme aims to help children think about their hopes and dreams, their goals for success, what their personal strengths are, and how to overcome challenges, through team work skills and tasks. Children learn about experiencing and managing feelings of pride, ambition, success and disappointment. They have the opportunity to share and discuss their aspirations, goals and their dreams for the world to the peers in their class.

(4) Healthy Me – this theme covers two main areas of health: Emotional Health (being safe, mental health skills, managing stress) and Physical Health (eating a balanced diet, physical activity, rest and relaxation, keeping clean, simple first aid and being safe). Healthy Me develops children’s self-esteem and self-confidence. It teaches them how to make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing through developing their understanding of healthy lifestyle choices.

(5) Relationships – this theme has a wide focus, looking at diverse topics such as families, friendships, pets and animals, and love and loss. A vital part of this theme is about keeping children safe. Children have the opportunity to explore roles and responsibilities in families, and to look at stereotypes. This theme teaches children how to build positive and safe relationships with their family and friends. It also develops their understanding of the characteristics and the importance of good, positive friendships. We will discuss questions such as: What is a relationship? What is friendship? What is family? Who can you look to for help and support? This theme helps children to develop their communication skills and learn how to deal with conflict effectively.

(6) Changing Me – this theme deals with change of different types, for example from growing young to old, moving house and moving school. Children will learn how to deal with looking ahead, moving year groups and the transition from year 2 to junior school. They will also learn how to express how they feel when change happens and know who to ask for help if they are worried about change. This theme includes age appropriate Sex Education taught through the NSPCC PANTS programme. The children are taught the PANTS acronym, which stands for:

P – Privates are private:

Making it clear to every child what ‘private’ means. Explaining to children that their underwear covers up their private parts and that no one should ask them to see or touch their private parts, or ask them to look at or touch someone else’s. Sometimes doctors, nurses or family members might have to, but those people should always explain why and must ask the child for permission first.

A – Always remember your body belongs to you:

Developing children’s understanding that their body belongs to them, and no one else. No one has the right to make them do anything that makes them feel uncomfortable.

N – No means no:

Expanding children’s understanding that they have the right to say no to unwanted touch, even to a family member or someone they know or love. They are in control of their own body.

T – Talk about secrets that upset you:

Explaining to children that they should always talk about things that makes them worried, and that sharing these worries won’t get them into trouble. Developing an understanding between the differences of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ secrets.

S – Speak up, someone can help:

Reassuring children that it’s always good to talk to an adult they trust, about anything that makes them sad, anxious or frightened. Encouraging children to talk to someone outside of their family, for example their teacher, if they require help. We know that talking regularly to our children about these important messages, is paramount to keeping them safe.

Using this programme enables us to use simple, child friendly language to give all our children the confidence and knowledge to stay safe. Please see the NSPCC website for more information: www.nspcc.org.uk/pants

How is Jigsaw taught?

In our school, we have decided to teach across a blocked week at the end of each half term to allow for in depth and quality learning. Jigsaw is taught in a variety of different ways and teachers can select and adapt resources and activities to meet the needs and interests of their own class. These are some of the ways the themes can be taught;