Intent

We are committed to providing a comprehensive and age-appropriate PSHE and RSE curriculum that prepares our pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life in modern Britain. Through the Jigsaw programme, we aim to develop the whole child, nurturing their personal, social, emotional and physical development.

Our intent is to:

• Build strong foundations for positive relationships by teaching pupils about healthy friendships, family relationships, and respectful interactions with peers and adults, ensuring they understand the fundamental building blocks of positive relationships from the earliest years
• Develop emotional literacy and mental well-being by equipping children with the vocabulary, understanding, and strategies to recognise, express and manage their emotions, supporting their mental health and resilience
• Foster understanding of diversity and respect by celebrating difference and teaching children to respect others regardless of their background, family structure, beliefs, or characteristics, creating an inclusive community
• Promote safety and safeguarding awareness by teaching children about boundaries, privacy, consent (in age-appropriate ways), and how to recognise and report concerns, ensuring they know they have rights over their own bodies and can access help when needed
• Prepare pupils for physical and emotional changes by providing accurate, age-appropriate information about puberty, growing up, and, where appropriate, how babies are conceived and born, ensuring both boys and girls are prepared for adolescence
• Develop responsible citizens by teaching pupils about healthy living, online safety, financial awareness, and their role in the wider community

Our PSHE and RSE curriculum is fully aligned with the statutory guidance for Relationships Education and Health Education (DfE, 2020), ensuring comprehensive coverage of all required areas while being sensitive to the needs and circumstances of our pupils.

Implementation

We deliver PSHE and RSE through the Jigsaw programme, a comprehensive scheme of work from Reception to Year 6 that provides progressive, age-appropriate learning opportunities across six half-termly themes (Puzzles):

1. Being Me in My World – Self-identity, understanding my place in the world, rights and responsibilities
2. Celebrating Difference – Anti-bullying, understanding difference, celebrating diversity
3. Dreams and Goals – Aspirations, goal-setting, overcoming challenges, resilience
4. Healthy Me – Physical and emotional health, keeping safe, relationships and sex education
5. Relationships – Building positive relationships, family and friendships, conflict resolution
6. Changing Me – Life cycles, growing and changing, puberty, conception and birth (age-appropriate)

Our approach includes:

Whole-school launch: Each of the six Jigsaw Puzzles begins with a whole-school assembly, introducing the theme and creating a shared understanding across all year groups. This ensures consistency of approach and allows the entire school community to engage with key concepts together

Structured lessons: Weekly dedicated PSHE lessons delivered by class teachers who know the children well and can respond to their needs, creating a safe and supportive learning environment

Progressive curriculum: Learning builds year on year, with concepts revisited at increasing depth and complexity to match pupils' developmental stages and emotional maturity

Inclusive teaching: Content is delivered sensitively, recognising diverse family structures (including single-parent families, LGBT+ parents, grandparents as carers, adoptive and foster families) and ensuring no child feels stigmatised based on their home circumstances

Safe learning environment: Ground rules and a 'safe space' approach ensure children feel comfortable asking questions and discussing sensitive topics, with a question box available for anonymous queries

Whole-school approach: PSHE values permeate the entire school culture through assemblies, classroom practice, behaviour policies, and wider school activities, reinforcing learning beyond discrete lessons

Cross-curricular links: PSHE themes connect with other subjects, including Science (human body, life cycles, healthy living), Computing (online safety), PE (physical health), and RE (values and beliefs)

Online safety integration: Given that many primary children access the internet, online relationships, digital behaviour, and staying safe online are embedded throughout the curriculum in age-appropriate ways

Relationships Education statutory content is delivered across multiple Jigsaw Puzzles, particularly within 'Relationships', 'Changing Me', and 'Healthy Me', covering:

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

Health Education statutory content covers physical health and mental wellbeing, including healthy eating, physical activity, internet safety and harms, mental wellbeing, and basic first aid.

Sex Education (non-statutory elements beyond National Curriculum for Science): Following consultation with parents and in line with DfE recommendations, we teach age-appropriate sex education in Years 5 and 6 to ensure children are prepared for the transition to secondary school. This specifically includes:

• Year 5: Understanding how babies grow and develop (Lesson 2: Having a baby)
• Year 6: Learning about conception and birth in the context of loving, stable relationships (Lesson 3: Conception, birth)

These lessons are delivered sensitively within the 'Changing Me' Puzzle, building on prior learning about puberty and body changes covered in the Science curriculum.

Professional development and resources:

Staff receive regular training on delivering PSHE and RSE effectively and confidently, including how to handle difficult questions, create safe learning environments, and adapt teaching to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. The Jigsaw programme provides comprehensive teacher guidance, age-appropriate resources, and strategies for assessment.

Impact

The impact of our PSHE and RSE curriculum is evident in our pupils' development across several key areas:

Knowledge and understanding: Pupils demonstrate age-appropriate understanding of relationships, emotions, physical health, and personal safety. They can articulate what makes healthy friendships and family relationships, understand how to keep themselves safe both offline and online, and have accurate, factual knowledge about their bodies and growing up.

Personal development: Children develop strong self-esteem, resilience, and emotional literacy. They can identify and express their feelings, set personal goals, persevere when facing challenges, and recognise their own worth and that of others.

Relationships and behaviour: Pupils show respect for difference and diversity, demonstrating inclusive attitudes and celebrating what makes each person unique. They build positive, healthy friendships, resolve conflicts constructively, and understand the importance of consent, boundaries, and personal space in age-appropriate ways.

Safety and well-being: Children know how to recognise when they feel unsafe or uncomfortable, understand that they can ask for help, and know trusted adults they can turn to. They can identify different types of bullying and know how to respond. They understand the concept of privacy and that some secrets should never be kept.

Preparation for the future: Pupils are well-prepared for the physical and emotional changes of puberty and adolescence. Year 6 pupils transition to secondary school with confidence, equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the next stage of their education and lives.

Community and citizenship: Children understand their role within the school community and wider society. They demonstrate the school's values in their daily interactions, show empathy and compassion, and understand their rights and responsibilities as citizens.

Assessment and monitoring:

Impact is measured through:

• Teacher assessment of knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes during lessons
• Pupil voice activities, including surveys and focus groups
• Evidence in Jigsaw journals and learning portfolios
• Observations of behaviour and relationships around school
• Feedback from parents and carers
• Monitoring by senior leaders and governors

The PSHE and RSE subject leader regularly reviews the curriculum's effectiveness, ensuring it meets the changing needs of our pupils and remains aligned with statutory requirements and best practice.

Parental Right to Withdraw

Parents have the right to withdraw their children from the sex education lessons that go beyond the National Curriculum for Science.

At Holly Trees Primary School, this specifically refers to:

• Year 5: Lesson 2 (Having a baby) – This lesson covers how a baby grows and develops in the womb
• Year 6: Lesson 3 (Conception, birth) – This lesson explains conception and birth in the context of loving, stable relationships

Parents do not have the right to withdraw their children from:

• Relationships Education, which is statutory for all primary schools
• Health Education, which is statutory for all primary schools
• The biological aspects of puberty, human reproduction and growth, which are covered in the National Curriculum for Science

If you wish to exercise your right to withdraw your child from sex education lessons, please:

1. Contact the Headteacher to discuss your concerns and the specific content of the lessons
2. Put your request in writing
3. Meet with the Headteacher to discuss your request and explore any concerns

The Headteacher will discuss with you the benefits of your child receiving sex education at this important transition stage and will explore any concerns you may have. However, except in exceptional circumstances, the school will respect your request to withdraw your child from these specific lessons.

If a pupil is withdrawn, we will ensure that alternative arrangements are made for them during these lessons. 

For more information about our PSHE and RSE curriculum, or to view the resources we use, please contact the school office or speak to Mrs Duhig, our PSHE and RSE subject leader.