PSHCE and RSE
At St. Stephen’s we want our pupils to develop enthusiasm for life and for learning; taking pride in success and achievement. We want our pupils to embrace the future with hope, faith, confidence and compassion. At St. Stephen’s we teach Personal, Social, Health Education as a whole school approach to underpin children’s development as people and because we believe this also supports their learning capacity. Our school vision is strongly supported through, and embedded in, the delivery of our PSHE and Citizenship curriculum. At our school we are committed to ensuring the emotional and social needs of all our children are met within our school environment, and we support the development of children’s health and wellbeing, self-esteem and confidence so they can be enthusiastic learners that take pride in personal achievement and embrace their own futures with hope, faith confidence and compassion. Our PSHE and Relationships and Sex Education offer support children to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding that they need to lead confident, healthy and independent lives as well as becoming responsible British and Global citizens.
You can see our PSHE, Citizenship and Relationships and Sex Education Policy here.
Relationships Education
What does the DfE statutory guidance on Relationships Education expect children to know by the time they leave primary school?
Relationships Education in primary schools will cover ‘Families and people who care for me’, ‘Caring friendships’, ‘Respectful relationships’, ‘Online relationships’, and ‘Being safe’.
The expected outcomes for each of these elements can be found further on in this policy. The way the Jigsaw Programme covers these is explained in the mapping document: Jigsaw 3-11 and Statutory Relationships and Health Education.
It is important to explain that whilst the Relationships Puzzle (unit) in Jigsaw covers most of the statutory Relationships Education, some of the outcomes are also taught elsewhere in Jigsaw e.g. the Celebrating Difference Puzzle helps children appreciate that there are many types of family composition and that each is important to the children involved. This holistic approach ensures the learning is reinforced through the year and across the curriculum.
Parents should also be aware that the Church of England states in “Valuing All God’s Children”, 2019, that Relationships and Sex education should: “Make it clear that relationships and sex education is designed to prepare all pupils for the future, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. RSE must promote gender equality and LGBT equality and it must challenge discrimination. RSE must take the needs and experiences of LGBT people into account and it should seek to develop understanding that there are a variety of relationships and family patterns in the modern world.” (Page 34)
Health Education
What does the DfE statutory guidance on Health Education expect children to know by the time they leave primary school?
Health Education in primary schools will cover ‘Mental wellbeing’, ‘Internet safety and harms’, Physical health and fitness’, Healthy eating’, ‘Drugs, alcohol and tobacco’, ‘Health and prevention’, ‘Basic First Aid’, ‘Changing adolescent body’.
The expected outcomes for each of these elements can be found further on in this policy. The way the Jigsaw Programme covers these is explained in the mapping document: Jigsaw 3-11 and Statutory Relationships and Health Education.
It is important to explain that whilst the Healthy Me Puzzle (unit) in Jigsaw covers most of the statutory Health Education, some of the outcomes are taught elsewhere in Jigsaw e.g.emotional and mental health is nurtured every lesson through the Calm me time, social skills are grown every lesson through the Connect us activity and respect is enhanced through the use of the Jigsaw Charter.
Also, teaching children about puberty is now a statutory requirement which sits within the Health Education part of the DfE guidance within the ‘Changing adolescent body’ strand, and in Jigsaw this is taught as part of the Changing Me Puzzle (unit).
Again, the mapping document transparantly shows how the Jigsaw whole-school approach spirals the learning and meets all statutory requirements and more.
Sex Education
The DfE Guidance 2019 (p.23) recommends that all primary schools ‘have a sex education programme tailored to the age and the physical and emotional maturity of the pupils.
However, ‘Sex Education is not compulsory in primary schools’. (p. 23)
Schools are to determine the content of sex education at primary school. Sex education ‘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’.
At St Stephen's Primary School, we believe children should understand the facts about human reproduction before they leave primary school so we define Sex Education as understanding human reproduction and it is taught as part of the Science curriculum.
If you would like more information on our PSHE, Citizenship and Relationships and Sex Education curriculum, then please contact Niall McLaughlin: deputyhead@ststephens.surrey.sch.uk