Relationships Education and the teaching of PSHE interlocks perfectly with our curriculum intent and passionate beliefs at Newcomen Primary. Our Newcomen family share a collective positive outlook for all children. This being to live a happy and fulfilling life in which they strive to be the best version of themselves and become responsible citizens who play a positive role in modern day society.
The teaching of relationships education sits perfectly with the imperative message that comes from our intent – asking the question what do we aspire for the future of our children and how will we use relationships education to enhance and support our hopes for our children growing up in an ever changing modern world.
We are committed to promoting the importance of implementing the delivery of Relationships Education in order to support every child in becoming the best version of themselves in the twenty first century. We take pride in offering our children an education that when children leave Newcomen, it will be as a good global citizens playing a positive role in society.
The importance of Relationships Education
Relationships Education plays a fundamental role in providing children with the vital building blocks to foster pupil wellbeing and develop resilience and character. All aspects of this subject will support children on their journey to becoming happy, successful and productive members of society.
Children are now growing up in an increasingly complex world with an abundance of new challenges. In order for children to be safe and healthy in this ever changing environment, they need to be provided with an education that offers the skills to be able to make good choices and become good citizens.
Relationships Education will support staff in providing knowledge that will enable children at Newcomen to make informal decisions about their wellbeing.
The way in which we embrace the teaching of relationships education in school will marry closely with our curriculum intent devised together with the children and all the staff.
Alongside the curriculum guidance, it is also imperative to consult the Equality Act in order to ensure that all aspects outside of the specific areas mentioned in the curriculum are covered. As part of the Newcomen curriculum intent, we feel passionate about children becoming the best possible version of themselves. Therefore, helping develop each and every child as a whole child lies at the heart of the teaching of relationships education. The conventions of courtesy and manners , understanding of different races, religions and backgrounds work side-by-side with all aspects of the statutory curriculum content in developing as a good citizen.
JIGSAW
Our PSHE curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, especially the disadvantaged and pupils with SEN. PSHE is taught through units which enable pupils to become conscientious and respectful citizens. Jigsaw lessons cover all aspects of personal, social and health education; social, moral, spiritual and cultural education; British values and the rule of law and all aspects of the statutory relationships and sex education. The PSHE curriculum is taught around 6 Key Concepts which are revisited and developed as pupils progress through school. Key vocabulary is explicitly taught every year to ensure pupils develop a depth of vocabulary knowledge.
Teaching of Relationships Education will include:
1.Families of people who care for us
Children will be taught about the characteristics of a healthy family and how relationships work. It is important that children can identify if something is not right within their family unit in order to keep them safe. The children will discuss how families can look different within their own school and the wider world. Respect and understanding of this is imperative.
2.Caring friendships
The importance of friendships and what is considered a healthy and happy one. It is important for the children to gain a grasp on the characteristics of friendship including mutual respect, truthfulness, trustworthiness, loyalty, kindness, generosity, trust, sharing interests and experiences and support with problems and difficulties
3.Respectful relationships
Much of this theme will be centred around respect – that towards others and self – respect. The importance of respecting others regardless of differences will be highlighted. At the forefront of respectful relationships lies the conventions of courtesy and manners. Children at Newcomen are insisted upon to use manners and be respectful around school. Staff are relentless in the modelling of such positive behaviours.
4.Online relationships
The children will be taught how it is important to discriminate between the real and online world. Children need to be clear on how different relationships can look very different online and people can behave very differently. In order to stay safe online, children need to understand the principles and rules on being online.
5.Being safe
As part of the scheme of work, sessions will be delivered on how the children can keep themselves safe. This will include understanding one’s own feelings, how to report when a feeling of being unsafe arises.
Concepts taught:
- Being me in your world (Who am I? Understanding your own identity and how I fit well in the class, school and global community)
- Celebrating differences (Understanding diversity, respect, anti-bullying including cyber and homophobic bullying)
- Dreams and goals (achievement, goal-setting, aspirations, who do I want to become and what would I like to do for work and to contribute to society)
- Healthy me (body and mind, drugs and alcohol education, self-esteem, confidence, healthy lifestyles, sleep, nutrition, rest and exercise)
- Relationships (Friends, family and other relationships, conflict resolution and communication skills, bereavement and loss)
- Changing me (Change, transition, relationships and Sex Education)
Second order concepts are also taught:
- Emotional literacy – (Self-awareness, social skills, empathy, motivation, managing feelings)
- Responsibility – (Personal responsibility, responsibility towards others, relationships, world of work, staying safe, health)
- Resilience – (Developing strategies for resilience, ambition, personal best, managing emotions)
- Written and oral expression: (Using social and emotional literacy to confidently discuss personal experiences and the experiences of others in a variety of ways, making comparisons and links, explanations, awareness of audience, using evidence to support statements)
When will Relationships Education be delivered?
Relationships Education will be part of a whole school PSHE scheme of work that will encompass all aspects including relationships, health and well- being and SMSC.
The sessions will be taught by the class teacher as it is the consistent adult in the class and it is important that the member of staff knows the children well enough to ensure trust.
Answering difficult questions as they arise.
During any PSHE session or focused sessions on relationships education, it is highly likely that spontaneous questions will arise. The scheme of work will support staff in feeling secure and confident with their responses. All teaching will be sensitive to the needs and age of the children, taking into account the different family units and experiences the children are used to. It will be important to consider whether or not some questions may be best answered as a whole class or individually depending on the nature of the questions or the age of the children in the class.
Milestones
By the end of EYFS, children will:
Be able to show some understanding of the skills needed when turn taking and sharing and be able to take account of their peers’ ideas within play situations. The children will become more independent and be able to access resources and equipment needed to support their learning and they will become more confident to try new activities. Throughout the EYFS the children will have had plenty of opportunities to develop their confidence to speak and share their ideas as well as talk about their feelings with adults and their peers. The children will begin to understand how different situations make them feel and begin to talk about ways to deal with these emotions and resolve small conflicts with their peers. The children will understand the behavioural expectations in their class and be able to follow the rules. The children will be able to talk about ways to keep themselves healthy and understand the importance of physical exercise, a healthy diet and keeping themselves safe.
By the end of KS1, children will:
Be able to identify and name feelings and talk about why they or others may have these feelings. This includes learning that their behaviours and actions have rewards or consequences and how to deal with and manage these feelings. The children will begin to share their views and opinions and understand that others may not share the same opinion as themselves, and that this is ok. They will be able to identify and respect differences and similarities between people and their families and learn about what it is to be a ‘good’ friend and have healthy relationships with themselves and others. The children will also understand what bullying is and what to do if someone is being bullied. The children will also learn strategies to help them to persevere and challenge themselves to enable them to begin setting goals and dreams for themselves. Children will also learn about their physical health and know ways to keep themselves healthy and safe.
By the end of KS2, children will:
Have a good understanding of healthy relationships and know how to recognise and deal with a range or different emotions appropriately. The children will be able to identify some factors that affect their emotional health and wellbeing and understand how to identify their worries and concerns and where to access support. The children will have a clear understanding of how their behaviour impacts them and others and what to do if someone is being bullied. The children will have lots of opportunities to express their views and opinions on a range of matters and demonstrate an understanding of British values and democracy in society. They will be able to describe some of the different beliefs and values in society and demonstrate respect and tolerance towards people who are different from themselves. The children will also be able to talk about some bodily and emotional changes that happen at puberty and how to face new challenges, for example, transitions to secondary school.
Ambitious For All
Our PSHE Jigsaw curriculum is ambitious for our pupils and enables all children, regardless of background, ability, additional needs to flourish to become the very best version of themselves they can possibly be. Jigsaw is implemented throughout the whole school during weekly whole class Jigsaw lessons focusing on different topics each term. Jigsaw PSHE will support the development of the skills, attitudes, values and behaviour which enable pupils to:
- Value self and others
- Communicate effectively and work with others
- Be active citizens within the local community
- Be ambitious and respond to challenge
- Become healthy and fulfilled individuals
All children have access to the Jigsaw curriculum with work being tailored appropriately for children with SEND. Inclusivity is part of Jigsaw’s philosophy and each piece is tailored to meet the needs of all children.
The PSHE curriculum is ambitious for all children and it prepares the children for the next stage in their education as well as preparing them for the adult world. It also provides pupils with the knowledge, understanding, attitudes, values and skills they need in order to reach their potential as individuals and within the community. By teaching children to stay safe and healthy, and by building self-esteem, resilience and empathy our PSHE Jigsaw programme can tackle barriers to learning, raise aspirations and improve the life chances of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. The teaching of PSHE results in an engaging, high quality education that allows pupils to develop into responsible, respectful and resilient citizens.
The role of parents and carers.
As at school, we pride ourselves in the positive relationships we have with our parents and carers. It is important that parents are well informed of what relationships education involves and how it will be delivered in school. To achieve this partnership within the subject, building a sense of trust and mutual understanding is paramount.
Under the current statutory guidance, parents of children in school will not be able to opt their child out of the teaching of any aspects of relationships education.
All children are entitled to and should receive age appropriate lessons on safe and healthy relationships.
In order to ensure this, we will:
- Ensure this policy is on the school website and easily accessed
- Invite parents of our children into school to attend an informative consultation meeting about the subject
- Answer any questions that parents/carers may have about relationships education
- Take seriously any issue that parents raise with teachers or governors about this policy or the arrangements for the subject in the school
- When we engage parents, we will provide examples of the resources they plan to use, for example the books they will use in lessons.
LGBT
Fostering respect for different types of relationships is part of this subject. It is essential that children are educated about healthy relationships regardless of the form or type. During their time in primary, our children should be part of teaching of LGBT content. LGBT content will arise in the teaching of different types of families and as a primary school, we are encouraged and enabled to cover this. All coverage of LGBT will be delivered in a relaxed atmosphere and in a way that is sensitive and respectful of all.
In order to prepare children for life in modern Britain and the world, discussing issues around LGBT families is an essential part of their understanding.
‘Schools should be alive to issues such as everyday sexism, misogyny, homophobia and gender stereotypes and take positive action to maintain a culture where these are not tolerated, and any occurrences are identified and tackled. Staff have an important role to play in modelling positive behaviours. School pastoral and behaviour policies should support all pupils.’
The role of other members of the community
We encourage other valued members of the community to work with us to provide advice and support to the children and parents with regard to health education. In particular, members of the Local Health Authority. The school will plan in visits from school nurse to deliver aspects linked to sex education and puberty. School will signpost families to appropriate agencies to support with mental health issues.
At Newcomen Primary School, we believe in a whole school approach and linking RE to the fundamental school ethos and values. We cover a range of topics to prepare pupils for challenges and responsibilities they will face their throughout their lives.
At Newcomen Primary, our pupils are given many opportunities to develop confidence and self-motivation in a range of different ways. Personal, social and health education is not only taught through lessons but through many aspects of our school life.
- We promote and enhance self- esteem and self- belief through a weekly celebration assembly.
- School council enables children to gain a greater understanding of rights and responsibilities. It allows our pupils to have a voice and express their opinions and beliefs knowing their opinions are valued.
- RE also links closely with other subjects such as science and physical education, where the children learn about keeping healthy and looking after their bodies. Along with Religious Education, PSHE promotes work with the community supporting many charities.
