PSHE, Relationships and Health Education 

At The Stoke Poges School, we want every child to grow into a happy, healthy, confident and responsible young person. 

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) plays an important part in achieving this. It gives children the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to keep themselves safe and healthy, build positive relationships, manage their emotions and prepare for life in the wider world. 

Within PSHE, Relationships Education and Health Education are statutory for primary-aged pupils. 

Our aims 

Through PSHE, we help our children to: 

• develop confidence, resilience and self-esteem 

• understand and manage their emotions 

• look after their physical and mental health 

• build safe, healthy and respectful relationships 

• recognise when something does not feel right and know how to ask for help 

• understand the importance of kindness, respect and inclusion 

• make informed and responsible choices 

• understand their rights and responsibilities 

• stay safe, including when using technology and spending time online 

• understand money and develop an awareness of the wider world 

• celebrate difference and respect others 

• prepare for changes as they grow. 

Our PSHE curriculum supports our school values and our commitment to providing a safe, inclusive and respectful environment in which every child can thrive. 

How do we teach PSHE? 

We use Jigsaw PSHE, a whole-school approach designed for children from Reception to Year 6. 

Jigsaw provides a carefully sequenced curriculum, meaning that children’s knowledge and understanding develop as they move through the school. Topics are revisited at an age-appropriate level, allowing children to build on their previous learning. 

Jigsaw combines PSHE with Relationships and Health Education and supports children’s emotional literacy, mental health, wellbeing and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. 

Across the year, children explore six Jigsaw themes, known as ‘Puzzles’: 

Being Me in My World 
Understanding myself, belonging, rights and responsibilities and being part of our school and wider community. 

Celebrating Difference 
Respecting similarities and differences, challenging stereotypes and understanding bullying. 

Dreams and Goals 
Setting goals, developing resilience, recognising strengths and learning how to overcome challenges. 

Healthy Me 
Looking after our physical and mental health, making healthy choices and understanding how to keep ourselves safe. 

Relationships 
Friendships, families, respect, communication, managing conflict and developing safe and positive relationships with others, both online and offline. 

Changing Me 
Understanding how our bodies and emotions change as we grow, including age-appropriate learning about puberty. 

A safe place to learn 

PSHE gives children opportunities to talk, listen, reflect and ask questions. Lessons are taught in a safe, supportive and respectful environment. Teachers establish clear expectations so that children understand how to discuss sensitive subjects appropriately and respectfully. 

Learning may include stories, discussion, role play, games, photographs, scenarios, group activities and opportunities for individual reflection. 

Teachers are sensitive to children’s individual needs, experiences and levels of development. Where appropriate, teaching may be adapted to ensure that it is accessible and meaningful for all pupils. 

PSHE also contributes to our wider safeguarding curriculum. Children learn about personal boundaries, privacy, appropriate and inappropriate behaviour, trusted adults and how to seek help if they are worried about themselves or somebody else. 

Relationships Education 

Relationships Education is a statutory part of the primary curriculum. It provides children with the foundations they need to develop positive, healthy and respectful relationships throughout their lives. 

Children learn, in an age-appropriate way, about areas including: 

• families and people who care for us 

• caring friendships 

• respectful relationships 

• boundaries, privacy and permission 

• recognising safe and unsafe situations 

• online relationships and online safety 

• how to recognise unkind, harmful or inappropriate behaviour 

• where and how to seek help. 

We teach children that families can be different and that all pupils and families within our school community should be treated with kindness and respect. 

Parents and carers cannot withdraw their child from statutory Relationships Education. 

Health Education 

Health Education is also statutory in primary schools. Children learn about their physical health and mental wellbeing, including: 

• recognising and talking about emotions 

• looking after their mental wellbeing 

• healthy eating 

• physical activity 

• sleep 

• personal hygiene 

• basic first aid and how to get help 

• keeping safe 

• the changing adolescent body, including puberty. 

We aim to give children accurate information and the vocabulary and confidence they need to understand their bodies, emotions and wellbeing. 

Parents and carers cannot withdraw their child from statutory Health Education. 

Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) 

At primary school, Relationships Education is statutory. Sex education beyond the requirements of the National Curriculum for Science is not compulsory, although primary schools may choose to teach age-appropriate content to help prepare children for the changes and experiences they will encounter as they grow. 

At The Stoke Poges School, relevant learning is taught sensitively and at an age-appropriate stage, primarily through Jigsaw’s Changing Me unit. 

We believe that providing children with accurate, age-appropriate information helps them understand their bodies, recognise boundaries, keep themselves safe and approach growing up with confidence. 

We use correct biological vocabulary for body parts. This supports children’s understanding of their bodies and is also an important part of safeguarding. Before any non-statutory sex education is taught, parents and carers are provided with information about what children will be learning. 

Can I withdraw my child? 

Parents and carers cannot withdraw their child from: 

• Relationships Education 

• Health Education 

• any content that forms part of the statutory National Curriculum for Science, including relevant teaching about puberty and reproduction. 

Parents and carers do have the right to request that their child is withdrawn from some or all of the additional sex education taught at primary school that falls outside the National Curriculum for Science. 

If you are considering withdrawal, we encourage you to speak to us first. This gives us an opportunity to explain exactly what will be taught, the resources being used and which elements are statutory. 

Requests for withdrawal from non-statutory sex education should be made to the Headteacher and will be managed in accordance with statutory guidance and our school’s PSHE/RSE policy. 

Working with parents and carers 

We recognise that parents and carers are the first educators of their children and we value working in partnership with families. 

We aim to be open and transparent about our PSHE and Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum. Information about what is taught is shared with parents and carers, and teaching materials can be made available for parents to view. 

Our curriculum and policy are reviewed regularly to ensure that they continue to meet statutory requirements and the needs of the children at The Stoke Poges School. 

If you have any questions or would like to discuss any aspect of PSHE or RSE, please contact the school. 

Further information: 
Please see our PSHE and RSE Policy and curriculum information below for further details.