At St Mary’s, the PSHE curriculum promotes the skills and attitudes for the personal and social development of all our children. We enable children to develop an understanding of themselves and others, so they become responsible, caring and successful individuals throughout their school life and beyond. Children are taught to keep themselves safe, express their opinions and practise mindfulness for emotional awareness.

At St Mary's we use a whole school PSHE scheme called Jigsaw. Jigsaw combines PSHE, emotional literacy, mindfulness, social skills and spiritual development. It is designed as a whole school approach, with all year groups working on the same theme (or puzzle) at the same time. Jigsaw aims to help children know and value who they really are and how they relate to other people in this ever-changing world so they can flourish in today's society.

There are six Puzzles (half-term units of work) each with six Pieces (lessons). Every year group studies the same Puzzle at the same time of the academic year. Each year group is taught one lesson per week and all lessons are delivered in an age and stage-appropriate way so that they meet children’s needs.

PSHE lessons are part of the weekly timetable for every class, in addition to wellbeing foci in collective worship, care and share sessions and other wellbeing activities.

To find out more about Jigsaw, please visit their website www.jigsawpshe.com

An important part of the Jigsaw PSHE programme is delivered through the 'Relationships’ and 'Changing Me' puzzle pieces which are covered in the summer term and meet the statutory requirements for this area of the curriculum.

There are four main aims of teaching RSE:

Each year group will be taught appropriate to their age and developmental stage. At no point will a child be taught something that is inappropriate; and if a question from a child arises and the teacher feels it would be inappropriate to answer, (for example, because of its mature or explicit nature), this information with be shared with the parent/guardian by the child’s class teacher. The question will not be answered to the child or class if it is outside the remit of that year group’s programme.

For further information about how RSE is taught at St Mary’s please read our PSHE and RSE policy on our policies page of the school website.