Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE)
Our PSHE leader Mrs Kathryn Coxen
At Olney Infant Academy, we follow the Department for Education’s statutory guidelines for Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) to ensure our pupils are equipped with the knowledge they need to stay safe, healthy, and happy. Our curriculum focuses on age-appropriate lessons covering mental well-being, physical and online safety, and healthy relationships. We believe in working in partnership with families, and we welcome parents and carers to view our teaching materials at any time to see how these vital life skills are shared in the classroom.
Jigsaw: The Mindful Approach to PSHE
At our school, we use Jigsaw, the mindful approach to PSHE, to support children’s personal, social, health and emotional development.
Jigsaw brings together Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE), emotional literacy, social skills, mindfulness and opportunities for spiritual development within a structured, progressive programme.
Children take part in a Jigsaw lesson each week. The programme provides teachers with carefully planned resources while allowing them to adapt learning to meet the needs, experiences and development of the children in their class. An important part of Jigsaw is building positive relationships and helping children to understand themselves and others as unique individuals.
A Whole-School Approach
Jigsaw is designed as a whole-school programme. Each year group explores the same broad theme, known as a Puzzle, at the same time, with learning carefully adapted and progressed according to the children's age and stage of development.
The six Jigsaw Puzzles are:
- Being Me in My World
- Celebrating Difference
- Dreams and Goals
- Healthy Me
- Relationships
- Changing Me
This whole-school approach helps to create shared language and themes across the school and provides opportunities for assemblies and wider activities to reinforce children's learning.
Supporting Every Child
Teaching approaches are varied and designed to support different learning needs. Teachers use their professional judgement to ensure lessons are appropriate and accessible, including making reasonable adaptations where children have additional needs.
Jigsaw aims to help children develop important skills for life, including:
- understanding and managing their emotions
- developing positive relationships
- building confidence and self-esteem
- recognising and respecting differences
- making healthy and safe choices
- developing resilience
- understanding their rights and responsibilities
- learning how and when to seek help
- Fundamental British Values