St Augustine's Catholic Primary School

PSHE

Intent 

At St Augustine’s, PSHE is at the core of what we do and it is underpinned by our mission statement, school rules and Catholic ethos. Our PSHE curriculum helps our children live and learn in a Catholic, Christian environment now and in the future.  PSHE develops the qualities, attributes and strengths that our children need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society. Our PSHE programme aims to equip them for life. As a Catholic school, we have adapted parts of the Jigsaw programme in line with guidance from our diocese. We teach RSE using the Journey In Love programme.

Implementation 

PSHE is taught every week across the school. We use ‘Jigsaw PSHE’ to support planning and we ensure it is in keeping with our Catholic ethos, adapting planning accordingly. During the year, children will focus on the six areas of Being Me, Celebrating Differences, Changing Me, Dreams and Goals, Healthy Me, and Relationships. Each year group will focus on a different aspect of the topic so that children gain a deeper understanding as they progress through the school. 

Each class follows the ‘Jigsaw Charter’, this establishes ground rules during the lessons which creates a safe and positive learning environment and encourages participation. Throughout the lesson there are opportunities for the children to engage in discussion, as a whole class, with a partner or in a group. 

Links to PSHE are also made across the wider curriculum. Strong links are made to our learning in RE to support the children as Christians.  In addition, PSHE may also be taught as a reaction to an individual or class need when a situation arises. We also engage in national themed weeks and days throughout the year for example; Antibullying Week and Safer Internet Day. Where possible we also use outside agencies to enhance our children’s learning in PSHE for example; Life Bus and NSPCC. 

The children at St Augustine’s are also familiar with the Zones of Regulation. This is a framework that helps them learn how to self-regulate emotionally by categorising emotions and mental states into four types of zones. The children are given the tools to move to the Green Zone (happy zone) and it also provides the classroom staff with an indication of when a child may need additional support if they are in the Red Zone (anger) or Blue Zone (sad).  

IMPACT

The children are given the opportunity to record their thoughts, feelings and responses to the lessons in a journal that goes up through the school with them. The emphasis is on their understanding of the issues and how they might react to different situations. The PSHE lead monitors the impact of the PSHE curriculum through discussion with staff, pupil voice, class journals and learning walks. 

RSE

‘I HAVE COME THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL’ (Jn.10.10)

A Journey in Love is a resource created by Sister Jude Groden of BRES. It is the recommended programme of study for Catholic schools for Relationship and Sex Education, and has been written as a progressive scheme of work that supports the Religious Education, PSHE and Science curricula taught within the school.

Throughout A Journey in Love, an aspect of the mystery of love is focussed upon in each group, children and young people are encouraged to marvel at the wonder and beauty of God’s creative love. This is reflected in each stage of a person’s growth in the Primary Years through a series of suggested, progressive and developmental tasks, activities and reflections which focus on physical, social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development.

As with all aspects of learning, children are naturally curious and many will have questions related to their lessons. Opportunities to discuss questions form part of the lessons and again these are treated with care and understanding.

A Journey in Love highlights the importance of parental input and children will be told to discuss their lessons at home. As a parent, you have the right to withdraw your child from Sex Education at anytime if you wish to do so.

A Journey in Love

Reception: The Wonder of being special and unique

Year 1: We meet God's love in our family

Year 2: We meet God's love in the community

Year 3: How we live in love

Year 4: God loves us in our differences.

Year 5: God loves us in our changing and development

Year 6: The wonder of God's love in creating new life