PSHE/RSE Leader

PSHE at Birchwood Junior School

At Birchwood Junior School, our PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) curriculum has been carefully designed to meet the needs of our pupils. The aim is to give children the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to make safe, informed decisions and to prepare them for the opportunities and responsibilities of life.

Our curriculum is guided by the National Curriculum (2025 update), the Basic School Curriculum and statutory requirements. This includes:

• Health and Relationships Education (HRE)

• Drug and financial education

• The importance of diet and physical activity for a healthy lifestyle

Although not statutory, Citizenship is a key part of our PSHE programme. Pupils learn about democracy, the rule of law, respect for others, and the consequences of anti-social or aggressive behaviour. These areas equip pupils to cope confidently with the changes and challenges of childhood, adolescence and adult life.

How We Teach PSHE

PSHE at Birchwood is not just about making safe choices – it is also about developing essential life skills. Through their lessons, pupils learn to:

• Listen carefully and respect different opinions

• Cooperate and work effectively with others

• Show empathy, kindness and respect

• Recognise and manage their own emotions

We also place great emphasis on mental health and wellbeing. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, pupils take part in weekly mindfulness sessions to help reduce stress, manage anxiety and cultivate peace of mind.

The Jigsaw Programme

We use Jigsaw, a whole-school approach to PSHE that brings classes together through shared themes known as “Puzzles”. Each half term, all year groups focus on the same Puzzle, with lessons tailored to be age-appropriate. Every Puzzle begins with a whole-school assembly and ends with a celebration or display that showcases learning across the school.

The six Jigsaw Puzzles are:

1. Being Me in My World

2. Celebrating Difference

3. Dreams and Goals

4. Healthy Me

5. Relationships

6. Changing Me

This structure allows for consistency across the school and enables children to make links between their learning and their everyday experiences.

Relationships & Sex Education (RSE)

RSE is delivered through the ‘Relationships’ and ‘Changing Me’ Puzzles in the summer term. Teaching is always age-appropriate and sensitive to the needs of each year group. If a child asks a question outside the scope of the curriculum, teachers will not answer it in class but will share it with parents.

The aims of RSE at Birchwood are to:

• Help children understand and respect their bodies

• Develop positive and healthy relationships

• Support positive self-esteem and body image

• Ensure children know how to keep themselves safe

RSE Coverage by Year Group:

• Foundation Stage: Growing up – how we change from babies to children

• Year 1: Boys’ and girls’ bodies; naming body parts

• Year 2: Respecting privacy; which body parts are private and why

• Year 3: How babies grow; how boys’ and girls’ bodies change as they grow older

• Year 4: Internal and external reproductive body parts; body changes in girls and menstruation

• Year 5: Puberty for boys and girls; conception

• Year 6: Puberty for boys and girls; conception to the birth of a baby

For more detail, please see our RSE Policy and related guidance documents available below.