Jigsaw PSHE – Marish Primary School

PSHE Vision Statement

At Marish Academy Trust, our vision is to nurture confident, healthy and compassionate learners who understand themselves, value others and contribute positively to their community and the wider world. Through a rich and mindful PSHE curriculum, we empower children with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to thrive in modern society.

We are committed to developing pupils who:

show resilience, empathy and respect;
make responsible and informed choices;
build positive relationships;
celebrate diversity and feel confident in their own identity and well-being.

By embedding PSHE throughout school life, we aim to support every child to grow not just academically, but socially, emotionally and morally, preparing them to lead happy, safe and fulfilled lives.

Intent

At Marish Academy Trust, our aim is for Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) to be fully embedded across the curriculum and the wider school experience. While PSHE is not a statutory subject, we believe it is essential in supporting the development of the whole child and ensuring that every pupil receives a broad, balanced and meaningful education.

PSHE equips children with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to stay healthy, safe, resilient and prepared for life in modern Britain. It enables children to understand themselves, recognise how they belong to their community and appreciate the positive contributions they can make to the world around them.

We also aim to develop pupils’ confidence, emotional literacy and self-awareness, helping them learn how to understand, express and manage their thoughts and feelings. We want our children to be mindful of their own and others’ well-being, to demonstrate respect for differences, and to value the uniqueness of every individual. Through PSHE, we aim to provide children with practical strategies they can apply both within school and in their wider lives.

Implementation

At Marish Academy Trust, PSHE is taught through a weekly lesson using the Jigsaw PSHE programme, which provides a mindful, structured and progressive approach. Jigsaw supports the development of emotional literacy, social skills and lifelong learning behaviours, preparing children to be confident, reflective and responsible members of society. It also makes a strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development.

The Jigsaw curriculum is organised into six units of work, one per half term, with six lessons in each unit. These themes are consistent across the Trust:

Autumn 1 – Being Me in My World
Autumn 2 – Celebrating Difference (including anti-bullying)
Spring 1 – Dreams and Goals
Spring 2 – Healthy Me
Summer 1 – Relationships
Summer 2 – Changing Me

Each lesson includes two learning intentions: one focused on statutory Relationships and Health Education, and the other on emotional literacy or social development. Lessons are designed to be active, inclusive and accessible to all learners, with a range of teaching strategies to meet different needs.

The Jigsaw programme follows a spiral curriculum, ensuring progression as children revisit key themes at a deeper level each year. All year groups study the same theme simultaneously, enabling whole-school focus and shared language across the Trust. Each half term begins with an introductory assembly to set the tone and reinforce whole-school messages.

Every lesson follows Jigsaw’s six-part structure to maximise consistency and impact:

Connect Us – promotes social skills, teamwork and positive relationships.
Calm Me – develops mindfulness, emotional regulation and readiness to learn.
Open My Mind – introduces the new theme or concept.
Tell Me or Show Me – presents new knowledge, ideas or skills.
Let Me Learn – gives pupils the chance to explore, apply and internalise learning.
Help Me Reflect – supports pupils in evaluating their understanding and personal growth.

Jigsaw Charter

Impact

At Marish Primary School, we have high expectations for PSHE and value it as an essential part of our pupils’ personal development. Through the Jigsaw scheme, pupils gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to understand themselves, build positive relationships and make safe, responsible choices.

Formative assessment takes place in every lesson through two clear learning intentions. Pupils and teachers reflect on these together, helping children recognise their strengths and identify next steps for their learning.

Summative assessment happens at the end of each half-term unit, with pupils assessed as Working Towards, Working At or Working Beyond the expected standard. This allows teachers to track progress over time and ensure learning builds effectively.

School leaders monitor PSHE through pupil voice, lesson observations and reviews of pupils’ work. This ensures consistent progression and high-quality learning across all year groups.

Our PSHE curriculum supports children to:

develop confidence, resilience and emotional literacy
recognise and manage their thoughts and feelings
build positive relationships and show empathy
celebrate diversity and respect differences
understand British Values and their role in the community

Regular mindfulness and reflection help pupils feel calm, safe and ready to learn.

By the time they leave Marish Primary School, pupils are well-equipped with the personal, social and emotional skills they need for life. They understand how to look after their well-being, make thoughtful choices and contribute positively to the wider world.