Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) is central to our school’s ethos, underpinning learning in the classroom, school and in the wider community. PSHE aims to help our children to understand how they are developing personally and socially, and tackles many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up.

You can find a copy of this policy on our policies page or request a copy from the school office.

We provide our children with many opportunities to learn about rights and responsibilities and appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society so they can flourish and aspire to make a positive contribution to our ever-changing world. We endeavour to provide our children with enriching learning opportunities across and beyond the curriculum, in specific PSHE lessons, circle time, special school projects and other activities that enrich pupils’ experiences.

Our children are encouraged to believe in themselves and develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in using their unique gifts to make a difference to school life and the wider community. As part of a whole-school approach, PSHE education develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to achieve and thrive as happy, healthy, independent and responsible members of society.

We use a whole school PSHE scheme called Jigsaw, which aims to help children know and value who they really are and how they relate to other people in our diverse society.

There are six Puzzles (half-term units of work):

• Being Me in my World
• Celebrating Differences
• Dreams and Goals
• Healthy Me
• Relationships
• Changing Me

The carefully designed programme ensures the whole school studies the same learning themes at the same time - each year group at its own age appropriate level. The Puzzles are sequential and developmental throughout each academic year. We strive to ensure that our pupils are ready for the transition from year group to year group but essentially from primary to secondary school and beyond education. Our framework for PSHE embeds the three strands — health and wellbeing, relationships and living in the wider world, as well as the statutory aspects of the Relationships and Sex Education, and Health Education guidance.

Trauma Informed

We are also a Trauma Informed School so use an emphatic response with a creative approach to support the unique needs of people within our school family. Our whole staff team have received TISUK training to be an Emotionally Available Adult at any time of the school day. We believe that positive mental health and promoting healthy well-being of pupils and staff at St Matthias is essential as we grow and develop. Staff encourage opportunities for children to make connections, build resilience, negotiate, make positive decisions and enjoy building friendships to promote healthy well-being. We support the children as they learn to think about their emotions, choices and friendships so that they are able to develop into confident, skilful young people who enjoy learning and respect each other.