At Edward Pauling Primary School, we believe every child deserves an education that prepares them not only for academic success but also to thrive as rounded individuals in modern society. Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education sits at the heart of this commitment.

PSHE is not an add-on to our curriculum; it is fundamental to our children’s development as confident, healthy and respectful members of society. Through high-quality PSHE, we equip pupils with the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to stay safe, maintain wellbeing, and build positive relationships throughout their lives.

Our curriculum is carefully designed to be developmental and progressive. From the moment children join our school, they begin to explore emotional literacy—learning to recognise, name and talk about feelings. This foundation grows year by year, helping pupils to manage emotions, develop resilience, and make informed decisions that support their own and others’ wellbeing.

By embedding PSHE across our school culture, we nurture a community where respect, inclusivity and responsibility flourish. In doing so, we prepare our pupils not only for the challenges of childhood but also for adulthood, work and active citizenship.

We are committed to:

• Supporting the whole child - recognising that children's emotional and social development directly impacts their capacity to learn
• Creating a safe, inclusive environment where every child feels valued and able to discuss concerns without fear or stigma
• Building foundations for the future - providing age-appropriate learning that prepares children for the challenges and opportunities of adolescence and beyond
• Working in partnership with families, recognising that parents are children's first educators in many aspects of relationships and health
• Embedding PSHE across school life - not just in weekly lessons, but through our values, relationships, and everyday interactions

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) is our comprehensive curriculum for supporting children's personal development, health, wellbeing and understanding of relationships.

Parent Engagement and the Right to Withdraw

We are required by law to teach Relationships Education and Health Education to all primary-aged pupils. We deliver these statutory subjects within our broader PSHE programme. Where we teach about human reproduction (sex education), we do so in line with the principles and approach of the 2025  Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance, in which sex education itself remains non-statutory (but recommended) in primary schools.

Relationships Education is compulsory for all primary-aged children and there is no right of withdrawal. It focuses on teaching children the fundamental building blocks of positive, respectful relationships with family, friends, peers and adults.

Health Education is compulsory for all primary-aged children and there is no right of withdrawal. It focuses on supporting children to make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing.

Sex education is not compulsory in primary schools, however the Department for Education recommends that all primary schools teach age-appropriate sex education to ensure children are prepared for the changes adolescence brings and understand how human life begins.

The following Jigsaw lessons in the Changing Me Puzzle contain non-statutory sex education content:

Year 5: Conception

Year 6: Babies: Conception to Birth

Parents have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from some or all of sex education taught as part of PSHE. Parents do NOT have the right to withdraw children from:

• • Relationships Education (statutory)
  • Health Education, including puberty education (statutory)
  • Science curriculum content, including content about reproduction (statutory)

Before making a decision to withdraw a child from sex education, we invite parents to discuss their concerns with the Headteacher. This discussion helps us to understand the request and enables us to clarify the nature and purpose of the curriculum, discuss the benefits of the education, and consider any potential impacts of withdrawal on the child.

Where a parent requests withdrawal, we will:

• • Arrange a meeting t discuss the request and the curriculum content in detail
  • Share relevant teaching materials s parents can see exactly what will be taught
  • Explain how we will support the child during withdrawal (ensuring they receive appropriate, purposeful education)
  • Respect the parent's final decision whilst documenting our professional advice

We inform parents about sex education content by sending curriculum information letters at the start of the summer term  and holding a parent information session where we share all teaching materials.

A withdrawal request form is available from the school office and on our website in our RSE Policy.

Our PSHE curriculum

Our PSHE curriculum also includes age-appropriate aspects of economic education, preparing children to understand spending, saving and the world of work, and citizenship education including British Values, helping children understand their rights, responsibilities and role in society.

We take a whole-school approach to PSHE education and how we meet our statutory duties.

Under the Education Act 2002 and the Academies Act 2010, all schools must provide a curriculum that:

•              Promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils

•              Prepares pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life

The Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education (England) Regulations (updated July 2025) make Relationships Education and Health Education statutory for all primary-aged pupils. These subjects must be taught in all maintained schools, academies, independent schools, maintained special schools, non-maintained special schools, and alternative provision settings.

We deliver statutory Relationships and Health Education within our comprehensive PSHE programme, using materials from Jigsaw PSHE 3-11. This provides children with a carefully sequenced, age-appropriate curriculum that meets all statutory requirements whilst also developing wider personal and social capabilities. Our PSHE curriculum also supports our safeguarding responsibilities as set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education and the Prevent Duty, helping children to recognise concerns, stay safe online and offline, and seek help when needed.

Our curriculum addresses all statutory requirements including:

•              Families and people who care for me

•              Caring friendships

•              Respectful, kind relationships

•              Online safety and awareness

•              Being safe

•              Mental wellbeing

•              Internet safety and harms

•              Physical health and fitness

•              Healthy eating

•              Drugs, alcohol, tobacco and vaping

•              Health protection and prevention

•              Basic first aid

•              Developing bodies (including puberty as part of Health Education)

A detailed mapping document showing how the Jigsaw programme covers every statutory outcome is available to view on request and is shared via email each half term prior to teaching. In the Summer Term we hold parental workshops in Year 5 and 6 to share teaching resources prior to teaching the Changing Me Puzzle.

Jigsaw PSHE 3 -11 Content Overview