PSHE and RSE

 

'Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive that is youer than you.' - Dr Seuss

 

How PSHE supports our school’s vision

At Aberford CE Primary School, we want all of our children to grow into happy, healthy and confident individuals who understand themselves, value others and feel prepared for the wider world.

Through our Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) curriculum, children develop the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to keep themselves safe and healthy, build positive relationships, make informed choices and look after their own wellbeing.

As a Church of England school, our approach to Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) is rooted in our Christian vision and values. We encourage children to value themselves and others, celebrate what makes each person unique and develop relationships built on kindness, respect and understanding.

Growing up is a journey and, through PSHE, we support our children as they begin to understand the social, emotional and physical changes they experience along the way.

“You do not wake up and become the butterfly – growth is a process.”
— Rupi Kaur

Statutory Relationships and Health Education

The Department for Education’s revised statutory guidance for Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education came into effect in September 2026.

At Aberford, Relationships Education and Health Education are taught as part of our wider PSHE curriculum. Our curriculum is carefully planned and progressive, building on children’s knowledge and understanding as they move through school.

Relationships Education

Relationships Education helps children to understand what positive and healthy relationships look like. Children learn about families and friendships, how to treat others with kindness and respect and how to keep themselves safe, both in the real world and online.

Children learn about:

• families and people who care for them

• caring friendships

• respectful relationships

• online relationships

• keeping themselves and others safe

Children are also taught about kindness, respect, honesty, privacy, boundaries and consent in an age-appropriate way. We want our children to feel confident recognising when something does not feel right and to know who they can talk to and where they can go for help.

Health Education

Health Education helps children to understand how they can look after their physical and mental health and wellbeing. Children learn about making healthy choices, recognising their feelings and understanding when they or somebody else may need help or support.

Children learn about:

• mental wellbeing

• internet safety and harms

• physical health and fitness

• healthy eating

• drugs, alcohol and tobacco

• health and prevention

• basic first aid

• the changing adolescent body

Jigsaw

 

At Aberford, we use Jigsaw PSHE as our whole-school approach to teaching PSHE and RSHE.

Jigsaw provides a carefully planned and progressive curriculum, with learning building as children move from Reception through to Year 6. It gives children opportunities to learn, talk, reflect and share their ideas in a safe and supportive environment.

Each half term, the whole school focuses on one of six Jigsaw units, known as Puzzles:

• Being Me in My World

• Celebrating Difference

• Dreams and Goals

• Healthy Me

• Relationships

• Changing Me

Although the whole school explores the same Puzzle each half term, the learning is carefully matched to each year group and develops as children grow. This helps children to build on what they already know and gradually develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need for the next stage of their lives.

Our PSHE and RSHE curriculum is regularly reviewed to make sure it continues to meet the needs of our children and current statutory requirements.

 

Recommended books for PSHE:

Being me in my world

Celebrating difference

Dreams and goals

Healthy me

Relationships

Changing me

We have also recently undertaken a parental consultation on our Relationships and Sex Education curriculum and policy. 

If you have any questions regarding the curriculum we teach, please contact the school directly.