PSHE and RSE

Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education

Intent:

The PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) curriculum at The Grove Junior School aims to equip pupils with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to lead healthy, safe, and responsible lives. It promotes personal development, empathy, resilience, and respect, while fostering active citizenship and understanding of British values. The curriculum also supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development.

Implementation:

PSHE is taught weekly using a blend of the Jigsaw Scheme, 1 Decision, and TGMC resources. Lessons are inclusive, discussion-based and adapted to meet the diverse needs and maturity levels of pupils. Themes are structured termly:

• Autumn: Health and Wellbeing
• Spring: Living in the Wider World
• Summer: Relationships

Teaching includes circle time, collaborative activities, and cross-curricular links (e.g. PE, RE, Science, English). Assemblies reinforce key values such as cooperation, empathy, resilience, and honesty. Pupil voice is central, with School Councillors contributing to curriculum development.

Impact:

Pupils leave The Grove confident and prepared for life in modern Britain, demonstrating the school’s core values of Respect, Resilience, and Responsibility. Their progress is evident in wellbeing books, classroom discussions, and celebration assemblies. The curriculum is regularly updated to reflect contemporary issues, with additional themed weeks (e.g. Healthy Me) and targeted lessons to support specific class needs.

Long-Term Plan:
Each year group follows a structured plan with age-appropriate topics such as:

• Emotional literacy
• Healthy lifestyles
• Online safety
• First aid
• Relationships
• Puberty (Year 5–6)
• Transition to secondary school

Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)

Curriculum Coverage

RSE is embedded within the broader PSHE curriculum and includes:

• Relationships Education:

  • Understanding healthy family life and friendships.
  • Respecting differences in families and relationships.
  • Recognising and managing feelings in relationships.
  • Learning about respectful relationships, bullying (including cyberbullying), and stereotypes.
  • Exploring boundaries, privacy, and appropriate/inappropriate contact.

• Sex Education & Puberty:

  • Delivered in line with statutory guidance and science curriculum.
  • Covers puberty, body changes, and reproduction (in Year 6 only).
  • Year 3 no longer includes puberty education due to statutory age limits.
  • Year 6 includes conception education using age-appropriate resources (with contraception references removed).
  • Parents are informed prior to sensitive lessons.

British Values at The Grove

At The Grove, British Values are at the heart of our PSHE curriculum and school culture. We actively promote the five key values, Democracy, Rule of Law, Individual Liberty, Mutual Respect, and Tolerance of Different Faiths and Beliefs, through meaningful learning experiences and daily practice.

Democracy is brought to life through our 'Groverneers' School Council, where pupils participate in a democratic election process to choose their representatives. This empowers children to have a voice in shaping their school community and teaches them the importance of civic responsibility.

Our curriculum encourages pupils to understand the role of laws in society, make informed choices, and respect others regardless of background or belief. Year 6 enjoy a visit from the Legal Eagles every Summer Term, where they get to reenact a trial court. Through inclusive teaching and celebration of diversity, we nurture a respectful and tolerant environment where every child feels valued. Children of different backgrounds enjoy sharing their own experiences with their classes.

British Values underpin our commitment to developing confident, compassionate, and responsible citizens ready for life in modern Britain.

Democracy in action [Groverneers at Parliament]

Tolerance of Different Faiths and Beliefs in action [Diwali celebrations]

Mutual Respect in action [Pride Week]

Rule of Law in action [Legal Eagles]