PHSCE

PHSCE at Brandesburton

Personal Development at Brandesburton Primary School

At Brandesburton Primary School, personal development is at the heart of our curriculum and school community. We are committed to ensuring that every child develops the knowledge, skills, confidence and values needed to become active, respectful and responsible members of society.

Through assemblies, community projects, discussion opportunities and clear year group expectations, our children are supported to grow personally, socially and emotionally throughout their journey with us.

Our PSHCE curriculum is carefully designed to promote children’s emotional wellbeing, social understanding, relationships, health, safety and citizenship. We aim to nurture confident individuals who are prepared for life in modern Britain and who demonstrate kindness, resilience, empathy and respect.

Vision for PSHCE

At Brandesburton Primary School, we believe PSHCE is woven into everything we do. It is not taught in isolation, but embedded throughout school life, daily interactions, assemblies, restorative conversations, community projects and classroom learning.

We aim to create a safe, inclusive and nurturing environment where children feel valued, listened to and empowered to make positive choices.

Our PSHCE curriculum promotes:

Emotional wellbeing and resilience
Positive mental health
Respectful relationships
Inclusion and diversity
British values
Citizenship and community responsibility
Online and personal safety
Aspirations and personal growth
Independence and confidence
Kindness, empathy and restorative practice

Personal Development is a hugely important part of life at Brandesburton Primary School and underpins our wider curriculum, behaviour policy and school ethos.

Intent

Our PSHCE curriculum is designed to:

Support children’s personal, social and emotional development from EYFS to Year 6
Develop children’s understanding of healthy relationships, wellbeing and citizenship
Provide opportunities for reflection, discussion and respectful debate
Prepare children for life in modern Britain
Promote equality, inclusion and respect for others
Develop resilience, confidence and independence
Teach children how to stay safe both online and offline
Encourage children to become active members of their community
Support children in understanding emotions and managing challenges positively

Through carefully planned learning opportunities, children build the knowledge and skills needed to become thoughtful, responsible and compassionate individuals.

JIGSAW Scheme

Our PSHCE curriculum follows the JIGSAW scheme from EYFS through to Key Stage 2.

JIGSAW provides a progressive and comprehensive PSHCE curriculum that supports children’s personal, social and emotional development through six key themes:

Being Me in My World
Celebrating Difference
Dreams and Goals
Healthy Me
Relationships
Changing Me

The scheme is carefully sequenced to ensure progression of knowledge, vocabulary and skills across all year groups.

JIGSAW supports children in developing:

Emotional literacy
Self-awareness
Empathy and understanding
Communication skills
Problem solving
Positive relationships
Resilience and self-regulation

Lessons provide opportunities for children to discuss, reflect and explore real-life situations in a safe and supportive environment.

Useful curriculum links:

EYFS, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2

In EYFS, children begin developing the foundations of personal, social and emotional understanding through play, discussion, stories, routines and adult modelling.

Children learn to:

Build positive relationships
Share and cooperate
Recognise and manage feelings
Develop independence
Understand rules and routines
Build confidence and resilience

This strong foundation supports progression into Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 where children continue to deepen their understanding of relationships, wellbeing, citizenship and personal responsibility.

Across KS1 and KS2, PSHCE learning is carefully adapted to meet the developmental needs of children at each stage.

Children are encouraged to:

Express opinions respectfully
Listen to different viewpoints
Reflect on their own behaviour and choices
Develop strategies to manage emotions
Build positive friendships and relationships
Understand diversity and inclusion
Develop confidence and leadership skills
Make safe and informed choices

PSHCE is taught through dedicated lessons, assemblies, Community Time discussions, enrichment opportunities and wider curriculum links.

Personal Development at Brandesburton

Personal Development is a significant strength of Brandesburton Primary School and is woven throughout all aspects of school life.

Children are given meaningful opportunities to:

Develop leadership skills
Contribute to the school and local community
Reflect on important issues
Build confidence and resilience
Explore equality and diversity
Develop aspirations for the future
Learn about responsibility and citizenship
Demonstrate kindness and empathy

Our approach ensures children leave Brandesburton Primary School as confident, respectful and responsible young people who are fully prepared for the next stage of education and life beyond primary school.

Community Plan

Our Community Plan provides a structured programme of personal development opportunities across the school.

The plan outlines actions and projects for each year group every term, linked directly to our Community Plan Guidance.

These projects are carefully planned by the Brandesburton team for each Key Stage and are designed to build upon the skills and understanding explored during assemblies and Community Time discussions.

The projects provide meaningful, practical opportunities for children to apply what they have learned in real-life situations.

The Community Plan also strengthens children’s sense of belonging within the local and wider community, encouraging purposeful actions that demonstrate:

Kindness
Responsibility
Citizenship
Respect
Inclusion
Leadership

Children are encouraged to become active contributors to school life and the wider world around them.

Assemblies

Assemblies play an important role in promoting our school values and supporting personal development.

Our Assembly Plan identifies the focus for each assembly throughout the year, alongside a linked Community Time Question.

Themes include:

Respect and relationships
British values
Diversity and inclusion
Wellbeing and mental health
Responsibility and leadership
Community and citizenship
Courage, resilience and aspiration

Assemblies provide opportunities for reflection, discussion and shared understanding across the whole school community.

They help children to:

Reflect on important issues
Develop empathy and understanding
Explore current events and themes
Celebrate achievements and diversity
Strengthen the school community

Community Time Questions

Each assembly is followed by a weekly Community Time Question, encouraging children to reflect on the assembly theme and discuss their thoughts, ideas and experiences.

These discussions are recorded either in JIGSAW floor books or in a dedicated class book, depending on the class teacher’s chosen approach.

Evidence may include:

Drawings
Written responses
Post-it note reflections
Class discussions
Photographs of activities

Each class completes one page per week, creating a valuable record of children’s developing understanding, viewpoints and personal growth across the year.

Community Time discussions help children to:

Develop speaking and listening skills
Respect different opinions
Reflect thoughtfully
Build confidence in sharing ideas
Develop emotional understanding and empathy

Brandesburton Year Group Expectations

To ensure consistency and clarity for all members of our school community, each year group has a set of child-friendly expectations.

These are displayed using a cartoon illustration of a “Brandesburton Child” and include examples of the behaviours, attitudes and skills expected at each stage of development.

Expectations are carefully designed by the school team to show clear progression from year to year.

This approach helps children, staff and families understand:

What successful personal development looks like
How expectations grow throughout the school
The behaviours and values that make our school community strong

Through these shared expectations, we aim to support every child in becoming confident, caring and responsible individuals who are ready for the next stage of their education and life beyond Brandesburton Primary School.

RP Ambassadors

At Brandesburton Primary School, our RP (Restorative Practice) Ambassadors play an important role in supporting positive relationships, kindness and problem solving across the school community.

RP Ambassadors are children who have received training in restorative practice and understand how to help others resolve disagreements fairly, respectfully and calmly.

They support children during playtimes and around school by:

Encouraging fair play
Helping children to solve small disagreements peacefully
Supporting positive friendships
Promoting kindness and inclusion
Helping children talk through problems using restorative questions
Encouraging children to listen to each other and understand different viewpoints

The ambassadors help children to reflect on their actions and find positive ways forward, supporting our whole-school approach to restorative practice and respectful relationships.

Children can easily spot an RP Ambassador around school because they wear a special RP Ambassador lanyard. This helps everyone know who they can go to if they need support, friendship or help solving a problem during the school day.

Through this role, RP Ambassadors develop:

Confidence
Leadership
Responsibility
Communication skills
Empathy and understanding

The role helps to make Brandesburton Primary School a safe, caring and supportive environment for everyone.

Teaching and Learning

Our PSHCE curriculum is delivered through:

Weekly JIGSAW lessons
Assemblies
Community Time discussions
Circle times
Restorative conversations
Community projects
Cross-curricular opportunities
Educational visits and visitors
Leadership opportunities
Whole-school events and awareness days

Teachers create a safe and respectful learning environment where children feel confident discussing sensitive topics and sharing their thoughts appropriately.

Learning is adapted to meet the needs of all children and promotes inclusion, respect and positive participation.

Inclusion and Safeguarding

We are committed to ensuring all children feel safe, valued and included.

Our PSHCE curriculum supports safeguarding by teaching children:

How to stay safe online and offline
How to recognise healthy and unhealthy relationships
How to seek help and support
How to understand consent and personal boundaries
How to manage risks and make safe choices

Children with SEND and vulnerable pupils are supported through adaptive teaching, visual supports, discussion opportunities and carefully planned interventions where appropriate.

Assessment

Assessment within PSHCE is primarily formative and focuses on children’s understanding, participation, reflection and personal growth.

Teachers assess children through:

Discussion and questioning
Pupil reflections
Community Time responses
JIGSAW floor books
Observation
Participation in assemblies and projects
Pupil voice opportunities

Assessment is used to:

Identify children’s understanding and misconceptions
Inform future planning
Support emotional wellbeing
Celebrate progress and achievement

Impact

The impact of our PSHCE and Personal Development curriculum is seen through children who:

Demonstrate kindness, empathy and respect
Understand how to stay safe and healthy
Show resilience and confidence
Develop positive relationships
Participate positively in school and community life
Reflect thoughtfully and communicate respectfully
Understand diversity and inclusion
Demonstrate leadership and responsibility
Are prepared for the next stage of education and life beyond primary school

Children leave Brandesburton Primary School with the personal, social and emotional skills needed to thrive academically, socially and emotionally.

Useful Links and Guidance

JIGSAW PSHE
PSHE Association
[Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education Guidance](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relation