At Lady Margaret, we believe that Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education is fundamental in equipping every pupil with the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to thrive as healthy, independent and responsible members of society. Rooted in our commitment to excellence and inclusion, our PSHE curriculum is designed to empower children to understand and manage their emotions, make informed choices, develop positive relationships and contribute meaningfully to their community and the wider world. 

Through a well-sequenced, spiral curriculum, we ensure all pupils gain a deep and age-appropriate understanding of the key themes: health and wellbeing, relationships and living in the wider world. We prioritise safeguarding, emotional literacy and equality, ensuring children feel safe, valued and respected. 

Our PSHE provision is interwoven with our school values and ethos, promoting character development, resilience, moral responsibility and respect for the rights of others. Through engaging, inclusive and reflective learning experiences, we develop pupils’ confidence and self-esteem, preparing them to navigate an ever-changing world with empathy, integrity and ambition. 

PSHE is at the heart of our pastoral care and whole-school ethos. It supports our work as a Gold: Rights Respecting School and is central to our focus on wellbeing, inclusion, equality and aspiration for all. 

A Rights-Based Approach to PSHE

Our PSHE teaching is deeply rooted in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Pupils learn about their rights and responsibilities in relation to:

• Equality and respect (Articles 2, 12, 29)
• Safety and wellbeing (Articles 19, 24)
• Education and expression (Articles 28, 13)

Classroom discussions, weekly assemblies and curriculum links reinforce these rights as part of everyday life and learning.

Jigsaw PSHE

What is Jigsaw PSHE?

Jigsaw brings together PSHE education, emotional literacy, mindfulness, social skills and moral development in a coherent and child-friendly way.

Jigsaw is structured around six half-termly Puzzles:

• Being Me in My World – identity, belonging and community
• Celebrating Difference – diversity, anti-bullying and inclusion
• Dreams and Goals – ambition, resilience and achievement
• Healthy Me – physical and mental health, nutrition and safety
• Relationships – friendship, empathy and family
• Changing Me – body changes, emotional transitions and puberty (HRE)

Each unit builds on prior learning and is tailored to suit the needs of our pupils across all year groups.

Mindfulness and Wellbeing

Each Jigsaw lesson begins with Calm Me Time – a mindfulness practice that helps children focus, regulate their emotions and get ready to learn. PSHE contributes significantly to our whole-school approach to mental health, emotional regulation and resilience.

Pupil Voice and Safeguarding

PSHE lessons provide a safe and open forum for children to ask questions, share opinions and develop the vocabulary to talk about their thoughts, feelings and experiences.

Our curriculum:

• Supports safeguarding by helping pupils recognise safe and unsafe situations
• Promotes respect for difference, protected characteristics and inclusion
• Teaches children how to seek help and support when needed

We regularly gather pupil feedback to ensure our PSHE offer is meaningful and responsive.

The Impact

Pupils at Lady Margaret leave us:

• Emotionally aware, with strategies for managing change and challenge
• Socially skilled, with strong relationships built on empathy and understanding
• Ethically informed, with a strong sense of justice, respect and responsibility
• Prepared for life, with knowledge and confidence to navigate the wider world

By the time our pupils leave Lady Margaret in Year 6, they will:

• Be able to approach real-life situations with confidence, resilience and empathy
• Be developing into healthy, respectful and socially responsible members of society
• Celebrate difference and diversity, recognising the richness it brings
• Understand and apply the values of British democracy, respect and equality
• Know how to regulate their emotions and respond to challenges
• Understand the importance of mental health and wellbeing and know how to seek support
• Build and maintain positive, healthy relationships with peers and adults
• Understand HRE in an age-appropriate way, including physical and emotional changes
• Show self-respect, confidence and pride in who they are
• Have developed a positive self-esteem and sense of identity

Please click on the links below for further information on Jigsaw and  our PSHE curriculum.

PHSE curriculum termly overview

Snapshot Overview Map

Jigsaw Information Leaflet for Parents

How does the Jigsaw 3-11 meet the personal social and emotional development psed early learning goals

• Emotional regulation is taught through body scanning, breathing exercises and interoception awareness. 
• Pupils learn to identify and respond to their body signals, promoting self-awareness and resilience.