Life Skills (PSHE including RSE)

At Marden Lodge, as part of the broad and balanced curriculum we promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, we prepare pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life while having a duty to keep pupils safe.

PSHE education gives pupils the knowledge, skills, and attributes pupils need to keep themselves healthy and safe and to prepare them for life and work in modern Britain. (PSHE association)

At Marden Lodge we aim to embed a whole-school approach to health and well being, including mental health, enrichment opportunities and life skills.

Jigsaw is the scheme used across the school for the teaching of PHSE. It is a unique, spiral, progressive scheme which aims to prepare children for life,  helping them to know and truly value who they are and help them to understand how they relate to each other. Each half term, the children across the school focus on a different part of the PHSE curriculum;

Our curriculum brings together PSHE Education, emotional literacy, social skills and spiritual development in a comprehensive scheme of learning. Teaching strategies are varied and are mindful of preferred learning styles and the need for differentiation. It is designed as a whole school approach, with all year groups working on the same theme at the same time.

This is complemented by our whole school Thrive Approach and our Star Values (Trustworthy, Respectful, Responsible, Fair, Caring and Active Citizen) which are used to help instill a positive learning environment for the children and staff and a culture of kindness, making Marden Lodge a safe environment for ALL to learn.

Children at Marden Lodge will have experienced a healthy, happy and safe learning environment and will have developed the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to prepare them in later life. These positives outcomes can help tackle issues that can affect their ability to learn and so can in turn aide their academic success.

Relationships & Health Education

In September 2021, it became compulsory for all Primary Schools to teach Relationship and Health education to children.  We understand Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) to be about the emotional, social and cultural development of pupils, and involves learning about relationships, sexual health, healthy lifestyles, diversity and personal identity.  SRE involves a combination of sharing information, and exploring issues and values. It is not about the promotion of sexual activity.

Relationships Education at Marden will cover ‘Families and people who care for me’, ‘Caring friendships’, ‘Respectful relationships’, ‘Online relationships’, and ‘Being safe’.  As with the rest of the PSHE curriculum, we use the Jigsaw scheme of work. It is important to explain that whilst the Relationships Puzzle (unit) in Jigsaw covers most of the statutory Relationships Education, some of the outcomes are also taught elsewhere in Jigsaw e.g. the Celebrating Difference Puzzle helps children appreciate that there are many types of family composition and that each is important to the children involved. This holistic approach ensures the learning is reinforced through the year and across the curriculum.

More information can be found in our policy page.

Life Skills Curriculum including progression in knowledge & skills