SMSC & Jigsaw

The scheme is unique, spiral, progressive and effective, aiming to prepare children for life helping them to know and value who they are and understand how they relate to people in this ever-changing world. Every Piece has two Learning Intentions, one specific to Relationships and Health Education (PSHE) (in purple) and the other designed to develop emotional literacy and social skills (in green).

Puzzles are launched with a whole-school assembly containing an original song, with each year group studying the same unit at the same time, building sequentially through the school year, facilitating whole-school learning themes. Each lesson is built upon a Charter which underpins the behaviour and respect that is the basis for each lesson. The lessons then split into 6 parts, all of which should be included in every session to ensure that the learning follows the optimum progression.

Connect us – This is a game or activity designed to be fun and inclusive and to build and maximise social skills. ‘Connect us’ stimulates positive relationships and enhances collaborative learning. It sets the atmosphere at the beginning of each Jigsaw Piece and can be used again at the end should the teacher feel the atmosphere needs to be lifted after some deep work during the lesson.

Calm me – This section of the Piece helps children gain awareness of the activity in their minds, relaxing them and quietening their thoughts and emotions to a place of optimum learning capacity. This will also establish a peaceful atmosphere within the classroom. This underpins the mindful approach advocated in Jigsaw

Open my mind – Children section helps children to filter out activity around them not significant to the learning intention of the Piece and will help to improve their concentration and learning.

Tell me or show me – This section of the Piece is used to introduce new information, concepts and skills, using a range of teaching approaches and activities.

Let me learn – Following Piaget’s learning model, after receiving new information/concepts, children need to manipulate, use, and play with that new information in order for it to make sense to them and for them to ‘accommodate’ it into their existing learning.

Help me reflect -Throughout Jigsaw, children are encouraged to reflect on their learning experiences and their progress. By reflecting, children can process and evaluate what they have learnt, which enables them to consolidate and apply their learning. They are also asked to stop and become aware of their thoughts and feelings in any given moment in Pause Points.

Closure – Each Piece needs safe closure. This will always include the teacher praising the children for their effort, positive attitude and achievement, as well as giving one or two sentences to summarise the key learning points for the children.

Impact

• Less children with low self-esteem and better equipped to be resilient within a modern society.
• Children are better aware of social media; how to be safe, utilise this productively and make good choices.
• Children will have had opportunities to fail, as well as discuss why failure is important, so that they are more resilient to failure and view this as a positive.
• Children will collaborate critically, creatively and with a caring approach throughout their time in school.
• Children are able to reflect on their behaviour and evaluate what good behaviour and a good learner should look like. This will allow children to learn from bad choices. 
• Our children will be happy and encouraging of others in and out of the classroom.
• Children leave the school with a sense of belonging where they have the confidence and skills to make decisions, self-evaluate, make connections and become lifelong learners.

For further information regarding our Jigsaw curriculum, please contact our SMSC lead Miss Kidd.