Ashbrow School England

Jigsaw has provided invaluable support during the move to statutory RSE. As an early adopter school we were delighted to have the opportunity to get a head start teaching from the new RSE framework. It was reassuring to be able to pick up our Jigsaw electronic files knowing that the scheme had been mapped carefully to the new framework ensuring no element was overlooked.

Impact of Jigsaw

Some of the topics pupils are exposed to are challenging, but they are always approached in an age appropriate, respectful way. There is sensitive recognition that although pupils are growing up in a world full of opportunities there are many uncertainties and anxieties too. The ‘Calm Me’ time in Jigsaw has been one of our greatest successes. It has enabled us to create sessions in class which are thoughtful, relevant and engaging as pupils’ minds are calm, ready to learn and express themselves.

The progression of the Jigsaw approach suits our school well. It ensures our children are given the relevant information in a timely appropriate manner and the spiral design of the curriculum ensures that knowledge is built on rather than being repeated.

Staff across school have benefitted greatly from Jigsaw. Since the introduction of Jigsaw, staff feel more confident and better equipped to teach PSHE.  As Jigsaw comes ready resourced, includes PowerPoints and assessment tools it has lifted some of the teacher workload contributing positively to staff wellbeing. Families and governors are equally on board with many able to speak knowledgeably about Jigsaw too.

In addition to successes in school, Jigsaw has supported pupils, families and staff through remote learning. As a school we acknowledged that there was much that we could do remotely via our online platform to continue our delivery of PSHE. However we were mindful that some topic areas would not be totally appropriate delivered in this way. Having the knowledge of and experience of working the ‘Jigsaw way’, staff were aware of the complex and sometimes sensitive topics that would be best facilitated by a teacher, once back in school within a safe classroom environment. Nevertheless, Jigsaw has continued to be taught weekly and suitable content easily adapted by staff as necessary.

Pupils have felt well supported by the routine of the puzzle pieces just as they would be in school. In Year Six, some pupils were disappointed to find they would not be able to hold their charity event due to Covid-19. Pupils talked about the need for charity and kindness noting how that provided hope for them and their families as the pandemic restrictions unfold. Their optimism was uplifting as they talked their way through highs and lows and carved ways forward as a team.

A few families shared their concerns about being in much closer contact with each other for far longer than usual along with the expectations of remote learning. They were given the opportunity to consider the simplicity of ‘Calm Me’ time and found that it created treasured moments of reflection. Families told us how they have been able to relate to the content of puzzle pieces and join in with the learning. Parents and carers noted how Jigsaw strengthens one’s understanding of emotions and also develops integrity which supports better decision making.

For some families, Jigsaw acted as a place for them to share their concerns about how the pandemic has affected their dreams and goals leading to others sharing positive ways forward thus building and re-building that all important sense of community togetherness.

Jigsaw has supported staff at Ashbrow throughout remote learning by being a ready-made, flexible package. Staff have found it easy to adapt sessions planned and create vital learning opportunities for pupils even when they are not in the classroom.

Looking forward

As we continue our RSE journey, we look forward to continuing to support staff with the teaching of RSE ensuring they feel comfortable, confident and guided.

In addition, we look forward to seeing how Jigsaw continues to develop. We intend to further explore the Jigsaw Resilience and Engagement Scale and Toolkit to support our screening of children’s levels of resilience and emotional well-being as we re-open our school to all children. Whatever happens next we know that Jigsaw will continue to be part of who we are at Ashbrow. We are confident that our pupils will grow into nurtured, resilient mindful young people who will appreciate the diverse and ever changing world we live in and embrace life.