PSHE

Intent

Through PSHE, children gain the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage their lives now and in the future. Our aim is to enable every child to flourish by supporting them to believe in themselves, build their resilience, and recognise the importance of being both healthy and happy. We know that emotional wellbeing is the foundation of academic success and lifelong achievement.

Our pastoral approach at Olga nurtures pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development. By embedding the values of communication, respect, self-regulation, independence and resilience, we prepare pupils to become confident, positive role models who contribute meaningfully to both school and the wider community.

Implementation

Our PSHE curriculum is built around the school’s core values of being Kind, Curious, and Courageous. In the Early Years, PSHE is taught as Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED), focusing on self-regulation, managing self and building relationships. From Reception to Year 6, we follow the Jigsaw Programme, carefully adapted to ensure continuity, progression and depth in learning. Lessons are structured around the six Jigsaw themes: Being Me in My World, Celebrating Difference, Dreams and Goals, Healthy Me, Relationships, and Changing Me, which together cover the three national curriculum themes of Health and Wellbeing, Relationships, and Living in the Wider World.

Our Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum has been developed in consultation with parents, staff, governors, and the wider school community, alongside guidance from the Healthy Lives Team at Tower Hamlets. This ensures it is both age-appropriate and rooted in our school ethos.

Learning in PSHE is experiential, interactive and reflective:

• Pupils engage in discussion, collaboration, and group work.
• They take part in activities that help them recognise their own worth, develop independence, and grow as confident learners.
• They explore real-life scenarios, building empathy, cultural awareness, and respect for diversity.
• Whole-school and class assemblies encourage pupil voice, collaboration, and reflection. Weekly themes, shared with families via newsletters, further deepen connections between school and home.

Our restorative behaviour policy, guided by the principles of being Ready, Safe and Respectful and supported by Zones of Regulation, helps children manage their emotions effectively. Alongside this, our commitment to wellbeing is celebrated through whole-school engagement with the Wellbeing Award, which reinforces the importance of positive mental health across the community.

Impact

At Olga, the impact of our PSHE curriculum is clear in the way our children conduct themselves in and beyond the classroom. Inspired by Maya Angelou’s words, “people will never forget how you made them feel,” we want our pupils to show kindness, courage, and curiosity in everything they do.

Through their PSHE journey, pupils learn to:

• Model positive attitudes and behaviours, acting as role models within the school community.
• Demonstrate respect, resilience and empathy, preparing them for the challenges and opportunities of modern life.
• Build strong emotional literacy, equipping them to recognise, articulate and manage their feelings.
• Develop the confidence, independence, and social responsibility needed for secondary school and beyond.

Our pupils leave Olga not only ready for the next stage of their education but with the skills, values and mindset to thrive as responsible, healthy and compassionate individuals in the wider world.

Pupil Voice

During Establishment Week, we have read ‘The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse’ by Charlie Mackesy. We have used this to discuss our school values of kindness, curiosity and courage. The children have really enjoyed getting to know the characters in this story.

“I’ve learnt to be strong and ask lots of questions.”

- Year 6 child