Introducing Jigsaw, a mindful approach to learning

Why Jigsaw and how does it work?

Jigsaw stands for a positive philosophy and creative teaching and learning activities to nurture children’s development as compassionate and well-rounded human beings as well as building their capacity to learn.

This supports our mission statement to provide a positive, meaningful, and challenging learning environment enabling children to become responsible learners, communicators, collaborators, and respectful global citizens. It’s is closely linked to the IPC Personal Goals and International Mindedness goals and our vision to value each other’s beliefs and cultures, customs, and multilingualism.

All year groups work on the same theme (Puzzle) at the same time at their own level. There are six Puzzles (half-term units of work) and each year group is taught one lesson per week. All lessons are delivered in an age- and stage-appropriate way so that they meet children’s needs.

Which Units of work (Puzzles) are there?:

• Being Me in my World teaches topics including a sense of belonging, welcoming others and being part of a community, children’s rights and responsibilities and working and socialising with others.
• Celebrating Difference focuses on similarities and differences and teaches about diversity, such as disability, racism, power, friendships, and conflict; children learn to accept everyone’s right to ‘difference’, and most year groups explore the concept of ‘normality’. Anti-bullying, including cyber bullying, is an important aspect of this Puzzle.
• Dreams and Goals aims to help children think about their hopes and dreams, their goals for success, what their personal strengths are, and how to overcome challenges, using team-work skills and tasks.  Children learn about experiencing and managing feelings of pride, ambition, disappointment, success; and they get to share their aspirations, the dreams and goals of others in different cultures/countries, and their dreams for their community and the world.
• Healthy Me covers two main areas of health: Emotional/mental health (relaxation, being safe, friendships, mental health skills, body image, relationships with food, managing stress) and Physical health (eating a balanced diet, physical activity, rest and relaxation, keeping clean, drugs and alcohol, being safe, first aid).
• Relationships starts with building a respectful relationship with self and covers topics including families, friendships, pets and animals, and love and loss. A vital part of this Puzzle is about safeguarding and keeping children safe; this links to online safety and social networking. Children learn how to deal with conflict, build assertiveness skills, and identify their own strengths and strategies for building self-esteem and resilience.
• Changing Me deals with change of many types, from growing from young to old, becoming a teenager, assertiveness, puberty, self-respect and safeguarding. Each year group thinks about looking ahead, moving year groups or the transition to secondary school and how to cope positively with such changes. Life cycles and human reproduction are taught in some year groups at the school’s discretion.

Meet Jigsaw Chimes and Jerrie Cat

To enhance the learning experience, Jigsaw has two friends (jigsaw-shaped soft toys used as teaching aids) Chimes and Jerrie Cats who are included as part of the mindfulness practice lesson.

Mindfulness is being able to observe your own thoughts and feelings as they happen, in the present moment, applying no judgement. Jigsaw teaches children to understand their thoughts and feelings through the Calm Me time exercises (using the Jigsaw Chime) and Pause Points (using Jigsaw Jerrie Cat).

This helps to develop their awareness, and their capacity to be mindful human beings.

Like to know more?

Speak to our teachers or visit the jigsaw website.