PSHE
Our Personal, Social and Health Education is a compulsory part of the KS3 and 4 curriculum, supporting pupils’ Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural development. At KS4, we teach our pupils PSHRE which also includes Religious Education (see the Religious Education section of the website for further information on this). All pupils follow a specific PSHE programme, which concentrates on building skills to help them progress through their teenage years to adult life. The programme aims to educate pupils to think for themselves, with an acceptable set of personal qualities and values which promote equal opportunities and to develop pupil self-confidence so that they can take advantage of the opportunities available to them. We have worked in partnership with a wide range of outside agencies to support pupils learning such as West Midlands Fire Service, Loudmouth (performances and workshops relating to RSE: Relationships and Sex Education), Umbrella Sexual Health, Natural High and Barclays Life Skills.
The following three strands are taught through PSHE/ PSHRE lessons: Personal, Social and Health Education (Including Relationships and Sex Education), Careers Education, and Citizenship (the latter of which is also delivered through different curriculum areas).
Careers
The Careers Education and Guidance programme helps pupils to achieve the following broad aims:
- To Understand themselves and develop their capabilities
- To investigate careers and opportunities
- To implement their career plan
Visiting speakers, trips to education and work place settings, careers advisors, video and careers literature are used in the Careers Education programme to provide pupils with background information relating to further education and a wide range of jobs and training. We have a former Connexions advisor to work with Year 10 and 11 pupils. As in PSHE, we work with a number of outside agencies who support the work we do in lessons such as Aim Higher, Transformation Trust and Local Colleges such as Cadbury, Bourneville and Halesowen. In addition, guidance is given in completing CVs and personal statements via KUDOS, an online system that pupils can also access from home. All Year 11 pupils receive help with how to prepare for an interview and take part in a ‘mock interview’ in school with our partners from local employers. We also hold a careers fayre every year to give students further guidance.
PSHRE
A wide variety of topics are covered, as detailed below, in PSHE and PSHRE lessons. We have also worked in partnership with a wide range of outside agencies to support pupils learning such as West Midlands Fire Service, Loudmouth (performances and workshops relating to RSE: Relationships and Sex Education), Umbrella Sexual Health, Natural High and Barclays Life Skills.
PSHE & Citizenship
At the start of year 7, lessons are focused on topics and skills that will help pupils feel settled at school: understanding school rules, getting to know each other, time management and organisation. Girls also explore issues around friendship, building confidence and self-image, and questioning why bullying sometimes happens and what we can do about it. Citizenship is addressed by thinking about the girls’ place within their community. We also look at exam revision tips and stress management, healthy lifestyles and the changes of adolescence as well as other related topics.
In Year 8, pupils then develop their understanding of rights and responsibilities by looking at animal rights, prejudice, racism and bullying, and what makes a healthy lifestyle. They start exploring careers and financial education, as well as addressing issues such as drugs, alcohol, smoking & solvent abuse and relationships with their peers. In Year 9, pupils will learn about the importance of democracy in the UK, understanding what causes crime and how it is punished before investigating subject options and career pathways. In the summer term, Year 9 pupils will also complete a module on sex education, which focuses on how to identify and avoid dangerous behaviours.
Parents in England have the right to request withdrawal of their child from sex education (RSE) delivered as part of statutory RSE, but not from Relationships Education, which is compulsory for all pupils in primary and secondary schools. Further information can be obtained from this government document on what is relationships education (p.27-28 , what is sex education (p.29) and the parental right to withdraw from sex education lessons (p.17). Parents who wish to withdraw a pupil from these lessons should apply directly to the headteacher. See the DFE Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education guidance for more information.
| Term | Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 |
| Autumn | Learning skills / social skills • What is PSHE (and skills building introduction) • What are communication and social skills • Developing teamwork • BHM: What makes Marcus Rashford a good citizen • Developing research skills • Working independently at home – homework action plan Coping with changes • Keeping clean-changes in adolescence / Growing up • What is mental health and wellbeing • Managing feelings • What is resilience and how can we start building it • Building self confidence • What is a healthy lifestyle | Rights and responsibilities · What are human rights · What is Childline and how does it protect your rights · Arguments for/against animal rights · Comparing human and animal rights · BHM: What was the Bristol Bus Boycott · How the Disability Equality Act protects rights Staying safe: fighting prejudice · Racism: what is it/how to deal with · Bullying recap · Prejudice: teens and the media · Gender prejudice · What are hate crimes · What is PREVENT and why is it used | Democracy in Britain • Introduction to democracy and general elections • Holding a class election • Parliament: structure and law making • BHM Diane Abbott (work in politics) • Democracy in the online age Crime and punishment • What is Crime • Functions of Punishment • Knife Crime • County lines • Dangers of gangs |
| Spring | Bullying and identity · Bullying overview / types of bullying · Cyberbullying · Online grooming · Image sharing · Child on child (peer on peer) abuse · Understanding and accepting different identities Everyday dilemmas (1) · Finance (what is a budget?) · Road safety · Being a good citizen in my community What are the different family types in our community | Staying safe: drugs/addiction • Alcohol • Smoking • Vaping • Drugs (legal and illegal) • Solvent abuse • Smartphone addiction Everyday dilemmas (2) • What makes a good relationship • Relationship types: the right to choose • Saying no (consent) • Road safety recap • Healthy lifestyle recap: How to develop a healthy diet | Looking to the future (3): Options preparation: career pathways • Identifying key skills • Careers vs jobs • A-levels, BTECs and university • Apprenticeships • Assessing my career path so far • Options: Core subjects: English and STEM Looking to the future (3): Options preparation: subjects and careers • Options: Humanities and careers • Options: Dance, Sport, Drama and careers Options: Art and Design / Food Tech / Health and Social Care and careers Options: Computer Science / iMedia / Music and careers |
| Summer | The Next Generation Awards: How can I improve my local community · What are the NGA / identifying a project · Planning the project · Making the project sustainable · Presenting and peer assessing the project Looking to the future (1) • Multiple intelligences: understanding intelligence types • Matching personal qualities to job types • Introduction to jobs and careers • What have you learned this year about living with your peers? | Protecting your mental health • What is mental health • Mental health and body image • Researching causes of and solutions to mental health disorders • Dangers of sending sexual images: recap Looking to the future (2) • What are my skills (careers) • Focusing on the future – career paths • Finance (budgeting recap) | Relationships and sex education · Puberty recap · Dangers of sending sexual images recap · STIs and good sexual health · Contraception types Everyday dilemmas (3) • Teen pregnancy: causes, consequences and alternatives • Human trafficking and modern slavery • Finance – budgeting recap • Finance – credit and debit |
Years 10 & 11
At KS4 students go on to deepen their understanding of some of the themes already studied, such as the dangers of alcohol and drugs, sex and relationships, LGBTQIA+ dealing with exam stress and personal finances, helping them to prepare for their future life outside school.
They also have lessons dedicated to completing applications for local sixth forms and colleges, and guidance with interview technique, and writing CVs and personal statements.
| Term | Year 10 | Year 11 |
| Autumn | Morality and ethics (1) · What is morality / religious interpretations · Recognising Child Sexual Exploitation · CSE case study · Gender based violence · Consent and rape · Female genital mutilation (FGM) – what it is/the legal position · BHM – Black Lives Matter and racism in the UK today Coping with challenges to mental and physical health · Attitudes to abortion: Pro-life and pro-choice · Baby Borrowers – the reality of being a teen parent · Maintaining good mental health and coping with anxiety · Illegal drugs – (recap and dangers of vaping / nitrous oxide) Binge drinking: risks | Looking to the future (5): · Personal statement and CVs (final researching, planning and drafting) · What happens in a criminal trial (preparation for trip to the National Justice Museum) · Researching employers for the mock interview · Cover letters · Digital footprints (impact on job applications) Looking to the future (5): • Careers interview preparation / How to present yourself • Careers-mock interviews • Revision strategies • Finance: understanding credit (recap) • Finance: needs vs wants (impact on budgeting and spending) |
| Spring | Living in the wider community in modern Britain · What are British values? · LGBTQIA+ and gender identities in Britain today · FIT: homophobic bullying · Freedom of speech (and religious views) in British society · Environmental issues: impact of plastic pollution on everyday life Morality and ethics (2) · Quality of life (with religious views) · Sanctity of life (with religious views) · Euthanasia(with religious views) · What is pacifism (with religious views) · Why do we remember the Holocaust? · Genocide since the Holocaust: Rwanda · Women’s rights: FGM recap / what is forced marriage | Protecting my mental and physical health beyond school · Cancer awareness: detection · Pornography / sending of sexual images: recap on impacts and the law · Using mindfulness Protecting my mental and physical health beyond school · #Knifefree: living with the impact of knife crime · Knife crime: religious views of murder · HIV and Aids: detection and treatments |
| Summer | Looking to the future (4): · Further education recap (applying to college / university) · Drafting a personal statement · Drafting a CV Looking to the future (4): · KUDOS programme (online research : interests/ skills/courses / careers) · Choosing a career · Researching different careers · Employability and work skills · What is enterprise |
