Personal, Social and Health Education

Curricular Intent:

Our PSHE programme is designed to help to prepare students for the opportunities, responsibilities, experiences and sometimes challenges of adult life. Our aim is to promote the mental and physical development of students at school and in the wider society as well as giving them an understanding of the more spiritual, moral, social, cultural outlook of the diverse world in which we live. 

At KS3 it is currently taught on a rotational basis with 12 PSHE sessions in total in Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9. In KS3 we also link in with our 10 Habits programme looking at topics such as the importance of sleep and healthy eating. We also deliver Fundamental British Values across KS3, completing projects on democracy, tolerance and equality. There is a real focus on how we can improve our physical and mental health to help prepare us for the challenges life can throw at us. All Year 7 students have a session exploring how our bodies change during puberty before the October half term break where we focus on how to manage emotions and the products available to students and where to go in school if they need support. In Year 9, we start to look at the RSE element of PSHE by understanding how not all relationships are healthy and looking after our sexual health. In addition to this, Year 9 also have one session per fortnight where they look at wider world challenges such as how to access health care systems and the Rule of Law. In KS3 we also have Sixth Form PSHE Ambassadors from both TGGS and TBGS who complement our teaching by leading on various topics such as Body Image and Neurodiversity. These Ambassadors complete a training and safeguarding programme before entering the classroom and are always supervised by the class teacher.

At KS4, we have introduced a timetabled lesson twice per fortnight for Year 10 as they missed key topics during the Covid pandemic and students continue to learn about fundamental British values such as Individual Liberty and Mutual Respect. We also continue to create strategies for good physical and mental health by teaching our students how to know and look after their bodies, to look for any unusual changes and to create mental health toolkits to deal with the challenges of KS4. In Year 11, we have one session per fortnight to reinforce the messages about how to manage stress, the importance of sleep and how to stay physically healthy. The sessions also provide opportunities to build upon their understanding of topics covered in earlier years, such as staying safe online and we have managed to secure four sessions per student of self-defence from an external provider.

Throughout all key stages, lessons are carefully planned to be age appropriate and are delivered through a variety of approaches including discussion, drama and written work. We check understanding through regular self-assessment and quizzes during lessons which allows us to address any misconceptions quicky and at the end of rotations or termly, we complete anonymous student voice surveys to ensure that our students are engaged in and comfortable with our curriculum. At all points, we are careful to signpost where students can find additional support if they require it. While not an examined subject we consider PSHE and RSE vital to our curriculum in helping our students become rounded, well-balanced and considerate members of society, that go on to lead happy and healthy lives.

What is taught:

Year 7	Changing bodies; puberty, menstruation, coping with physical and emotional changes  Personal Hygiene  Mental health; looking at misconceptions, developing resilience   Importance of sleep  How the media can affect body image  Personal Safety  Basic First Aid   How our actions can affect others
Year 8	Diversity, including friendships, different types of relationships, LGBTQ+  How to manage peer pressure  How to manage conflict  Online risks, including the sharing of images and the law  Developing digital resilience  Advocacy and Equality
Year 9	Dealing with challenges around food  The dangers of drugs, alcohol and smoking  The features of healthy and unhealthy relationships  FGM Understanding what consent is (including but not limited to sexual) and knowing how and when consent can be withdrawn  The advantages and disadvantages of different types of contraceptives  The dangers of unprotected sex (STIs)  Building resilience and finding strategies to cope with anxiety Staying safe online Investigating what makes a good citizen and creating a a community that supports the needs of all
Year 10	Understand the importance of regular self-screening and how to access NHS services   How our online information is collected and the dangers of sharing images/extreme opinions online  The influence of social media on body image and self-esteem, consequences of online trolling  Consequences of sexual activity including unplanned pregnancy and options available   First Aid Characteristics of mental and emotion health and how create strategies to maintain good mental health  Consequences of substance abuse   Understanding the impact of debt and how to manage money effectively  To understand what sexual harassment is and how to report it  The influence of the media on attitudes to sex, including pornography  Honour based violence
Year 11	Physical health, including how sleep and exercise can improve our overall well-being   Understand the importance of a healthy, balanced diet  How to cope with exam stress Developing a mental health toolkit for life  Managing personal budgets, understanding taxation and looking at pensions (OU Course by Martin Lewis) Self-defence classes
Year 12 & 13	Learn to Live programme Developing Resilience Being confident about how to self-examine our bodies Understanding the dangers of drugs and alcohol Sexual Health – the different contraception options available and what STIs are Understanding and dealing with unhealthy relationships How to stay safe online Understanding student finance and how to budget effectively