PSHE and Citizenship

PSHE stands for Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship Education.

It consists of a number of interrelated themes of which the principal threads are:

Health Education, including statutory Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) and Drug Education
Careers Education and Guidance including Work Related Learning
Personal and social skills development
Enterprise and economic understanding
Citizenship e.g. British Values and democracy, confronting extremist views.

PSHCE and Citizenship, like many subjects, requires an emphasis on active learning, an enquiry approach, and a discussion of issues, problems and events which are set in a topical context.

Students are provided with opportunities to discuss critical issues, to work together, to make decisions, to take responsibility for their own actions and participate in school and community event

KS3 PSHE and Citizenship

Our Curriculum

PSHCE and Citizenship is taught to all students within Key Stage 3 as a discreet subject for one lesson per week.

Course Description

KS3 students follow the Developing Healthy Minds Project which covers a whole range of PSHCE topics from resilience through to media Navigation.

Within the citizenship course, students will cover a wide range of issues ranging from Politics, legal and human rights, and responsibilities of citizens to the changing nature of the UK society, including the diversity of ideas, beliefs, cultures, identities, traditions, perspectives and values that are shared.

What is the Healthy Minds Project?

The project is looking to test the link between a healthy mind (feeling good and functioning well) and academic success.

The topics include:

Developing Emotional Resilience – skills that will allow students to deal with everyday setbacks and make the most of opportunities.
Media Navigation – students will learn how to use social media such as Facebook and the internet safely. Students will explore whether the media impacts on their sense of identity and beliefs about the world.
Breathe students will learn about how their mind can wander and be full of chatter. Students will practice techniques for focusing their mind on the present moment; they will learn skills that will help them connect their body and mind by using their breath.
‘Unplugged’ is a drugs awareness programme taught in both Years 8 and 9
‘Sex ed sorted’ parts 1 & 2 – this programme is taught in Year 8 and 9
‘Relationship Smarts’ – this is taught in Yr 8 and 9 and complements the sex education unit by supporting and educating students in the development of healthy and safe relationships

PSHCE is also embedded within the curriculum and includes whole school opportunities to tackle personal development issues as well specific topics related to the different curriculum areas. Such topics include:

The human reproduction system and pregnancy (Science)
Different people and cultures in the UK (Humanities)
The government and who runs the country (Humanities)
Different types of relationships (English, Performing Arts)

The schemes of work allow students to develop their collaborative learning whilst engaging in debates and discussions.

Homework/Extended Learning

Your child will be asked to talk to you about what they are learning.

KS4 PSHE and Citizenship

Students follow a planned course of Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship and Economic Education in Years 10-11. This includes studying in the following areas:

Citizenship

Voluntary
Organisations
Charity
campaigns
Globalization
Criminal
Justice System
Basic First Aid

Sex and Relationships

Loss/bereavement
Parenting skills
Contraception – when to make a relationship sexual
Respecting differences – equal rights, equal opportunities

Careers

Identifying personal skills
Interviews
Work experience
Personal statements
How to write a CV

Learning Skills

Revision skills
Exam techniques
BLP Strategies

PSHE is taught twice a week in morning tutorials between 8.25-8.55am. Each Teaching and Learning Area will deliver their PSHE curriculum on different days because Acts of Worship, Intervention and monitoring also take place in tutorial sessions.

The purpose of PSHE is to support the development of students’ social skills so that students are equipped with the skills needed in the community and world of work. PSHE also allows students to reflect on their personal values and the challenges that young people face and consider how they may set and achieve their aspirations. The economic component of this course links to the work experience that students’ partake in during Year 10 and it also prepares students for the practical elements of life, such as setting up bank accounts, balancing budgets and avoiding debt.

PSHE is not assessed through an examination but staff will assess students work through peer, self and teacher assessment. However, the skills that students develop within the subject enrich their social, moral, spiritual and cultural understanding of themselves, their community and the wider world. This will support their understanding and aptitude in other subjects and prepare them for life beyond school.