3rd to 5th Form pupils have a dedicated lesson of PSHEE fortnightly where lessons are delivered by teachers with a particular experience, expertise and interest in this area. Tutors are used to support the PSHEE & RSHE programme and some elements are also covered through other areas of the School’s curriculum, e.g. Religion, Science, English and History with 3rd Form.
There are also external lectures for the whole school and three whole school PSHEE days one of which focuses on Relationships. There is a Sixth Form Enrichment Programme focusing upon ‘lifestyle issues’ (drugs, eating disorders, disability, alcohol and sex, managing screen time dependency.)
Curriculum design and delivery of PSHEE is split into three separate core themes, although in reality there will always be extensive overlap. PSHEE education addresses both pupils’ direct experience and preparation for their future. The PSHEE curriculum contains a number of elements of statutory Relationships and Sex Education RSE 2023 and Keeping Children safe in Education 2023.
Learning Outcomes - Pupils will Learn
how to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy friendships.
about different types of families and parenting, including single parents, same sex parents, blended families, adoption and fostering.
how to assess risk and manage influences, including online.
about ‘group think’ and how it affects behaviour.
Content of Lessons
School and teenage relationships. When are these healthy or not. Stereotypes and Bullying, including sexuality and identity. Equality Act 2010.
Cyber bullying. How to be safe online. Grooming and sexting. Trust and risk.
Dealing with changes in life. Grief, illness, divorce.
Managing my digital life. Staying safe online. Making wise choices. Summary of the scheme.
Learning Outcomes - Pupils will Learn
about positive social norms in relation to drug and alcohol use as well as smoking and vaping.
about legal and health risks in relation to tobacco, drug and alcohol, including addiction and dependence.
about the relationship between physical and mental health.
about balancing work, leisure, exercise and sleep.
Content of Lessons
Smoking: Attitudes & beliefs, legal and health risks & addiction.
Drugs: Types, Attitudes and beliefs and the School rules.
Class of drugs, Risks of drugs and alcohol, The law.
Mental Health & Effects & Activities to support Mental Health.
Learning Outcomes - Pupils will Learn
about readiness for sexual activity, the choice to delay sex, or enjoy intimacy without sex.
about myths and misconceptions relating to consent.
about the continuous right to withdraw consent and capacity to consent.
about STIs, effective use of condoms and negotiating safer sex.
about the consequences of unprotected sex, including pregnancy.
how the portrayal of relationships in the media and pornography might affect expectations.
Content of Lessons
Law, School policy, Healthy relationships, peer pressure, consent, and rape. Delay sexual experimentation.
Puberty, menstruation, fertility and Contraception. Help and advice.
STI’s, Transmission and treatment. AIDS/HIV Breast cancer. Toxic shock.
Choices; Abortion, Adoption, Motherhood. (Miscarriage) FGM.
Learning Outcomes - Pupils will Learn
about readiness for sexual activity, the choice to delay sex, or enjoy intimacy without sex.
about myths and misconceptions relating to consent.
about the continuous right to withdraw consent and capacity to consent.
about STIs, effective use of condoms and negotiating safer sex.
about the consequences of unprotected sex, including pregnancy.
how the portrayal of relationships in the media and pornography might affect expectations.
Content of Lessons
Puberty, Menstrual Cycle, The male and female sex organs, masturbation, being a teenager in the modern world.
Healthy relationships, School Relationship Policy, Sexualisation of young people, Law, rape and consent. LGBTQ+, Sexting.
Sex and pregnancy, STI’s. Testicular cancer. Sexual violence/harassment/upskirting/forced marriage.
Abortion and Contraception. FGM. Child Sexual exploitation.
Learning Outcomes - Pupils will Learn
about transferable skills, abilities and interests.
how to demonstrate strengths.
about different types of employment and career pathways.
how to manage feelings relating to future employment and skills for employability.
how to work towards aspirations and set meaningful, realistic goals for the future.
about GCSE and post-16 options.
Content of Lessons
Range of careers out there. Jobs they would consider doing. Introduction to Unifrog.
Personal skills. Jobs that match your personality.
My Skills. What jobs might I enjoy?
What next? GCSE selection.
Learning Outcomes - Pupils will Learn
about options post-16 and career pathways.
about responsibilities in the workplace.
about application processes, including writing CVs, personal statements and interview technique.
how to evaluate strengths and interests in relation to career development.
Content of Lessons
Future careers - using Unifrog to help research.
How to contact employees and useful questions to ask them.
CV writing – what makes a good or bad CV
Letter of application. Morrisby testing is completed in the summer term with follow up interviews
Learning Outcomes - Pupils will Learn
about the impact of drugs and alcohol on individuals, personal safety, families and wider communities.
how drugs and alcohol affect decision making.
how to keep self and others safe in situations that involve substance use.
how to manage peer influence in increasingly independent scenarios, in relation to substances, gangs and crime.
exit strategies for pressurised or dangerous situations.
how to seek help for substance use and addiction.
Content of Lessons
Substance use and assessing risk.
Substance use and managing influence.
Help seeking and sources of support.
Quiz and group presentations on Raising Drug and Alcohol Awareness (assessment lesson).
Learning Outcomes - Pupils will Learn
how to reframe negative thinking.
strategies to promote mental health and emotional wellbeing.
about the signs of emotional or mental ill-health. Causes and nature of stress and management strategies.
how to access support and treatment.
about the portrayal of mental health in the media.
how to challenge stigma, stereotypes and misinformation.
Content of Lessons
Anxiety and stress:
Definition, identifying personal causes and support in school.
Attitudes to Mental Health: Stigma/shame surrounding mental health and links between LGBTQ+ and poor mental health.
How to look after Mental Health and portrayal of Mental Health in the Media. Where to find support.
Sunburn: Causes, symptoms, signs and treatment.
Learning Outcomes - Pupils will Learn
about the ethical and legal implications in relation to consent, including manipulation, coercion, and capacity to consent.
about various forms of abuse.
about unhealthy, exploitative and abusive relationships.
how to access support in abusive relationships and how to overcome challenges in seeking support.
how to recognise and respond to pressure, coercion and exploitation, including reporting and accessing appropriate support.
Content of Lessons
Relationship abuse: Physical, emotional, Sexual, Domestic abuse, VAWG, Sexual assault, Consent. Coercive control. Harassment. Gaslighting. The Law and where to get help.
Characteristics and benefits of a healthy, respectful relationships and unhealthy ones. Harassment and stalking. Romantic, family, friend, and work relationships.
Sexting. Reasons and risks, Law, Sextortion, up skirting.
Pornography, definition, and law. Effects on mental health, sexual expectations, body image and sexual violence.
Title of the course | Learning Outcomes - Pupils will learn | Content of Lessons |
Safety | • About positive and safe ways to create content online and the opportunities this offers• about the law and illegal financial activities, including fraud and cybercrime• how to assess and manage risk and safety in new independent situations (e.g. personal safety in social situations and on the roads)• about registering with and accessing doctors, sexual health clinics, opticians and other health services | 1. Online Safety: protecting identity, distortion in Social media, social engineering & cybercrime. 2. Assessing risk: Festival & Parties, Driving, who to contact & Recovery position. Tips for dealing with an emergency. |
Diversity | • About gender identity, expression and sexual orientation including sources of support and reassurance and how to access them• to recognise situations where they are being adversely influenced, or are at risk, due to being part of a particular group or gang; strategies to access appropriate help • the legal rights, responsibilities and protections provided by the Equality Act 2010• strategies to challenge all forms of prejudice and discrimination | 1. Diversity: What do we understand about gender, identity and sexual orientation? 2. Equality Act and why we need it. Support that is available to challenge prejudice and discrimination.. |
Healthy Relationships | • The importance of stable, committed relationships, including the rights and protections provided within legally recognised marriages and civil partnerships and the legal status of other long-term relationships• about ‘honour based’ violence and forced marriage and how to safely access support• how to recognise and respond to extremism and radicalisation factors which contribute to young people becoming involved in serious organised crime, including cybercrime.• how to manage change, loss, grief and bereavement | 1.Core values and how to be inclusive: What are the different types of relationship? What is important to us in a relationship? Why is it important to reflect on our values and those of others? 2. Communities & Social influence: Different types of communities and what behaviour do they encourage. Other faiths and cultures and how their relationships differ |
Finance | • How to effectively budget and evaluate savings options• how to prevent and manage debt, including understanding credit rating and pay day lending• how data is generated, collected, and shared, and the influence of targeted advertising. The rise in monetary scams and fraud especially during covid pandemic• how thinking errors, e.g. gambler’s fallacy, can increase susceptibility to gambling• strategies for managing influences related to gambling, including online• about the relationship between gambling and debt | 1.Saving & Using Money: Different sources and purposes of money. Assessing and managing risk in relation to financial decisions. Loans ranging from overdraft to mortgages. The role of a Loan shark and risk involved. 2.Gambling: Including online and its consequences. How to manage pressure or influence to gamble. |
What next?(Careers) | • How to employability, including managing online presence and taking opportunities to broaden experience• about rights, responsibilities and challenges in relation to working part time whilst studying• how to maintain a positive personal presence online• how to manage work/life balance | 1.Employment: Value of part time work. Researching opportunities/CVs/How to look for and apply for positions. Assessing and improving online personal ‘brand’2.Pathways: A-levels, BTECs and Apprenticeships |
The scheme of work has three core themes, the same for each key stage with a clear development between Key Stage 3 and 4. Each core theme is divided up into topic areas: