PSHE

PSHE Documents

“PSHE is a curriculum for life”

(PSHE association)

Definition

Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education provides a statutory curriculum that focuses on strengthening the knowledge, skills, and connections that are essential to keep children and young people healthy and safe and prepare them for life and work.

Nature of PSHE

At Kingsbridge Community College PSHE aims to provide a rich curriculum that includes a comprehensive learning journey that provides all our students with the knowledge, skills and opportunities for them to be responsible global citizens who are able to fulfil their potential.

We aim to support students to have a belief in their ability to succeed, and to become confident and resilient learners. The purpose of PSHE is ensure that all students regardless of age, background or ability have the opportunity to learn how to: develop healthy relationships, look after their sexual health, understand the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, respect diversity and personal identity, know how to look after their mental health, recognise how to manage their finances, and explore different careers options that will enable them to set goals and live fulfilling and  purposeful lives both now and in the future.

Our PSHE provision is ambitious, rigorous and designed to meet the DFE statutory requirements for RSHE (Relationships, Sex Health Education) but underpinning every curriculum choice we make is our commitment to uphold the UNCRC articles as a UNICEF Rights Respecting School. We are guided by article 3 – The best interests of the child must be a top priority in all actions concerning children. To this end we strive to ensure that our provision is flexible, adaptive and responsive to student need and upholds Article 12 that every child has the right to say what they think in all matters affecting them, and to have their views taken seriously. Whilst we ensure that we cover all legally required content we will be guided by our contextual setting and meeting the needs of the students as required. We have developed the curriculum in consultation with parents, pupils and staff to ensure that we are indeed providing PSHE education that is unique to our setting and community.

Purpose of PSHE

The purpose of PSHE is to provide students with the knowledge, skills and confidence to make safe, healthy and informed decisions as young people and in the future as adults. We believe in empowering our students by equipping them with factual information, strategies and tools that they can apply to their lives now and in independent contexts in further education and their lived beyond school. Our provision does indeed form a basis of a curriculum for life. The issues we address in PSHE are wide ranging and encompass and aim to capture how to be prepared for life in the 21^st Century. Our subject is fundamental to students moral, spiritual and cultural development and enables them to actively engage with British Values and what it means to be a global citizen; identifying how they can individually have a positive impact in their own communities and beyond. Skills such as: self-management, empathy, critical thinking, communication, resilience, teamwork and negotiation are crucial for success in pupils’ personal and working lives and are central to all areas of the taught curriculum in PSHE.

We provide a spiral curriculum that is carefully planned and sequenced to provide age appropriate subject knowledge. This allows students to build upon and develop their knowledge and understanding of matters relating to health and well- being, relationships and living in the wider world. This includes personal finance, online and offline safety, relationships, sexual health, consent, healthy lifestyles, drugs education, emergency first aid and careers.

Students are given the opportunity to learn practical ways to look after their own mental health and physical well-being, identifying when they need to seek further support and how to signpost others who might need additional help. Our PSHE programme aims to ensure that students reach their full potential concerning wellbeing and are able to address personal issues that could affect their ability to learn and thrive.

Our relationships education aims to ensure students are able to challenge unhealthy and exploitative relationships, both to safeguard them from being abused and prevent them from engaging in abusive behaviours themselves. It is essential that we teach about subjects such as consent and healthy relationships to ensure that all young people know how to keep themselves and others safe.

Our PSHE careers education gives pupils information on the world of work, challenges stereotypes, informs young people about a wide range of different careers and helps pupils to develop the skills they need to succeed in the workplace

There is strong evidence to suggest that the focus of PSHE education on health, wellbeing and key skills has the potential to significantly aid academic attainment

Design of PSHE at KCC

Lessons will be delivered once a week by tutors in year 7,once a week in years 8 and 9 by a trained and designated team, once a every 4 weeks in year 10 and once a fortnight in year 11.  

Our PSHE programme includes a varied range of teaching methods and interactive activities, including; group and class discussion, online programs, student led research, developing understanding of term terms through regular quizzes and specialist workshops.

Lessons are differentiated by PSHE teaching staff to ensure that all learners can access and benefit from the curriculum. Advice and guidance is taken by the PSHE lead from the SENCO on how best to ensure SEND students are able to access the curriculum.

We provide a spiral curriculum that introduces students to key concepts in an age appropriate way. We build on these key concepts and adapt substantive knowledge to match student age and requirements.

Home learning will be set flexibly and will take the form of knowledge- based quizzes, knowledge organiser tasks, or extended research opportunities.

Student voice informs curriculum development via student steering group forums, and all students complete a subject review.

Extension of subject

PSHE at KCC continues to develop beyond the taught curriculum in the following ways:

• Supporting and training our thriving MHA 6^th form group
• Providing support and training for our year 11 student led well-being mentors
• Providing a well-being space at lunchtimes for all students
• Being part of the RRS steering group – modelling how a student led PSHE curriculum works in practice
• Providing enrichment and leadership opportunities for 6^th form students to take an active role in supporting PSHE lessons in lower school
• The PSHE and assembly programme are dovetailed to ensure that there is a cohesive link between the PSHE termly focus, awareness days and assemblies.
• The PSHE team support the LBGTQ+ group as part of our commitment to promoting equality, diversity and respectful relationships.
• The PSHE team work with the KCC journalism team to feature articles linked to the PSHE curriculum and awareness days