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:
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Year 7 |
Students will have lessons that will help them learn more about themselves. They will be looking at topics such as using mental health where they will create a toolkit for good mental health, puberty, personal hygiene, the importance of sleep, personal safety, and finally they will learn some basic first aid, including CPR. |
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Year 8 |
Students will start looking at different aspects of relationships including those with themselves in mental mealth & positivity; with friends in healthy friendships and managing conflict/peer pressure. They will also look at how their use of social media can influence their behaviour in digital resilience. |
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Year 9 |
Students start the spring term with the careers element of the course to help them understand the qualifications different jobs may ask for before choosing their options. They then move on to understanding the world of work through Employment Law, an introduction to Health & Safety rules, working out pay slips and budgeting. We then move back to PSHE and look at healthy and unhealthy relationships. |
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Year 10 |
Students finish off planning for work experience before moving back to the PSHE curriculum. They will look at various topics involving both personal and online safety in sessions such as cyberbullying & trolling, online blackmail and extortion, and sexual harassment & sexual violence. |
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Year 11 |
As year 11 enter their final full term, the focus is on personal safety and includes topics such as how to stay safe at parties and festivals, how to manage unwanted or inappropriate attention and unhealthy relationships. We also work with the Sixth Form to give a smaller group introduction to life in the Sixth Form here at TGGS. |
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Year 12 & 13 |
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