PSHE
PERSONAL, SOCIAL, HEALTH AND ECONOMIC EDUCATION AT ذكذكتسئµ
What is the rationale for Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE)?
We live in a time of rapid change, with new and unpredictable opportunities and challenges constantly emerging. The PSHE curriculum at ذكذكتسئµ provides students with the opportunity to explore their attitudes, values and beliefs and to develop the skills, language, attributes and strategies necessary to manage issues should they encounter them in their lives. Our PSHE curriculum promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of our students to prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.
Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) currently forms part of the non-statutory guidelines in The National Curriculum. However, as of September 2020 Relationships & Sex Education (RSE) became statutory. As a curriculum area PSHE is designed to help give pupils the skills, knowledge and understanding they need to lead confident, healthy, independent lives and become informed, active, responsible citizens.
Through the PSHE curriculum, we teach our students about personal identity, diversity and equality, rights and responsibilities, change and resilience, relationships, risk and personal safety, health and wellbeing (physical, mental and social), power (how it is used and encountered) and employability. In addition, ذكذكتسئµ supports and delivers a firm commitment to developing and upholding the British Values of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of others. For more on this, please see the British Values section of the MHS website.
How is PSHE taught at ذكذكتسئµ?
The PSHE Curriculum has been designed in accordance with guidance and training given by the PSHE Association: PSHE Association Programme of Study (Updated 2020/21) & PSHE Association Planning Toolkit (Updated 2020/21).
The curriculum and lessons are planned by PSHE lead Ms Nicola Langham (nicola.langham@mhs.e-act.org.uk) who attends regular PSHE training and awareness events. The subject lead meets with the Heads of Year, Pastoral Team, Child Protection Lead, and the School First Aider in addition to carrying out regular Student Voice to ensure that the needs of our students are met by the PSHE curriculum.
PSHE is embedded into the ethos and values of ذكذكتسئµ and aspects of it will be found in all areas of the curriculum. To compliment this we have dedicated PSHE curriculum time to explore more challenging themes in greater depth to deliver knowledge and skills in a developmental and age-appropriate way. These explicit lessons are reinforced and enhanced through whole school and year group assemblies, activities within the tutor curriculum, highlighting awareness days and charity fund raising to name a few.
The PSHE curriculum at MHS is delivered through a competencies-based approach. It groups competencies (including skills and attributes) under three headings:
Independence and Aspirations: Students to grow in self confidence and self worth with the hope and ambition of achieving.
Autonomy and Advocacy: Students to take control of their lives finding opportunities to take action, support others and shape a better future for all.
Choices and Influences: Students to have the knowledge and strategies to be responsible citizens and compelling individuals.
As and when possible and appropriate, external agencies who specialise in the delivery of PSHE related topics are invited into ذكذكتسئµ to support the delivery of the PSHE Curriculum.
How will parents/carers be kept informed about the PSHE Curriculum?
We believe it is important to keep you informed about the topics and content of the PSHE curriculum at ذكذكتسئµ. Please refer to the PSHE Curriculum Map.
We send out regular communication in order to inform/remind parents/carers when we are about to start a potentially sensitive topic or a topic that forms part of sex education component of PSHE.
Sex and Relationships education at ذكذكتسئµ
Religious, cultural and moral values are always considered when teaching and discussing sex and relationships at ذكذكتسئµ.
You do have a right to withdraw your child from sex education delivered as part of RSE in secondary schools which, unless there are exceptional circumstances, will be granted up to three terms before your child turns 16. At this point, if the child themselves wishes to receive sex education rather than be withdrawn, the school should make arrangements for this to happen in one of the three terms before the child turns 16 - the legal age of sexual consent.
E-ACT Relationships and Sex Education Policy Position Statement
You can read the trustwide E-ACT policy position statement for the teaching of Relationship and Sex Education by clicking
For information about our Religious Studies curriculum please click here: Religious Studies
There is no right to withdraw from Relationships or Health Education at secondary level and we believe the content of these subjects – such as family, friendship, safety (including online safety) – are important for all children to be taught.
If you should be considering withdrawing your daughter from any Sex and Relationships lessons during the academic year please discuss your concerns with Ms Langham prior to making your decision, and your child’s withdrawal would need to be explained to her by email nicola.langham@mhs.e-act.org.uk.
Useful links and information:
PSHE Association:
Emotional Health & Wellbeing:
Young Minds:
Off the Record Bristol:
Kooth (Young people’s online counselling and mental health service)
Sex & Relationships:
4YP Bristol:
Stonewall:
Relate Relationships Advice
Brook
Department for Education and SRE:
PSHE Association and SRE:
ESafety:
Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP):
Child Net:
Anti-Bullying:
Anti-Bullying Alliance:
Domestic Violence:
National Domestic Violence Help Line:
Substance Misuse:
Talk to Frank:
NHS Quit smoking:
NHS Alcohol Support:
National Association for children of alcoholics.
Other Useful Websites
Childline:
NSPCC:
Children Meditations:
Parents Meditations:
