PSHE is at the centre of our Personal Development Programme.
Preparing students to lead happy, healthy and responsible lives is an essential part of life at Bishop Stopford School. Our Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) curriculum encourages our students to learn how to live and work safely, and how to engage with the wider world. It is an important subject that aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to flourish.
As a team, we are committed to upholding and delivering our School's Intent, and we are particularly proud of the way that:
- our curriculum nurtures and challenges students, prioritises individual worth and social cohesion, and fosters independence and interdependence;
- we work with students so that they leave us happy and healthy, and with a strong moral compass;
- we work with students to fulfil the holistic ambitions of our intent: that the spiritual, social and moral imperatives are as strong as the academic.
Our curriculum in each key stage is centred around 6 Core Themes. These enable us to fulfil our statutory duties but also follow the principles of best practice as outlined by the PSHE Association and are drawn from the Cre8tive curriculum. These core themes are:
- Relationships and Sex Education
- Health and Wellbeing
- Staying Safe On and Offline
- Rights/Responsibilities and British Values
- Life Beyond School
- Celebrating Diversity and Equality.
Our Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum is carefully planned to meet statutory requirements. It aims to support students across all Key Stages as they develop both physically and emotionally, helping them to transition from childhood to adulthood. It aims to equip students to understand the importance of consent and the law, recognising and responding to harmful behaviours, and understanding healthy and unhealthy relationships – both in the real world and online.
The curriculum in PSHE is an interconnected and spiralling curriculum which means that it is sequenced in such a way that topics and ideas are introduced, overlapped and extended across all key stages. Students should expect topics to overlap across their study, broadening and deepening their knowledge of these key areas each time, and in an age-appropriate way.
In all Key Stages, PSHE is delivered through core PSHE lessons alongside tutorial programmes and is complemented by the knowledge and skills delivered across a range of curriculum subjects; for example, Physical Education, Science, Food Technology, Religious Education and more.
Key Stage 3
In Key Stage 3, Core PSHE lessons take place once per fortnight and are delivered by a team of PSHE teachers. Our tutorial programme complements the learning in core PSHE and is delivered once a fortnight in form groups.
The Key Stage 3 curriculum allows students to understand their rights and responsibilities and aims to help students navigate the modern world. Their study includes:
- Consent, boundaries and the law
- Respect and relationships
- Multicultural Britain and communities
- Staying healthy
- Keping ourselves safe
- Extremism
- Body image
Key Stage 4
Key Stage 4 Core PSHE lessons take place once per fortnight and are delivered by a team of PSHE teachers. Our tutorial programme complements the learning in core PSHE and is delivered once per week by Form Tutors. Their study includes:
- Relationships (including forced marriage, abuse and sexual health)
- Careers, employment rights and preparing for employment
- Time management and exam skills
- Mental health
- International aid and support
- Politics and British values
- Social media
Key Stage 5
Core PSHE lessons take place once a fortnight and are delivered by a team of PSHE teachers. Our tutorial programme complements the learning in core PSHE and is delivered once a fortnight by students’ Heads of Year. Their study includes:
- Post-16 options (including apprenticeships, types of employment and university options)
- Moving away from home
- Careers (including creating CVs, cover letters and preparing for interviews)
- Mental health
- Substance misuse and staying safe
- Sexual health, respect and relationships
- Financial education (including rent contracts, tax, insurance and debt
How can parents help?
Parents and carers can play a very rewarding role in supporting our PSHE curriculum. It is important students recognise that the PSHE curriculum is relevant to their lives, so parents might help their child explore some of the content by encouraging them to talk about the PSHE topics at home.
The world is constantly changing, and it is important to recognise that lots has potentially changed since parents were at school. Children do not need parents to be experts in PSHE; instead, they want parents to be interested. One of the best things parents can do is to ask students what they know (and how they know) and what they think (and why they think this). It is important for parents to be honest if they don’t know the answers to some of their child’s questions – it is a great way to explore these topics together.
Keep an eye on our newsletters and social media which will update you about school life, including PSHE.
Further information:
- Mrs Patsy Wilson: Head of PSHE
