This resource provides a quick and easy map of your child’s curriculum journey. 

Aims

PSHE lessons will support students in acquiring the skills and knowledge that will assist them to make informed choices.

·       To help students care about other people, to be capable of forming constructive healthy relationships and to accept responsibility for the welfare of others. 

·       To help students to understand that there are morally, ethically and legally acceptable forms of behaviour. 

·       To deliver factual information relating to safer sex, healthy relationships and contraception advice for life.

Rationale

PSHE is an important aspect of school life and is essential in the development of young people’s lives. PSHE education contributes to the totality of the students’ learning experiences. It helps students to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage many of the critical opportunities, challenges and responsibilities they will face as they grow up and in adulthood.

Where appropriate, students in KS4  access a hybrid provision of PSHE and Religious Studies (PSHRE). This platform aims to broaden students’ contextual knowledge of emerging social and emotional health issues and promotes an ethical inquiry of how topic areas relate within different cultural settings. 

By teaching students to stay safe and healthy, and by building self-esteem, resilience and empathy, the PSHE programme can tackle barriers to learning, raise aspirations, and improve the life chances of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged students. The skills and attributes developed through PSHE education support pupil academic attainment and attendance, particularly among students eligible for free school meals, as well as improve employability and boost social mobility.

The PSHE programme has been developed to address the needs, concerns and anxieties that face young people in their daily lives. It looks to provide a clear understanding for students within a positive and caring environment. It is positive in promoting responsibility for students’ own behaviour and the consequences of their actions.

Teaching

At Co-op Academy Walkden we will ensure that the best interests of students and young people will be maintained during PSHE lessons and we will encourage students and young people to talk to their parents and carers about any issues they discuss. Our PSHE curriculum is supported with the following interconnected concepts across the whole curriculum.

The key concepts that will be covered during PSHE lessons:- 

• Health and Wellbeing
• Relationships
• Living in the Wider World 

While promoting the aims and objectives above, we will ensure that students are offered a balanced programme. students will have the opportunity to develop their understanding of the following topics through a range of activities.

The programme of study includes the following topics in Key Stage 3 & Key Stage 4:

KS3	KS4
Healthy LifestyleMental, Emotional and Physical HealthOnline SafetyRisk and safetyDrugs & AlcoholRelationships & Sex Education RelationshipsIdentityManaging FinancesCommunities	CareersMental HealthEmotional wellbeingOnline SafetyRisk and safetyDrugs & AlcoholRelationships and Sex Education RelationshipsPost 16 –CollegeWork ExperienceManaging Finances

Students at Co-op Academy Walkden have a safe, secure learning environment for PSHE that enables students and young people to gain accurate knowledge, develop their own values and attitudes, and develop skills to grow into happy confident successful adults. The core Co-op values run through each of the key concepts and the themes taught each half term.

Working alongside tutors and the pastoral teams, students gain a sense of security and feel valued and listened to. In order to support this, group agreements are established during the first PSHE lessons with form tutors. The teaching style will support the needs of the students taking into consideration school, home life and friends. This will allow the form teacher to provide understanding and support for its students. 

PSHE topics will take into account the ability, age, readiness, and cultural backgrounds of our young people and those with English as a second language to ensure that all can fully access the PSHE programme. Where agreed (with the SENCO) students with special educational needs will be supported working in small groups in a supportive environment.

Relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE)

Relationships education, relationships and sex education is a statutory aspect of school life and is paramount in the development of young people’s lives. The programme has been developed to address the needs, concerns and anxieties that are brought about by the onset of puberty. It seeks to provide a clear understanding for pupils within a positive and caring environment. It is positive in promoting responsibility for pupils’ own behaviour and the consequences of their actions. 

It is important to address this area of the curriculum from year 7 through to year 11 in order to protect our young people by increasing their awareness of RSE issues. Through the PSHE programme, pupils will have the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of RSE so they can go on to make informed and positive choices in the future. All pupils have a statutory right to RSE as it promotes healthy relationships and also enables pupils to protect themselves from abuse, unhealthy relationships, unintended pregnancies, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Female genital mutilation (FGM) and child sexual exploitation (CSE). 

The PSHE curriculum at Co-op Academy Walkden equips students with the skills they need to make informed choices, to stay safe, to be healthy and to help them to enjoy better life chances.  We will ensure the best interests of our young people during RSE lessons and will encourage all students to talk to their parents, carers or a trusted adult about any issues they discuss in lessons. 

PSHE is a subject that develops your social awareness, compassion for others and helps you to form your own opinions on world issues. Therefore, PSHE is a good subject for everyone to study. It can help you progress in any career as you will always be working with people.

If you want to study a PSHE based subject at A-Level and University, then why not consider picking:

• Sociology;
• Social Policy;
• International Politics;
• International Policy;
• Social Work;
• RE;
• Youth work.

Have a look at the UCAS website to find more combinations.

If you want a career which explores PSHE skills and idea more why not consider being a:

• Teacher;
• Social Worker;
• Housing Officer;
• Charity worker;
• Politician/Local Councillor;
• Careers Adviser.

Explore more careers at the National Careers Service website.

The Curriculum Overview provides information as to how the curriculum is sequenced to enable students to build their knowledge and skills towards ambitious endpoints in each subject area. Click the picture to enlarge it and read more. Each terms’ learning is complemented by a knowledge organiser. 

PSHE Key Stage 3 Overview 

PSHE Key Stage 4 Overview