Curriculum
PSHE
Mrs Mayfield
Head of Social Sciences
hmayfield@rawmarsh.org
Subject Staff
Please contact Mrs Mayfield if you have any questions around PSHE.
PSHE is taught by a range of PSHE facilitators from other areas of school.
The PSHE Way
Our subject has a ‘Subject Way’ at the heart of it. Our Subject Way is designed to help students become young subject specialists. The Subject Way has two main purposes:
Firstly, to teach students the vital skills they need to achieve their full potential and gain the very best grades they can. Secondly, to teach students how each subject relates to the wider world, incorporating the life skills they will learn.
It is our belief that knowing how what you learn links to the wider world, brings a subject to life and therefore improves overall understanding and engagement.
Curriculum Intent
At Wickersley Partnership Trust, we firmly believe that all students have the right to be healthy, happy and comfortable in all areas of their life. Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education is the school subject through which pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage their lives, now and in the future. It helps children and young people to stay healthy and safe, while preparing them to make the most of life and work.
Topics taught through PSHE at WPT include relationships education, sexual health education, emotional wellbeing, substance misuse, careers, citizenship and anti-bullying. All units of work make clear connections to online safety and aim to empower our students to make their own safe choices, both on and offline. The key character traits we seek to develop are; communication and debate, accessing support, respect, assertiveness and responsibility. Equality and inclusion are key to successful PSHE, and are apparent in all we do.
We have developed a spiral PSHE curriculum which aims to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to allow them to identify risk and evaluate choices regarding health, relationships and future goals. Our curriculum is informed by pupil, staff and parent voice, which allows us to sequence statutory guidance to meet the needs of our young people. Lessons involve deliberate opportunities for students to apply their understanding to scenarios and reflect on their learning.
Our work in timetabled PSHE lessons is also complimented by work in the pastoral curriculum, our wider personal development program and drop down days.
“Today’s children and young people are growing up in an increasingly complex world and living their lives seamlessly on and offline. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks. In this environment, children and young people need to know how to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way.“ – Damian Hinds, Secretary of State for Education.
INTENTION 1 – The removal of barriers to learning
In PSHE we remove barriers to learning and support students’ ability to access the curriculum through the development of literacy, numeracy, oracy skills and vocabulary acquisition. Misconceptions do not go unchallenged and the supportive environment within each and every lesson ensures that students develop their own literacy and vocabulary.
Students are given many opportunities to read a range of news sources and research independently. We aim to develop students’ ability to be critical consumers of information, and to apply their knowledge and understanding to written scenarios. Across all year groups, students take part in Money Matters week towards the end of the financial year. This provides opportunities to apply their numeracy skills to topics of economic relevance, such as budgeting, borrowing and interest and the benefits of saving. Within PSHE lessons students may be required to calculate units of alcohol, or sequence developments in the law chronologically. Deliberate opportunity for students to verbally articulate their understanding features in every PSHE lesson. Students may discuss with a partner, small group or participate in full class debate. Teaching aims to encourage students to extend their verbal communications, expectations in this area are ambitious for all, regardless of written abilities. Students are introduced to key subject specific vocabulary and have regular opportunities to reinforce their understanding. Key terminology is identified in students notes, and referred back to during written and verbal assessment tasks.
INTENTION 2 – Developing skills for learning
PSHE lessons foster a high challenge, low fear environment. Resilience and independence are a focus, and students are given opportunities to develop in each and every lesson. Engaging starter activities help students to recall the key concepts of prior learning and support them to apply this to new knowledge. Communication and debate skills feature heavily in PSHE lessons.
INTENTION 3 – Fostering personal attributes
PSHE lessons rely on the ‘PSHE Way’ to lay the ground rules for respectful and mature conduct. PSHE develops emotional intelligence and compassion in our pupils. Lessons build awareness of the experiences of others and the resulting impact on their lives. This adds depth to students’ understanding of respect and tolerance, as well as their self efficacy and sense of responsibility.
INTENTION 4 – Enriching student experiences and broadening their horizons
PSHE lessons use resources from leading charities in the area, such as Barnardo’s, CEOPS, teenage cancer trust, mind as well as local police and fire services. This ensures our students have access to the best quality information available. We also provide learning opportunities such as practical first aid sessions, mock trial, visits from those working with named charities and encounters with employers.
Curriculum
Key Stage 3
Using KS2 results, students are placed in sets on entry to school. Students have three 80 minute English lessons each week. The topics studied build on previous skill sets and develop in difficulty, as we start with a review of primary skills and build up to GCSE and A Level. The department uses regular assessments and ‘sticker tasks’ to assess the understanding that students have developed and address any misconceptions, thus allowing us to plan their next steps and meet their needs more effectively. Each assessment will be followed by a bespoke intervention task for each student, allowing them to work on and improve in any areas they may struggled with.
We have three driving themes which students will study and return to each year: Power, Relationships and Identity. From Year 6 rollover into Y7 and Y8, students will study five different texts writing skills and produce descriptions, narratives, articles, speeches and poems. The text choices are:
- The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne
- My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher
- Noughts and Crosses (the play) by Malorie Blackman
- Animal Farm by George Orwell
- Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Across Y7 and Y8, students have one lesson of Drama incorporated into every sixth lesson of English. As a vital part of developing students’ oracy skills, Drama and English specialists work together to build these links across our joint curriculum. This includes developing role play to empathise with characters from the texts, and effective presentational talk.
From Y9, students will then move to three blocks of thirteen weeks of study. Alongside the reading of these texts, students will return to previous writing skills in addition to writing letters and travel writing.
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
- A Gothic Anthology of extracts including Edgar Allen Poe
- Othello by William Shakespeare
Key Stage 4
All students have four lessons of English per week leading towards their two GCSEs in English Language and English Literature (AQA). Students have regular topic tests and these, alongside homework, allow staff to check the ongoing understanding of the students. The use of mock exams in Y10 and Y11 allows students to be comfortable and confident in an examination setting, as well as helping them to target their revision more effectively.
English Language
The English Language qualification consists of two examinations which assess students’ reading and writing skills. Across the two examinations, students read and comment on fiction and non-fiction texts from a range of time periods. The skills of retrieval, inference, analysis, evaluation, synthesis and comparison are essential aspects of the course. Students are also required to use these texts as inspiration to write creatively. Students are asked to write for different purposes, such as writing to describe, narrative, argue and explain. Students are assessed on their ability to write for purpose, use language, structure their writing and be accurate.
English Literature
The English Literature qualification also consists of two examinations, and students study texts across a range of genres. Our chosen Literature texts are Macbeth by William Shakespeare; An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley; Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde by R.L. Stevenson; and the Power and Conflict poetry anthology. Students are therefore given the opportunity to read texts across different time periods and continue to learn about significant themes, some of which they have already encountered at Key Stage 3. Students learn to analyse writers’ methods, make interpretations, use evidence and link to wider ideas and concepts.
Our Curriculum
Wellbeing and Safety
The importance of self-care and healthy lifestyles, including sleep. The influence of our words on others, cyberbullying, and where to report concerns. Expectations of behaviour on and offline, including the law. Who to talk to and where to go if you are scared/worried.
Growing up (Puberty and Relationships)
Healthy routines, influences on health, what constitutes unwanted contact, and FGM. Emotional and physical changes in puberty, period products, sexual attraction, and identifying pressure in relationships.
Substance Misuse and the Law
The physical and psychological risks associated with; alcohol, smoking, e-cigarettes, solvent abuse, and cannabis. Peer pressure scenarios and the law relating to these. British Values and how the police and courts operate.
Emotional Wellbeing
Exploring self-esteem and influences, both on and offline. Perceptions of body image and strategies for self care. How to manage conflict with peers and at home.
Citizenship and Law
Exploring different forms of discrimination and hate crime. The workings of democracy in the UK and abroad. Extremism and radicalisation. Substance misuse, gang exploitation, and assertiveness
Relationships and Sexual Health
The characteristics of healthy relationships, about consent in a variety of scenarios. Conception and contraception. The concept of, and the law relating to sexual exploitation, grooming, and pornography. Assertiveness in relationships
Autumn Term – Substance Misuse and Society
Healthy and unhealthy friendships, assertiveness, alcohol education, substance misuse (Illegal drugs including new psychoactive substances). Debates over the criminalisation of drug use.
Spring Term – Relationships and Sexual Health
About sexual harassment and coersive relationships. Sex education including consent, contraception, the risks of STIs, and choices in unintended pregnancy. Communication skills.
Summer Term – Mental Health and Wellbeing
The influence the online world has on our wellbeing. Routines for health and their impact long term. Dealing with change. Common types of mental ill-health and how to access support.
Drop Down Days
First Aid
Equality & diversity day
Addressing Extremism and Radicalisation
Communities, belonging, and challenging extremism.
Child Criminal Exploitation
How to spot the signs of gang exploitation and reporting process.
Online Safety
How information and data is generated, collected, shared, and used online.
Healthy Relationships
Exploring characteristics of positive and healthy relationships (including non-sexual relationships.
Law in Relationships
Some types of behaviour within relationships are criminal (domestic violence/coercion) Sexual Harassment.
Mental Health 1
Mental health and ill health, stigma, safeguarding health, including during periods of transition or change.
Mental Health 2
Common types of mental ill-health and how to access support. Exploring barriers to this.
Personal Finance
Managing a budget and the influence finances have on mental health. How public money is raised and spent.
Drop Down days
South Yorkshire Police – guns and knives
Teenage cancer trust.
Families
Different families and parental responsibilities, pregnancy, marriage, and forced marriage and changing relationships, conflict in families
Party/Festival Safety
Identifying and managing sexual pressure, resisting pressure, and not pressuring others. How the use of alcohol and drugs can lead to risky behaviour.
Expectations in relationships
Sex expectations, myths, pleasure, and challenges, including the impact of the media and pornography
Health; Cancers
Trends and prevalence, self-examination, the importance of healthy lifestyle, how to access health and support.
Health; Review
Consolidating knowledge from all 5 years of PSHE. Ensuring students are empowered in making future health decisions.
Personal Finance
Gambling and gaming debt. how advertising and information is targeted at them and how to be a positive consumer of information online.
Drop Down Days
Careers Day
Wellbeing prep for exams
*All students will also take part in ‘Money Matters’ week towards the end of the financial year. Topics that have been underlined are defined as being sex education. Parents/carers have the right to withdraw their child from sex education, as outlined in our Relationships and Sex Education policy. Please contact the Head of PSHE for more information.
Department Staff
E Bannister
Director
- ebannister@wickersleypt.org
C Barker
H Mayfield
M Dutton
J Picton
A Higginbottom
Find out more
If you would like more information about our curriculum, please contact the school using the details on our contact page.
Our Subjects at KS4
CORE SUBJECTS
EBACC SUBJECTS
OPTION SUBJECTS
INTERVENTIONS
