PSHE
PSHE stands for Personal, Social and Health Education and is a school curriculum subject at Bailey Street and throughout England that focuses on strengthening the knowledge, skills, and connections to keep children and young frames healthy and safe and prepare them for life and work.
RSHE is Relationship, Sex and Health Education – schools have a statutory duty to deliver this to every student (from Sept 2020). It covers the scientific and biological aspects of this area, alongside lifelong learning about physical, sexual, moral and emotional development.
The majority of the RSHE requirements will be delivered through the PSHE curriculum.
However, other subjects such as:
- PE (pupils can develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities, are physically active for sustained periods of time, engage in competitive sport and lead healthy, active lives).
- Science (pupils are taught about the main external parts of the body and changes in the body as it grows. This includes puberty. They will study the Menstrual Cycle and Fertility, Contraception how it works, IVF. Organ
- Donation is also covered. Smoking and the effects of alcohol on the body can also be covered in this subject area).
- Food Technology (pupils are taught about the different food groups, how to put together healthy balanced diet and what different food groups do for the body).
- Employability (pupils will look at their aspirations and goals, how to achieve these, making good choices, mindset, interview techniques and strategies and employability skills).
Will also play a part in each students PSHE educational experience.
Our Aim
At Bailey Street Academy, we understand the importance of educating pupils about relationships, general health and sexual health, for them to make responsible and well-informed decisions in their lives.
Our PSHE programme is designed to aid students in making decisions about their interests, values and gaols. These decisions aim to make the students feel safer, healthier and happier. We understand that the decisions they make are theirs and will not be governed or controlled by external forces.
The teaching of PSHE can help to prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life. It allows us to promote the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at school and in the wider society teaching them to navigate through a complex world.
We have an obligation to provide pupils with high-quality, evidence and age-appropriate teaching of these subjects. Below is an outline of how the school’s PSHE curriculum (including the RSHE requirements) will be organised and delivered, to ensure it meets the needs of all pupils. The programme will be informed by local and national data, it will draw on key trends and local issues.
All students have the opportunity to gain a qualification in RSHE. We aim for them to achieve a level 1 award by the end of key stage 3, a level 2 award by the end of year 10 and finally a level 2 certificate by the end of year 11. As students enrol with the school at different stages we will aim to enter them for a level one award first where appropriate.
Principles and Values
At Bailey Street we believe that PSHE should:
- Be an integral part of the lifelong learning process, beginning in early childhood and continue into adult life
- Provide the students with a safe environment to discuss a wide variety of topics without feeling judged, put on the spot or offended
- Be an entitlement for all young people to access PSHE as part of their weekly timetable and also have the opportunity to gain a qualification in RSHE.
- Encourage students and teachers to share and respect each other’s views. We are aware of different approaches to sexual orientation, without promotion of any particular family structure. The important values are love, respect and care for each other
- Generate an atmosphere where questions and discussion on sexual matters can take place without any stigma or embarrassment
- Recognise that parents are the key people in teaching their children about sex, relationships and growing up. We aim to work in partnership with parents and students, consulting them about the content of programmes; recognise that the wider community has much to offer and we aim to work in partnership with health professionals, social workers, peer educators and other mentors or advisers.
Delivery of the Curriculum
The majority of the RSHE government requirements will be delivered through the PSHE curriculum. Although, some will also be covered through assemblies’ week long tutor time focus sessions. During these week long tutor time focus sessions, tutors will be given activities to do with their tutor groups that address issues of importance to our school community at particular times.
PSHE and RSHE will be delivered in a non-judgemental, age-appropriate, factual and inclusive way that allows pupils to ask questions in a safe environment.
Teaching of the curriculum reflects requirements set out in law, particularly in the Equality Act 2010, so that pupils understand what the law does and does not allow, and the wider legal implications of the decisions they make.Teachers will ensure lesson plans focus on challenging perceived views of pupils based on protected characteristics, through exploration of, and developing mutual respect for, those different to themselves.
The school will integrate LGBTQ+ content into the PSHE curriculum – this content will be taught as part of the overall curriculum, rather than a standalone topic or lesson, and will be included in lessons. LGBTQ+ content will be approached in a sensitive, age-appropriate and factual way that allows pupils to explore the features of stable and healthy same-sex relationships.
Teachers will ensure that pupils’ views are listened to and will encourage them to ask questions and engage in discussion. Teachers will answer questions sensitively and as honestly as they can. If a question is asked that the teacher does not know the answer to then they will agree to research the topic and deliver the answer next session.
Teachers will inform the students on the importance of marriage and healthy relationships when teaching PSHE.
Programme of Study
Year 10: Sexism, Gender & Trans Identity, Parenting, Fertility & Reproductive health, Sexual Health & STI. Teenage Pregnancy, Emotional Wellbeing, Managing tough times, change, grief and bereavement, Managing Social Anxiety, Social Media and Self Esteem, Screen Time, Conflict Management, Obesity and Body Positivity, The importance of Sleep, Perseverance & Procrastination, Managing time Effectively, Coping with Stress, Binge Drinking, Tattoos & piercings, First Aid, Discrimination and Prejudice.
Year 11: Types of Relationship, Consent, Safe Sex, Relationship Break ups. Emotional Wellbeing, Health & Safety at Work, independent Living, Happiness & Positivity, Risk Taking and Decision making, Gambling, Preparation for Post 16, Discrimination, Respect and Equality.
Working with External Agencies
Working with external agencies can enhance our delivery of PSHE, and brings in specialist knowledge and different ways of engaging pupils.
We work with external experts and invite them to assist from time-to-time with the delivery of the PSHE curriculum. These include experts in Drugs and Substance misuse from the charity Re-Solv, careers from the British Army, Nurses from the NHS to discuss sexual health and the C-Card for year 10s and 11s, mental Health from charity Young Minds among others. We also have visits from Women’s Aid to discuss health relationships.