PSCHE

Our weekly PSCHE period affords a regular space within the curriculum for every pupil to develop the essential personal, social and critical-thinking skills they need to successfully and safely navigate their worlds.

Our curriculum is spiral, which means we are able to build upon the pupil knowledge base of particular topics, year on year.  We are committed to ensuring that our pupils have access to comprehensive information and know where to find support, within the school and outside it, to empower them in their daily lives.

Our curriculum is also specifically tailored to the current and changing needs of each year group.  Lessons are dynamic and interactive, discussion-based and delivered by form tutors, Housemasters and/or outside speakers/expert agencies.

Common to the programme of study for every year group is our focus on personal health, both physical (including sexual), mental and financial, citizenship and our role within our communities and families, as well as our responsibilities to society (in its global scope) as a whole.  There is an emphasis throughout on critical matters of safety, both physical and mental, including much coverage of the critical issue of the safety of children’s digital lives. At different stages of a child’s passage through school, sessions will be tailored to match the stage. This includes looking at life beyond school in careers sessions, and preparing for life at university for our Sixth Formers.

The PSCHE programme is devised by our Head of PSCHE and our Deputy who are flexible, responsive, and able to direct lessons at short notice if an urgent topic arises in the news or within school life.  The Head of PSCHE liaises with staff, like the Heads of Section, the Housemasters and the Senior Deputy Head, in putting together the programme and also sits on the Pastoral Care Committee.

Here is a taster of the kind of things we focus on.  At the heart of ALL we do is promotion of inclusivity, tolerance and respect.

Lower School: Year 7	Puberty – managing physical and emotional changes Looking after ourselves and each other mentally and physically Respecting each other and ourselves Keeping safe beyond the school gates, including cyber-safety  Citizenship – democracy and voting The importance of playing a positive role in our communities: looking after our environments, making positive change Simple daily budgeting – managing your money Thinking about the consequences of choices people might make: smoking; energy drink consumption Anti-bullying – recognizing bullying and anti-social behaviour, and how to take a stance against it.
Year 8	Self-management: how to effectively manage our time and our workloads as they increase How to deal with peer and other outside pressure How to avoid making harmful choices: alcohol Recognising and challenging bullying: peer-on-peer abuse (including online); recognizing and challenging discrimination Parliament: rule of law, separation of powers, individual liberty Building self-esteem and assertiveness: love being you Thinking about my skills what celebrating what I do well: preparation for careers Thinking about intimate relationships, related laws and consent Thinking about why people use contraception, looking at different kinds of contraception
Middle School (years 9-11)	Recognising healthy and unhealthy relationships: abuse, gangs, forced marriage and child labour and exploitation Relationships and sex: in addition to talks with outside speakers and tutors on sex, law, consent and pornography, pupils have a day off-timetable with  PSCHE group focusing on RSE (relationships/sex education) Recognising grooming; recognising grooming online including focus on ‘money-mules’ Thinking about consequences: MDMA, Cannabis, NOS and other illegal highs, tranquilisers Cyberbullying including keeping safe in the online gaming world Sexting Keeping safe: focus on teenagers and parties Citizenship: Human Rights and responsibilities Careers and options beyond school; work experience preparation and careers support Mental well-being – Mindfulness taster sessions
Upper School (years 12-13)	The next stage: planning for university etc. and beyond Looking after yourself: recognising unhealthy behaviours and addictions from healthy ones (including choices around food, binge drinking and narcotics) and where to find support Life skills: keeping safe and healthy: how to/importance of regular body checks, sexual health checks, contraception Practising safe sex Citizenship: giving back to society Leaving home and moving on: financial planning for the future, managing debt etc.