Wey Valley Academy

PSHE

CURRICULUM STATEMENT

The aim of the PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic education) is to give students the information they need to help them develop healthy lifestyles. Students will develop understanding about nurturing relationships of all kinds, enabling them to know what a healthy relationship looks like and what makes a good friend, a good colleague and other types of committed relationships. Students will be able to understand and manage risks and know how to keep themselves safe and healthy both online and in everyday life. The aim is to also empower students to understand themselves and their minds in order to combat stress, pressures and influences that may cause harm, and know how to lead happy and fulfilling lives.

Wey Valley Academy ensures that PSHE is compliant with Government statutory guidelines delivering the course through the Jigsaw PSHE programme.

The PSHE Curriculum is designed around six units which are taught sequentially over the school year.

  • Being Me in my World
  • Celebrating Difference
  • Dreams and Goals
  • Healthy Me
  • Relationships
  • Changing Me

The delivery of the programme is flexible and we are able to move the delivery of the units to match and support the needs of our students and local community.

KS3 Curriculum

At KS3 ‘Being Me in my World’ students learn about identity including self-identity, families, personal beliefs and peer pressure. This develops into knowledge of and understanding about stereotyping, prejudice and online safety.

‘Celebrating Difference’ develops student understanding of stereotypes and prejudice further and how to challenge negative attitudes. Understanding and appreciation of the Protected Characteristics of race, religion and LGBTQ+ are introduced and developed.

‘Dreams and Goals’ explores goal setting and employment skills, resilience and mental wellbeing and the positive and negative impacts of money and debt. Life style choices including safe and unsafe choices are explored.

‘Healthy Me’ covers healthy lifestyles including physical health and mental wellbeing, dealing with stress and anxiety and the impacts and effects of substances on the body. The areas covered aim to empower students to make healthy lifestyle choices.

‘Relationships’ examines what makes healthy relationships, power and control including coercion and how to be assertive. The impact of social media both positive and negative is explored and intimate relationships are introduced in Year 9.

‘Changing Me’ looks at puberty and changes to the body and brain, and developing resilience to understand and manage emotional changes.

KS4 Curriculum

‘Being Me in my World’ continues with online safety, exploring digital footprints and algorithms. Human Rights and the Equality Act in today’s society is taught.

‘Celebrating Difference’ build on the Equality Act in both society and the workplace.

‘Dreams and Goals’ explores work life balance, aspirations and goals including financial goals and resilience skills for when things go wrong.

‘Healthy Me’ looks at improving health, diet, medication and organ donation. Sexual health is covered in Year 11. Exam stress, pressure and anxiety is also explored in Year 11.

‘Relationships’ build on long term relationships, being safe both in a relationship and ending one. Legislation around relationships and LGBTQ+ rights are examined.

‘changing me’ looks at the impact of young people in society and making positive change.