PSHE

Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education is a 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.

PSHE education addresses both pupils’ current experiences and preparation for their future. At EWS the PSHE curriculum teaches students the knowledge, skills and attributes, where prior learning is revisited, reinforced and extended year on year.

At key stage 3, students build on the knowledge and understanding, skills, attributes and values they have acquired and developed during the primary phase. PSHE education acknowledges and addresses the changes that young people experience, beginning with transition to secondary school, the challenges of adolescence and their increasing independence. It teaches the knowledge and skills which will equip them for the opportunities and challenges of life. Students learn to manage diverse relationships, their online lives, and the increasing influence of peers and the media.

At key stage 4, students deepen knowledge and understanding, extend and rehearse skills, and further explore attitudes, values and attributes acquired during key stage 3. PSHE education reflects the fact that students are moving towards an independent role in adult life, taking on greater responsibility for themselves and others.

By the end of key stage 5, many young people will leave home for the first time and live independently, possibly in distant locations. There is a balance throughout this Programme of Study between preparing students to manage their current lives and laying the foundations for managing future experiences. As students progress through the key stages, this balance shifts towards teaching related to young people’s current experiences. It is essential to provide a comprehensive PSHE education programme in key stage 5; this ensures students continue to learn about issues with real-life relevance to them, at a crucial transition point in their lives.

The learning opportunities at key stage 5 assume that students have already covered those in key stage 4. However, students entering key stage 5 from different feeder schools may bring a range of experience and understanding, so it may be appropriate to also draw on learning opportunities in key stage 4 when planning your curriculum. It is important to revisit and reinforce earlier learning through learning that ‘connects’ it to contexts that are relevant to this age group, such as the workplace.

This key stage represents the last opportunity to ensure that students have the knowledge and understanding, skills, strategies and attributes they need for independent living and the next stage in their education or career.

Year 7

Term 1 - Health and Wellbeing. Through this half term students will focus on transitioning to secondary school. They will learn about personal strengths, building self confidence, establishing safe relationships both online and offline, how to challenge discrimination, managing risks, menstrual wellbeing, puberty and how to express a range of emotions.
Term 2 - Living in the Wider World. This term focuses on students understanding what skills employers value, how to be enterprising, career aspirations, employment rights and responsibilities.
Term 3 - Relationships. Students look at recognising the features of a healthy and unhealthy relationship online and offline, values in a relationship, trust in relationship, relationships and the media, support for relationships and understanding the effects of separation, divorce and bereavement.
Term 4 - Health and Wellbeing. Students in this half term will focus on understanding how to balance lifestyle choices, the importance of physical activity and a balanced diet and how to manage good hygiene.
Term 5 - Living in the Wider World. Students will focus on online safety including looking at different ways to use media and digital content.
Term 6 - Relationships. Through this final half term students will focus on diversity. Students will look at bullying and how to manage it, understand prejudice and discrimination and how to challenge these.

Year 8

Term 1 - Health and Wellbeing. In this term, students will focus on building resilience. They will explore what can impact their wellbeing and develop strategies for building resilience and managing setbacks in various situations.
Term 2 - Living in the Wider World Through this half term, students will learn to make responsible financial decisions. This includes learning about opening bank accounts, borrowing and saving money, budgeting, ethical vs unethical business practices as well as how to recognise financial exploitation.
Term 3 - Relationships Students will focus on different aspects of relationships. They will learn to understand the differences between biological sex and gender identity, know about different types of relationships, understand different roles and responsibilities in various relationships, and also learn about what behaviours should be expected in positive relationships.
Term 4 - Health and Wellbeing In this term, students will focus on how to manage mental health and wellbeing. They will learn about the different characteristics of mental health, the factors that can impact mental health, and how to manage influences. They will also work on developing coping strategies to promote wellbeing.
Term 5 - Living in the Wider World Throughout this term, students will learn about digital literacy. This involves understanding the different risks and opportunities with internet use, how to maintain a positive online persona, and how to safely manage their personal information.
Term 6 - Relationships In this term students will focus on consent and sexual health. They will learn what consent is and isn’t as well as the law around it, discuss the risks associated with sharing sexual images and also the risks of engaging in sexual activity, as well as how to protect against them.

Year 9

Term 1 - Health and Wellbeing Through this term, students will learn about the risks of drug and alcohol use. We will talk about different kinds of medicinal and recreational drugs, as well as effects and risks associated with them, habit and dependence, and how to manage influences in relation to drug and alcohol use.
Term 2 - Living in the Wider World Students will learn about future employment opportunities. They will learn to recognise personal strengths and skills, learn to set ambitious, but realistic goals, discuss various influences that can impact expectations and aspirations, and how and where to seek support.
Term 3 - Relationships In this term, students will learn to maintain positive relationships by developing communication and conflict management skills. They will look at how to handle peer pressure in different situations. They will also talk about what they can do when a relationship breaks down.
Term 4 - Health and Wellbeing Throughout this term, students will explore physical and mental health and how to take control of it. They will learn to identify and challenge mental health stereotypes, recognise when they or someone else is in need of help with their mental health, and develop healthy coping strategies to deal with mental health issues.
Term 5 - Living in the Wider World In this term, students will learn about respect and the importance of seeking different perspectives on various topics. They will learn to recognise the influence of potentially extreme points of view.
Term 6 - Relationships During this term, students will focus on relationships and sexual health. Students will learn to recognise that sexuality is diverse, discuss the portrayal of sex in the media, and discuss the importance of contraception. They will also learn about the different risks associated with sex and also how to recognise abuse and where to seek support.

Year 10

Term 1 - Health and Wellbeing In this term, students will focus on mental and emotional health. They will learn to identify their strengths. They will learn to recognise what influences their self-esteem. They will also learn about common mental health issues and where to access support for these.
Term 2 - Living in the Wider World During this term, students will explore career choices and pathways. They will learn to evaluate their strengths and skills, learn about employment sectors, labour market, and how to overcome challenges in the workplace.
Term 3 - Relationships Students will discuss attitudes towards sex. Students will learn to assess their readiness for sex, how to choose appropriate contraception, about risks associated with sex, sexual assault, and where to access support. They will also discuss the impact of drugs and alcohol on sexual behaviour.
Term 4 - Health and Wellbeing This term focuses on personal safety. Students will learn to identify risks to personal safety, such as in social settings, emergency situations, and with substance use. They will learn to build resilience and develop strategies to help manage risky behaviours.
Term 5 - Living in the Wider World Throughout this term students will focus on rights and responsibilities in the workplace. They will learn about their legal rights, responsibilities and protections in the workplace. They will also develop strategies to assess accuracy of digital content. In addition, they will learn to challenge extreme viewpoints and how to respond to situations that cause concern.
Term 6 - Relationships During this term, students will focus on families. Students will discuss fertility, healthy pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, adoption and fostering. Furthermore, they will learn about romantic relationships, learn to recognise abuse, and learn where to access support.

Year 11

Term 1 - Health and Wellbeing During this term, students will learn about abusive relationships. They will discuss types of abuse, the law around abuse in relationships, learn to challenge it, and find support.
Term 2 - Living in the Wider World In this term, students will focus on careers, media literacy and digital resilience. They will learn to develop a positive online presence and share content and data safely.
Term 3 - Relationships Throughout this term, students will learn about healthy relationships. They will discuss how to manage strong emotions, recognise and challenge unwanted attention, and also where to find support.
Term 4 - Health and Wellbeing In this term, students will explore influence. They will develop strategies to promote wellbeing, reframe negative thinking, and to recognise and find support when they, or others, are being adversely influenced. They will also learn to recognise factors that contribute to young people becoming involved in cyber crime.
Term 5 - Living in the Wider World During this term, students will learn about financial choices by learning to budget effectively, and evaluate advantages and disadvantages to taking financial risks.

Year 12

In Term 1, Year 12 students develop foundational skills for effective independent learning. They explore the concepts of autonomy and curiosity, understanding how these qualities benefit their education. Key learning strategies introduced include interleaving, chunking, and managing cognitive load, helping students create personalised study plans and resources. Students learn about how the brain processes new information, including the limitations of working memory, and are introduced to strategies for academic reading, effective note-taking, and vocabulary development. Additionally, they reflect on their motivation levels, develop organisational habits, and apply new skills to manage their study routines. They also focus on evaluating the credibility of information, sources, and people, gaining critical thinking skills. The term includes a practical, step-by-step guide for effective revision techniques, preparing students for assessments and exams.
In Term 2, Year 12 students engage in citizenship education, exploring the fundamentals of government types, political ideologies, and voting systems, while learning how citizens can influence decision-making through democracy. They examine the rule of law's role in safeguarding citizens and discuss human rights, understanding how these promote equality and protect individual freedoms. This term also emphasises diversity and inclusion, with students learning to recognize and challenge prejudice, discrimination, forced marriage, and honour-based violence, as well as strategies to promote cultural diversity and inclusion.
In Term 3, Year 12 students focus on building and maintaining healthy relationships, emphasising personal values, respect, and responsibility. They learn to articulate their relationship values and apply them in various contexts, including friendships, romantic partnerships, and professional environments. Topics cover the importance of managing personal safety in new relationships, both online and offline, and understanding the differences between emotional intimacy, love, and lust. Students explore strategies for maintaining healthy, pleasurable relationships, using constructive dialogue, and handling relationship endings respectfully. This term also emphasises the significance of consent, discussing both moral and legal responsibilities in respecting others' rights to give, not give, or withdraw consent in all interactions. Students learn about the potential consequences of failing to respect boundaries and how to seek help in cases of abuse, exploitation, or assault. In addition, they explore the importance of recognizing and managing negative influences, manipulation, and persuasion, especially in online contexts. Cultural awareness and inclusivity are reinforced, as students are encouraged to recognize, respect, and challenge prejudice and discrimination. They learn ways to celebrate diversity, promote inclusion, and create meaningful connections, both socially and professionally, while understanding the boundaries around these relationships.
In Term 4, students focused on evaluating their options for the future, including higher education, apprenticeships, further training, and gap year opportunities. They were encouraged to set realistic yet ambitious career and life goals that align with their personal values, interests, strengths, and skills. The term also covered how to identify and evidence these strengths in applications and interviews, along with how to create a concise, compelling CV and prepare effectively for interviews. Additionally, students explored career possibilities in the context of the global economy, considering how international trends impact their future choices. The content aimed to provide students with the tools to make informed decisions about their next steps.
In Term 5, students focused on understanding the impact of alcohol and drug use on both immediate and long-term health. They explored how substance use can affect decision-making and personal safety, including how to look out for friends, ensure safe travel, and prevent drink-spiking. The term also covered the risks alcohol and drug use pose to road safety, workplace safety, and personal reputation and career. Students learned the dangers of being a passenger with an intoxicated driver and how to manage such situations. Additionally, they were taught first aid skills and how to assess when to call emergency services, even in situations involving alcohol, drugs, gangs, or violent crime, emphasising the importance of acting in emergency situations regardless of potential legal concerns.
In Term 6, students focused on developing key skills for career and financial management. They learned how to identify and evidence their strengths in applications and interviews, and how to craft a compelling CV and prepare effectively for interviews. The term also included practical financial skills, such as planning expenditure and budgeting for life changes like moving out or attending university, as well as managing financial contracts like mobile phone services and renting accommodation. Students gained an understanding of their rights and responsibilities in part-time or casual jobs, including in the gig economy, and learned about professional conduct in the workplace, including following health and safety protocols. They explored the importance of workplace confidentiality, security, and cyber-security, and how to recognize and address bullying or harassment. Additionally, the role of trade unions and professional organisations was covered, along with how to challenge inappropriate workplace behaviours. The term also revisited first aid and the importance of knowing when to call emergency services, especially in situations involving alcohol, drugs, or violence.

Year 13

In Term 1, students explore key areas of personal health and responsibility, including awareness of breast, testicular, skin, and cervical cancers, and the importance of self-examination and screenings. They learn about common young adult illnesses, reliable health information sources, and accessing healthcare. Additionally, students gain practical skills in budgeting for healthy eating, managing transitional phases like moving out, handling financial contracts, and building mature relationships in new environments.
In Term 2, students focus on career preparation and personal development, learning how to be enterprising and proactive in life and work. They explore options for their next steps, including higher education, apprenticeships, and gap years. Skills in crafting a strong CV, preparing for interviews, and identifying personal strengths are developed. Additionally, students are guided on setting career goals aligned with their values and maintaining professional online boundaries and safety, building a positive digital presence, and seeking support when needed.
In Term 3, students focus on healthy relationships, personal rights, and safeguarding. They learn about their rights concerning harassment and stalking, strategies to handle and exit unhealthy relationships, and ways to manage influence and manipulation. Students explore how to articulate personal values in relationships, recognize and challenge prejudice and discrimination, and respect diverse cultural and faith perspectives. They also examine how to identify and seek help for issues like extremism, radicalization, and various forms of abuse, including sexual abuse, while understanding how to report these to appropriate authorities.
In Term 4, students focus on managing personal safety, financial literacy, and critical media awareness. They learn to assess risk in various settings, perform first aid, and understand travel safety, including legal requirements abroad. Financial skills cover salary deductions, budgeting, evaluating savings, understanding debt and its implications, and managing financial contracts like phone services and rentals. Additionally, students are taught to be critical consumers of online information, identifying bias and manipulation, and exercising consumer rights in resolving disputes and accessing support.
In Term 5, students focus on mental health awareness, well-being, and online media literacy. They learn to recognize signs of mental health issues, evaluate available support, and use strategies to manage stress, anxiety, and work-life balance. Students explore common mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and eating disorders, and discuss the impact of social media on body image, self-esteem, and perspectives. Additionally, they are taught to set boundaries for personal privacy, critically assess online information, and manage the influence of idealised body images and pressures related to body enhancement.

Links to support/ advice

C lick here to find information about agencies and sources of support