PSHE
At North Star 240 we believe that every student has the right to access a personalised curriculum which supports their individual needs, interests and experiences.
Values in Practice
VIP (Values in Practice) covers Humanities, PSHE and Careers and Citizenship. The course references Religious studies through our SMSC programme and PSHE focus. At Key Stage 3, pupils continuously build on the skills, attitudes, values, knowledge and understanding about the modern world and how environmental factors, religion and historical events have impacted the world we live in. Values in practice acknowledges and addresses the changes that learners are experiencing, identifying their next steps and progression onto further education or the world of work, the challenges of adolescence and their increasing independence. It teaches the skills which will equip them for the opportunities and challenges of life. Pupils are encouraged to become sufficiently confident in their own beliefs and values and learn how to contribute to a cohesive and compassionate society.
PSHE Curriculum Intent
At North Star 240 we believe that every student has the right to access a personalised curriculum which supports their individual needs, interests and experiences. Therefore we offer PSHE as a discrete subject with specialised teachers leading the delivery of these lessons. It is also embedded across the wider curriculum through awareness days and whole school assemblies.
Personal, Social, Health Education (PSHE) equips students with the knowledge, understanding, skills and strategies required to live healthy, safe, productive, responsible and balanced lives. PSHE acknowledges and addresses the changes that learners are experiencing, identifying their next steps and progression onto further education or the world of work, the challenges of adolescence and their increasing independence. Pupils are encouraged to become sufficiently confident in their own beliefs and values and learn how to contribute to a cohesive and compassionate society.
As pupils move through KS3 they continually build on the skills, attitudes, knowledge and understanding they have acquired and developed through the repetition of the three core themes: health and wellbeing, relationships and living in the wider world (including economic wellbeing and aspects of careers education). PSHE allows pupils to build their confidence, resilience and self-esteem. It also enables them to recognise, accept and shape their own identities, to understand and accommodate difference and change, to manage emotions and to communicate constructively in a variety of settings. Developing an understanding themselves, empathy and the ability to work with others will help pupils to form and maintain good relationships as well as develop the essential skills for future employability and therefore better enjoy and manage their lives. PSHE education also makes a significant contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development, their behaviour and safety, and to their emotional wellbeing.
When students reach KS4 there is a shift in focus and we begin to look at the key themes that underpin Health and Wellbeing. This is delivered through PiXL Wellbeing which has been developed to support young people to take responsibility for their health, life and mind. The aim is to inspire and empower our students to look after their wellbeing and lead a healthy, active lifestyle in preparation for adulthood.
The PSHE Curriculum helps children to:
1
Develop skills such as self-esteem, risk-management, teamwork and critical thinking.
2
Speak openly and participate in healthy debates.
3
Make meaningful cross-curricular links.
4
Identify their interests and develop their passions and own values.
5
Find out about themselves, the wider world and their place in it.
6
Develop their confidence, resilience, happiness and well-being.
Subject Content
In the absence of a government programme of study we have drawn on guidance from the PSHE association in revising our Curriculum Framework for PSHE to ensure that it meets the needs of our pupils in today’s changing society. The Framework identifies the key concepts and skills that underpin PSHE education and help us to fulfil our statutory responsibility of delivering RSE (Relationship and sex education) and spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development, as well as prepare students for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life. PSHE education is integrated into the curriculum throughout KS3 and KS4; and is delivered using an overarching theme for each term. This is to ensure learning in PSHE is revisited, reinforced and extending in age-and stage-appropriate contexts.
For more information contact: mark.sutton@northstar-academiy.co.uk
