Curriculum Statement for PSHE and RSHE

PSHE/RSHE

At Shirebrook Academy we are committed to inspiring all members of our academy community to be the best that they can be.  Our Personal Development curriculum aims to equip Shirebrook Academy students with the knowledge needed, both now and for later life, in terms of relationships, sex and health education. We want all our young people to have good emotional health, the skills and confidence to cope with change, the ability to think through and solve problems and ultimately achieve their goals and be happy.

Our curriculum enables our learners to build their knowledge and understanding of key RSHE themes over time and covers three core areas: healthy lifestyles, living in the wider world and sex and relationships.   

Parents/Carers are welcome to view the material that is delivered at any time, and we value collaboration with parents/carers.  Communication will take place at the beginning of each half-term to inform parents/carers of what students will be taught within a particular unit.  We strongly believe in keeping parents/carers fully informed and welcome your comments.  The contact point within our academy for Personal Development is Lindsey Till (ltill@shirebrookacademy.org).

We also work in partnership with our local and wider communities as part of our Personal Development curriculum, and aim to empower our young people in successfully taking their place in society.  We enjoy content from a range of external providers throughout the year and during our five Personal Development Drop-Down Days.  We appreciate collaboration and recognise that working together makes all the difference.

Shirebrook Academy “A community of inspiration, excellence and opportunities for all to grow”

RHSE Policy – Relationships, Health and Sex Education

Reviewed 2023

The 2020 Statutory Guidance for Relationships and Sex Education outlines the subject as follows:

• To embrace the challenges of creating a happy and successful adult life, pupils need knowledge that will enable them to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships and to build their self-efficacy. These subjects can support young people to develop resilience, to know how and when to ask for help, and to know where to access support.

The Statutory content for RSHE has been developed with consideration for the protected characteristics under the 2010 Equality Act. All teaching of this subject has a focus on eliminating discrimination, harassment, or victimisation, and promoting equality of opportunity between groups. At Shirebrook Academy the Personal Development curriculum frequently revisits themes of respect, inclusivity and positive behaviours in relationships, for example, through the use of RSHE scenarios.

PSHE – Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education incorporates the statutory content for RSHE but also includes economic wellbeing, careers education, and education for personal safety including managing risk. It is a subject through which students develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage their lives, now and in the future.

At Shirebrook Academy, the Personal Development Curriculum is mapped against both the statutory requirements for RSHE, and the PSHE Association programme of study, thus ensuring students receive a comprehensive programme which integrates, but is not limited to the statutory content.

Shirebrook Academy was registered as an Early Adopter of the new statutory curriculum, enabling CPD opportunities for staff to develop their teaching and understanding of this subject.

The PSHE/RSHE curriculum at Shirebrook Academy has the following key aims:

• To encourage the development of an enquiring outlook in order to make informed and reasoned decisions
• To enable students to acquire personal values and so develop their own ideology within the framework of socially responsible behaviour
• To promote respectful behaviours towards all others, and to challenge discrimination or negative behaviours.
• To develop awareness of physical, emotional, social, material, and ethnic needs both now and in the future
• To achieve successful and mature relationships with peers and adults both in and outside the Academy
• To develop a view of self and others that combats the limitations of stereotyping
• To develop resilience and an ability to adjust to change
• To enable students to identify their own support needs and have the confidence to seek information and advice relevant to themselves.

Policy

The Academy Relationships and Sex and Health Education policy is reviewed every two years, approved by Governors and published on the Academy website. A link governor has responsibility for monitoring this policy.

Programme Delivery

PSHE/RSHE is taught as part of our overall Personal Development programme. The PSHE Association programme of study (2020) and Statutory Guidance for Relationships and Sex Education (2020) are used to inform the content, and the programme is updated annually.

All students are entitled to the following Personal Development (PD) Curriculum:

• PD days – 5 days per year for the academy to suspend the usual timetable and focus on Personal Development themes. Lessons are delivered by form tutors in partnership with external delivery from outside agencies.
• PD lessons – two thirty-minute lessons per week for Y7-Y10 delivered by form tutors.  Y11 students undertake additional revision sessions for core subjects during registration, with the statutory requirements for delivery for this year group having been met across Y7 and Y10.  PD is still promoted in Year 11 through drop down days, careers’ education, assemblies and extra-curricular participation.
• Tutor time, Assemblies, and extra activities such as trips and theatre performances also contribute to the PD programme, for example, with visiting speakers from the Police, Universities, mock elections, and Academy Council.
• Subject areas such as Science and Humanities also cover PD themes; for example, learning about Drugs in Science and British Values topics through the Y7 Humanities curriculum. A cross- curricular audit has identified where PSHE/RSHE topics are taught across the curriculum – see separate document on the Academy Website under Curriculum, Personal Development and the Assembly Programme.

Access for External Providers

External agencies provide valuable expertise in their contributions to the PD programme. We are open to opportunities to work with a range of organisations, including the police, health service, and voluntary sector services.

Please contact Kelly Brown, Personal Development Co-ordinator to discuss opportunities for organisations to meet with students (kbrown@shirebrookacademy.org).

The management and evaluation of Personal Development is included in the Academy Monitoring, Evaluation and Review process.  This provides feedback on leadership, planning and delivery of the programme. 

CPDL opportunities are provided to equip staff with the confidence and skills to deliver the programme (for example Sexual Harassment, December 2022), alongside planning time for PD days and lessons.

Student surveys are used on a regular basis to provide student voice to check learning outcomes and inform development of the programme. Assessment in PSHE/RSHE has a focus on learning reflection, checking that learning goals have been achieved, and in evaluating the impact of the programme. Evaluations conducted by external agencies are shared with academy colleagues and governors.

Pastoral and Learning Leads have an overview of teaching of PD for their year group and are able to support the delivery of PD topics where needed.

Reviews of the Schemes of Learning takes place annually, based on changing legislation, local needs, and updated cross-curricular audits.

Parent/Carer Involvement and Confidentiality

We recognise that the influence and support of parents and carers is key in helping students to prepare for adult life and achieve their potential. Information is provided to parents/carers about the PD programme via the academy website, newsletter and social media.  Parents/carers are given the opportunity to communicate their views about the RSHE curriculum annually. 

Parents/carers have a legal right to withdraw their children from dedicated ‘sex education’ lessons. They do not have a right to withdraw their children from those aspects of RSHE that are taught in National Curriculum Science or where RSHE issues arise incidentally in other subject areas. This entitlement is published to parents via the RSHE policy on the Academy website.

We will work in active partnership with parents/carers, value their views and keep them informed about our RSHE provision. If a parent/carer has any concerns about the RSHE provision, we will take time to address their concerns and allay any fears they may have. If any parents/carers decide to withdraw their child, we will work with them and their child to explore possible alternative provision.

Safeguarding

We recognise that some Personal Development topics can be sensitive and upsetting for some students, for example abuse in relationships. The Shirebrook Academy Safeguarding Policy is followed if any issues arise from the teaching of such topics. Academy staff cannot promise confidentiality if approached by a student for help. Staff must make this clear to students. Child protection procedures must be followed, for example when any disclosures about abuse are made. In some cases, students may be referred to specialist agencies for support, for example health or counselling services.

References

• Academy policy for Personal, Social, Health Education, including Relationships and Sex Education
• Programme of Study for PSHE Education (PSHE Association 2020)
• Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and Health Education (DfE Statutory Guidance, 2019)