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PSHE Curriculum Intent

PSHE Lead contact details: Mr Jamie Abbott - jamie.abbott@hccmac.co.uk

Twitter account - @Newman_PSHE
 

At Cardinal Newman Catholic School, we are committed to providing a high-quality educational experience for all students. Our PSHE curriculum aims to provide a coherent programme of personal, health, social, citizenship and careers education that underpins the whole ethos and vision of our school. Our PSHE and RSE Curriculum is wide-ranging and carefully planned to consider students’ age, developmental stage and prior understanding. We aim to teach sensitively and inclusively, taking into consideration the background and beliefs of all pupils. We strive to always provide pupils with an understanding of the law, and legal implications of their actions. We encourage students to become global citizens through the content that they are taught and develop their cultural capital.

Pupils complete their PSHE through timetabled tutor time lessons, as well as through curriculum lessons such as Science and RE, assemblies, extra-curricular activities and external speakers. The curriculum has been developed in accordance with national guidance and the PSHE Association syllabus covering the three key themes:

  1. Health and Wellbeing
  2. Living in the Wider World
  3. Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)

Our intent is to provide an academic PSHE curriculum that allows opportunities for pupils to reflect on and clarify their own values and attitudes and explore complex and sometimes conflicting range of values and attitudes they encounter now and in the future. Students also have the opportunity to develop their understanding of British Values and SMSC.  

PSHE aims to help pupils to:

  • Identify their personal qualities, attitudes, skills, attributes and achievements and what influences these.
  • Explore their attitudes, values and beliefs about them and develop the skills, language and strategies needed to manage any issues should they encounter them in their lives.
  • Apply academic skills such as critical thinking and resilience, to their approach to the study of PSHE.
  • Promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
  • Equip all pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe and be able to communicate when they do not feel safe.
  • Provide expert independent, up-to date careers guidance that gives our pupils the best information and opportunities available and helps them progress into further education, training and employment.

There is a significant contribution in PSHE, to pupils’ SMSC development, their behaviour and safety, and it promotes pupils’ wellbeing which is built into our curriculum plans. Our PSHE curriculum promotes personal development by helping pupils to build their confidence, resilience and self-esteem, and enables pupils to identify and manage risk, make informed choices and understand what influences their decisions. It provokes challenging questions about health and wellbeing, living in the wider world and relationships.

Programmes of study for PSHE have a clear plan for what pupils should know and be able to do in PSHE by the end of KS3, KS4 and KS5. The PSHE curriculum supports the pupils to thrive in a time of rapid change, with new and unpredictable opportunities and challenges constantly emerging. PSHE provides great opportunities for the pupils to learn in order to be successful in the world of work, in relationships forged throughout life and as a valued contributor to society as a whole. These tools consist of knowledge gained, behaviours learned and skills mastered and it is our job to ensure that all learners have the opportunity to develop these attributes through their school experience.  

 

How do we deliver the PSHE/RSE curriculum at CNCS?

  • Personal Social Health Education (PSHE) including Relationships Sex Education (RSE), SMSC and BV’s is at the heart of our school ethos and runs throughout all that we do.
  • PSHE, including SMSC and BV, is an integral part of the whole school curriculum and is therefore often taught within other subject areas.
  • Pupils are taught regularly timetabled PSHE / RSE lessons during tutor time each week.
  • Pupils across KS3 and KS4 have one 30min PSHE lessons a week, delivered by their tutor as part of the whole school pastoral programme. Students also have the opportunity to explore topics further through discussion topics known as ‘talking points’.
  • Pupils are taught the RSE curriculum using the TenTen package so that lessons are delivered through a Catholic lens.
  • Lessons are delivered in a way that ensures pupils feel safe and encourages participation by using a variety of teaching approaches with opportunities to develop critical thinking and relationship skills.
  • The three core themes are covered in our KS3 and KS4 curriculum. The intention is that pupils will learn about being confident in addressing the challenges of effective learning and making a full and active contribution to society but will have opportunities to revisit their learning about health and wellbeing, relationships and living in the wider world in order to build on and deepen prior knowledge and understanding.
  • Medium term planning is given to staff which has been developed by PSHE lead in guidance with The PSHE Association to meet the needs of our pupils.
  • PSHE is an important part of school assemblies where pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural curiosity is stimulated, challenged and nurtured.
  • External visitors such as the emergency services and aspirational professionals complement our PSHE curriculum to offer additional support and learning.
  • Working in partnership with parents and carers informing them about what their children are learning and when required, provide guidance and support towards resources that can be used at home.
  • PSHE, SMSC and BV displays throughout the school reinforce the PSHE curriculum enabling pupils to make links. 

At Cardinal Newman Catholic School, we are committed to providing a high-quality educational experience for all students. Our PSHE curriculum aims to provide a coherent programme of personal, health, social, citizenship and careers education that underpins the whole ethos and vision of our school. Our PSHE and RSE Curriculum is wide-ranging and carefully planned to consider students’ age, developmental stage and prior understanding. We aim to teach sensitively and inclusively, taking into consideration the background and beliefs of all pupils. We strive to always provide pupils with an understanding of the law, and legal implications of their actions. We encourage students to become global citizens through the content that they are taught and develop their cultural capital.

Pupils complete their PSHE through timetabled tutor time lessons, as well as through curriculum lessons such as Science and RE, assemblies, extra-curricular activities and external speakers. The curriculum has been developed in accordance with national guidance and the PSHE Association syllabus covering the three key themes:

  1. Health and Wellbeing
  2. Living in the Wider World
  3. Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)

Our intent is to provide an academic PSHE curriculum that allows opportunities for pupils to reflect on and clarify their own values and attitudes and explore complex and sometimes conflicting range of values and attitudes they encounter now and in the future. Students also have the opportunity to develop their understanding of British Values and SMSC.  

PSHE aims to help pupils to:

  • Identify their personal qualities, attitudes, skills, attributes and achievements and what influences these.
  • Explore their attitudes, values and beliefs about them and develop the skills, language and strategies needed to manage any issues should they encounter them in their lives.
  • Apply academic skills such as critical thinking and resilience, to their approach to the study of PSHE.
  • Promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
  • Equip all pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe and be able to communicate when they do not feel safe.
  • Provide expert independent, up-to date careers guidance that gives our pupils the best information and opportunities available and helps them progress into further education, training and employment.

There is a significant contribution in PSHE, to pupils’ SMSC development, their behaviour and safety, and it promotes pupils’ wellbeing which is built into our curriculum plans. Our PSHE curriculum promotes personal development by helping pupils to build their confidence, resilience and self-esteem, and enables pupils to identify and manage risk, make informed choices and understand what influences their decisions. It provokes challenging questions about health and wellbeing, living in the wider world and relationships.

Programmes of study for PSHE have a clear plan for what pupils should know and be able to do in PSHE by the end of KS3, KS4 and KS5. The PSHE curriculum supports the pupils to thrive in a time of rapid change, with new and unpredictable opportunities and challenges constantly emerging. PSHE provides great opportunities for the pupils to learn in order to be successful in the world of work, in relationships forged throughout life and as a valued contributor to society as a whole. These tools consist of knowledge gained, behaviours learned and skills mastered and it is our job to ensure that all learners have the opportunity to develop these attributes through their school experience. 

 

By the time our children leave our school they will:

  • Be able to approach a range of real-life situations and apply their skills and attributes to help navigate themselves through modern life
  • Be on their way to becoming healthy, open minded, respectful, socially and morally responsible, active members of society
  • Appreciate difference and diversity
  • Understand the protected characteristics and Equality Act 2010
  • Recognise and apply the British Values of Democracy, Tolerance, Mutual respect, Rule of law and Liberty
  • Effectively guided and supported in careers information, education, advice and guidance, and how well it benefits them in choosing next steps.
  • Be able to understand and manage their emotions
  • Be able to look after their mental health and well-being
  • Be able to develop positive, healthy relationship with their peers both now and in the future.
  • Understand the physical aspects involved in RSE at an age appropriate level
  • Have respect for themselves and others.
  • Have a positive self esteem

Assessment: Formative assessment is on-going throughout all of our taught PSHE lessons. Teachers use skilful questioning, alongside other formative assessment practices to quickly identify misconceptions and develop understanding. At the end of each term students complete a summative assessment through an online quiz. This enables the head of PSHE and Head of year to gauge students understanding, to establish any misconceptions and the address these in the planning of future units. A follow up session is delivered to any student who has been identified as having a misconception.

Quality assurance: Heads of year and the head of PSHE carry our regular QA on PSHE lessons to check on the quality of teaching and learning.