PSHEE
'The glory of God is a human being fully alive' St Irenaeus
Why Learn PSHEE?
You are growing up in a rapidly changing world, full of opportunities.
Personal Social Health Economic Education (PSHEE) is a compulsory, non-examined subject.
PSHEE equips you with trustworthy and reliable values, knowledge and skills to enable you to flourish and 'live life to the full'. The subject is taught through three intertwining themes:
- Health and Wellbeing
- Living in the Wider World
- Forming Positive Relationships
How PSHEE supports our school's Mission
Our school’s mission commits our community to ‘a rounded education that develops knowledgeable, morally informed and compassionate your leaders’.
Our school’s curriculum sets out this mission by giving our students a sense of moral purpose grounded in Gospel Values alongside British Values enabling them to ‘live life to the full’ John 10:10.
St Julie Billiart, the foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur had a clear vision for what her students should learn. For Julie, education should provide young people with ‘what they need to know for life’ and to develop ‘hearts as wide as the world’.
Our school’s mission commits our community to ‘a rounded education that develops knowledgeable, morally informed and compassionate your leaders’.
Our school’s curriculum sets out this mission by giving our students a sense of moral purpose with the example of Christ at the centre of their lives and British Values. We light fires of intellectual curiosity to inspire each student’s career pathway and vocation, enabling them to ‘live life to the full’ John 10:10.
To view the ethos sources of Notre Dame’s curriculum in more detail click here.
British Values
Our students are encouraged to express their individuality, whilst also respecting our British Values of acceptance and tolerance of others.
These values are promoted and explored across the PSHEE Curriculum. Lessons that explore specific British Values display this graphic to draw explicit reference.
Student Voice: Why is PSHEE relevant to your life?
Once a term our students complete a survey which informs the content and delivery of an aspect of PSHEE. When asked why PSHEE is an important subject to them they gave the following statements:
- PSHEE is one of the most important subjects as it teaches you how to be happy and lead a good life
- It includes topics that are actually relevant to our lives now and how to navigate life after leaving school
- Sometimes we have struggles and are uncomfortable to talk about them
- PSHEE provides a safe environment for people to talk about issues and learn from each other
- People should respect each other in life and online
- It is important to feel confident and secure in life
- You need to know how to take care of yourself and avoid situations that can hurt you
- We need to learn how to manage our mental and physical health
- Our bodies are a vital part of who we are. We should learn about accepting our bodies as they are and not have to change them.
- The internet and social media are very influential on our lives. They don’t give a realistic perspective on life
- It is important to learn about how to form positive relationships.
- I want to learn how to become a good partner and parent
Hot Topics
Lessons that include the ‘hot topic’ logo indicate that it has been made in response to student feedback.
How do we learn PSHEE?
PSHEE is taught in Form Groups to encourage relationships and discussion in a safe and and non-judgemental space.
Our lessons provide opportunities to reflect on and develop your personal beliefs, values and opinions through individual written work.
We also show how to access additional student welfare support in school and from outside agencies.
Our lessons are delivered using a consistent structure.
What themes do we learn?
Our PSHE Curriculum is devised from the PSHE Association’s recommended categories which we have divided into sub topics.
If at any time you and/or your parent(s)/carer(s) wish to discuss the contents of the PSHEE curriculum, or any issues raised in the lessons, please contact Mr Savage our Head of PSHEE.
What do we study?
Our PSHEE curriculum is delivered as a series of lessons that incorporate specific skills and knowledge from the PSHEE Association’s Program of Study. To view what topics are taught each term, click on the menus below.
If at any time you and/or your parent(s)/carer(s) wish to discuss the contents of the PSHEE curriculum, or any issues raised in the lessons, please contact Mr Savage our Head of PSHEE.
Y7 Topics
| AUTUMN | SPRING | SUMMER |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome to PSHEE | Healthy Lifestyle (food and exercise) | My Mental Wellbeing |
| Welcome to our community | Risks and Safety (Positive risks. How to stay safe including road safety) | Our Bodies (How to be body confident) |
| What makes our community inclusive? | Anti-Smoking | Family Life |
| Positive friendships | Online Risks 1 (how to keep accounts safe and private, cyberbullying) | Puberty |
| Who can I talk to for help? | Online Risks 1 (how to keep accounts safe and private, cyberbullying) | Rights of the Child and FGM |
| Anti-Bullying | Careers Ed: My Skills (links to transferable skills for careers) | Ask it Basket (age appropriate answers to students questions on relationships and sex education) |
| Our Values (including British Values) |
Y8 Topics
| AUTUMN | SPRING | SUMMER |
|---|---|---|
| Careers Ed: My Targets (including student survey results) | Optimism (setting smart targets for health, social and study) | Happy Being Me (The potential impact of media on body image) |
| Actions for Happiness (understanding a range of emotions) | E-Safety (managing risk online and grooming) | Respecting Diversity (unacceptability of prejudice-based language) |
| Racial Diversity (We are an inclusive community that celebrates diversity) | Report & Remove (why not to send and share intimate images) | Romantic Relationships (intro to consent) |
| Have your say (Democracy and listening to different perspectives) | Legal/Illegal Drugs (class A,B,C Drugs and their affects) | First Aid (Bleeding and Primary Survey) |
| Safeguarding (Discrimination and Radicalisation) | Vapes (Laws and Health Risks) | Careers Ed: My Employability Skills |
| My Rights (Key rights and laws that affect your life) | HPV Vaccine (What are STIs?) | Ask it Basket (age appropriate answers to students questions on relationships and sex education) |
| Careers Ed: Personal Finance (how to save and spend wisely) |
Y9 Topics
| AUTUMN | SPRING | SUMMER |
|---|---|---|
| Careers Ed: Interpersonal Skills (how your strengths can help you succeed) | Careers Ed: My Preferences (understanding the preferences process and making informed choices) | My Body, My Choice (identify forms of sexual harassment/abuse) |
| Careers Ed: My Targets (how to set realistic and achievable goals) | Careers Ed: My Skills (identifying and finding ways to develop employability skills) | Contraception and Consent |
| Racial Diversity | Careers Ed: Be enterprising (career pathways, and young people employment rights) | Sexual Equality |
| First Aid (including Choking and Head Injuries) | Avoiding risks (Gang Culture, County Lines and Knife Crime) | Is Porn a Problem? |
| My Mind (Understanding Stress, effective relaxation techniques) | Careers Ed: My Money (including consumer rights) | Working out Relationships (awareness of abusive relationships) |
| Being Assertive | Body image (the real me and what aspects of your life to keep private) | Long Term Relationships (Marriage and the Law) |
| Alcohol (risks and consequences) |
To view what topics are taught in Years 10-11 click on our KS4 PSHEE page.
Relationships and Sex Education
Relationships and Sex Education
As a Catholic community, PSHEE develops an understanding that you have been uniquely created in the image of God with your own special worth and value.
Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) is taught as part of PSHEE. Our course uses carefully chosen age- appropriate resources in keeping with our school's Catholic ethos. We solely use reliable and trustworthy sources accredited by the Catholic Education Service, the national PSHE Association and Norfolk Local Authority.
For more detailed information about what is covered each year visit our webpage Parent/Carer Intro to RSE.
Policies
PSHEE is taught in line with the following school policies which can be accessed on the Policies page of our website:
- Acceptable Use and E-Safety Policy
- Behaviour
- Anti-Bullying
- Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance
- Drugs Education
- Equality and Diversity
- Relationships and Sex Education
- Safeguarding
- Special Needs