PSHE Education Rationale
The PSHE schedule was written to reflect issues that are most relevant to individual year groups. This information is gained from discussions and meetings with PMs, form tutors and the Pastoral Assistant Head teacher. We also select activities from national and international events such as Black History Month, Remembrance Day and LGBT+ month.
At Alperton Community School, we follow the PSHE association framework and indeed any government strategy initiative, such as Prevent, CSE and RSE (2020). Resources have been created in order to develop the education across each year group as students move up through the years, in order to progress each visit and subsequent revisit.
It is the aim of PSHE to ensure that each issue is prioritised with particular reference to our student body and the community they live and are educated in. We also aim, where possible, to strengthen the links across the curriculum and to bring in outside agencies, e.g. Chelsea’s choice, Aneeta Prem – Freedom charity, Project fit, Innovative enterprise, Your Life You Choose, and the Launch program. Each year we try to bring in external groups to address the current needs of particular year groups.
The impact is measured in various ways, including student voice, the ethos of our school and the career options students follow. We trust that the discussion sessions, the tutor-led lessons, the drop down days and external company events will be seen in the behaviour of our students and their actions later in life.
PSHE Education (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education)
At ACS the many issues that are within the PSHE framework are covered in a variety of ways. In lessons, on special days called ELD’s and with speakers that are invited in for special assemblies and workshops.
Approaches to Teaching and Learning in PSHE
Throughout Years 7-13, we aim to enable every student to develop into a healthy, well-rounded and responsible citizen. This is achieved through a wide range of active learning styles. PSHE sessions encourage every student to participate fully and discuss, reflect on and form his or her own opinions and views. The schemes of work are structured in order to facilitate our aims in reaching the whole child, use the material to stimulate discussion and allow for pupil participation. In addition to using books, we use resources that are carefully selected to suit the year group. We are also keen for students to learn more about current affairs and allows them to research into certain areas through the use of The Day website. Students cover all aspects of PSHE through written work, research tasks and discussions. Engaging, inclusive approaches are used in all lessons to enable students to enjoy and achieve in PSHE. Teachers are very passionate about PSHE and this enthusiasm enhances the interest of our students. At the beginning of the year each class devises a set of “ground rules” that they all agree to follow.
Form time is now called PSHE time to emphasise the importance of PSHE Education in our daily school lives.
Some examples of issues and areas discussed in PSHE lessons are: transition and making friends, personal safety, personal growth and changes, healthy lifestyles, self-esteem and confidence, first aid, drugs, alcohol and tobacco and making choices, financial capability, revision and time management, careers and aspirations, emotions, feelings and relationships, conception and contraception, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Domestic violence (DV), Child Sex Exploitation (CSE). New guidance on the status of RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) became statutory in 2020.
We also promote PSHE through literacy at our school.
At Year 7, we read A Kind of Spark, which deals with neurodiversity, compassion, family, bullying, and human rights.
At Year 8, classes read My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, covering topics of love, death, murder, racism, friendship, bullying and growing up, race, poverty, grief, prejudice, alcoholism, innocence, and terrorism.
Finally, in Year 9, form groups read Ghost that touches on issues such as, domestic violence, fears, peer pressure, bullying, and coping with trauma.
At KS4 and KS5 we promote the reading of current affairs through the student-friendly “The Day” website.
