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Personal Development is a timetabled lesson where students study health, sex and relationships, employability, safety and life skills. This lesson supports our wider school community ethos by providing students the opportunity to develop successful character traits and habits alongside their academic studies. These personal strengths, talents and abilities will enable students to become their best selves in their physical health, mental well-being, career aspirations and relationships.
Through a bespoke programme designed according to our students' lived experiences and age-appropriate resources, we focus on high quality and inclusive teaching for every child in the form class. The curriculum plan develops through years 7 to 13, covering the statutory PSHE guidance at each key stage, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development across the school and the Rights Respecting School model of wellbeing, participation, relationships and self-esteem.
Our aim is that students will know:
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 | Term 5 | Term 6 |
Transition and safety Transition to secondary school and personal safety in and outside school. | Developing skills and aspirations Careers, teamwork and enterprise skills, and raising aspirations | Diversity Diversity, prejudice, and bullying | Health and puberty Healthy routines, influences on health, puberty, unwanted contact, and FGM | Building relationships Self-worth, romance and friendships (including online) and relationship boundaries | Financial decision making Saving, borrowing, budgeting and making financial choices |
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 | Term 5 | Term 6 |
Drugs and alcohol Alcohol and drug misuse and pressures relating to drug use | Community and careers Equality of opportunity in careers and life choices, and different types and patterns of work | Discrimination Discrimination in all its forms, including: racism, religious discrimination, disability, discrimination, sexism, homophobia, biphobia and transphobia | Emotional wellbeing Mental health and emotional wellbeing, including body image and coping strategies | Identity and relationships Gender identity, sexual orientation, consent, ‘sexting’, and an introduction to contraception | Digital literacy Online safety, digital literacy, media reliability, and gambling hooks |
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 | Term 5 | Term 6 |
Peer influence, substance use and gangs Handling conflict, Healthy and unhealthy friendships, assertiveness, substance misuse, and gang exploitation | Setting goals Learning strengths, career options and goal setting as part of the GCSE options process | Respectful relationships Families and parenting, healthy relationships, conflict resolution, and relationship changes | Healthy lifestyle Diet, exercise, lifestyle balance and healthy choices, and first aid | Intimate relationships Relationships and sex education including consent, contraception, the risks of STIs, and attitudes to pornography | Employability skills Employability and online presence |
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 | Term 5 | Term 6 |
Mental health Mental health and ill health, stigma, safeguarding health, including during periods of transition or change | Financial decision making The impact of financial decisions, debt, gambling and the impact of advertising on financial choices | Healthy relationships Relationships and sex expectations, myths, pleasure and challenges, including the impact of the media and pornography | Exploring influence The influence and impact of drugs, gangs, role models and the media | Addressing extremism and radicalisation Communities, belonging and challenging extremism | Work experience Preparation for and evaluation of work experience and readiness for work |
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 | Term 5 | Term 6 |
Building for the future Self-efficacy, stress management, and future opportunities | Next steps Application processes, and skills for further education, employment and career progression | Communication in relationships Personal values, assertive communication (including in relation to contraception and sexual health), relationship challenges and abuse | Independence Responsible health choices, and safety in independent contexts | Families Different families and parental responsibilities, pregnancy, marriage and forced marriage and changing relationships | GCSE Exams |
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 | Term 5 | Term 6 |
Mental health and emotional wellbeing Mental health and emotional wellbeing, Managing stress, Body image, Healthy coping strategies | Planning for the future Exploring future opportunities, Post-18 options, The impact of financial decisions | Diversity and inclusion Living in a diverse society, Challenging prejudice and discrimination | Readinessfor work Career opportunities, Preparing for the world of work | Respectful relationships Consent, Assertive communication, Positive relationships and recognising abuse, Strategies for managing dangerous situations or relationships | Health choices and safety Independence and keeping safe, Travel, First aid, The impact of substance use |
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 | Term 5 | Term 6 |
Independence Responsible health choices, Managing change, Health and wellbeing, including sexual health, into adulthood | Financial choices Managing money, Financial contracts, Budgeting, Saving, Debt Influences on financial choices | Intimate relationships Personal values, including in relation to contraception and sexual health, Fertility, Pregnancy | Next steps Application processes, Future opportunities and career development, Maintaining a positive professional identity | Building and maintaining relationships New friendships and relationships, including in the workplace, Personal safety, Intimacy, Conflict resolution, Relationship changes | A Level Exams |