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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 |
The British Value of Mutual Respect through our Transition into Secondary School Our first days at Holcombe, Traveling Safely to School, Digital Literacy, Showing Tolerance and Mutual Respect – What makes a good friend and bullying & Goal Setting | Skills and Aspirations for our Future Career personality profiles, Skills in the Workplace, Types of Careers, Career Pathways, What do we know about Careers & Job Interviews | Developing Mutual Respect & Individual Liberty through the Study of Diversity The Protected Characteristics, Similarities Differences and Peer Influence, Mutual Respect – Raising awareness of Disabilities, Individual Liberty and Mutual Respect – Gender and Sexuality, Mutual Respect – Race and Religion, The Challenging of Stereotypes & Respectful societies and Cultures aboard | Finances and Managing our Money Understanding Finances and money management, Bank Accounts, Reading Bank Statements and Borrowing Money, Saving Money, Gambling and Debt & Budgeting | Building Relationships and Puberty Roles in a Family, Understanding Types of Relationships, Mutual Respect and Consent, Sexual Content Online & Puberty – Our Bodies | Health and Puberty Puberty – Emotional Changes, An Introduction to Sexual Health, An introduction to FGM, The impacts of Dental Hygiene, The Benefits of Good Hygiene and Impact of Antibiotics & Diet and Healthy Lifestyles |
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 | Term 5 | Term 6 |
Looking after ourselves Basic Hygiene, Dental Health, Developing our understanding of the Rule of Law – What is Vaping?, The impacts of Vaping and Nicotine, Alcohol and its Impacts & The Rule of Law – An Introduction to Drugs | Careers and Future Planning Types of Careers, Exploring Career Interests, Careers in the City, Developing Skills needed for Work, Writing a Cover Letter, An introduction to Unifrog, Planning a Pathway | Developing our Mutual Respect through dealing with Discrimination The Protected Characteristics, Mutual Respect – Appropriate behaviours and respecting others, Our similarities differences and influence, Mutual Respect – Raising awareness of Disabilities, Individual Liberty and Mutual Respect – Gender and Sexuality, Mutual Respect – Race and Religion & Challenging Stereotypes | Digital Literacy and Staying Safe Online Online Bullying and its impacts, Online Gaming – The Rule of Law, Safety Online, How to keep ourselves safe online, Cybercrime – Rule of Law & Financial Exploitation | Relationships and emotional well-being and our identity Families and Long Term commitments, Influences on a Relationship, Stereotypes and the Media’s impact on Relationships, Consent and Making Assumptions & Abusive Behaviours | Puberty, Sexual Health and the World Around Us Puberty – Changes in our Bodies, Our Sexual Health, Respecting cultures and societies aboard, Safety around water, Looking after our Mental Health & Looking after our Physical Health |
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 | Term 5 | Term 6 |
Understanding the Rule of Law through the World Around Us Email Scams, The impact of Vaping and Nicotine, Developing our knowledge of Alcohol and its impacts, Drug types and dangers & Grooming and Gang Culture | Developing Mutual Respect and Individual Liberty through Intimate Relationships Consent, Freedom and the Capacity to Consent, Making Assumptions, Managing the ending of relationships, Communication and Readiness, Our Sexual Health and Well-being & Feelings about sharing Nudes & Understanding Rape | The World of Work and GCSE Planning Exploring Career Interests, Planning a Career Pathway, CV’s and Cover Letters, Job Interviews, Developing our understanding of GCSE subjects and Expectations & What our GCSEs will look like | Duke of Edinburgh Skills Budgeting and meeting daily requirements from food and diet, How to use Grid References, Taking responsibility for a Home, How to use a triangular stove and utensils & Tent building | Healthy Lifestyle and Life Skills Discrimination and Bias, Physical Health and Well-being, Healthy Lifestyle and a sedentary Lifestyle, Cancers and their impacts, Puberty and Sexual Health & Using Mutual Respect to study Fertility and Menopause | Life Knowledge and Next Steps for GCSEs Navigating our Healthcare System, Understanding Grief and Loss, First Aid, Pornography and Sexual Content, Managing Stress and Workload & Developing our readiness for GCSEs |
Please see attached the Key Stage 3 Learning Journey for Personal Development.
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 | Term 5 | Term 6 |
Mental Health and Dealing with Stress Challenges within our GCSEs, Our mental health and its importance, Dealing with stress, Unhealthy coping strategies, Revision Techniques & Goal Setting for GCSE success | Addressing extremism and radicalisation Valuing Diversity, FGM and its impacts, Bias and Stereotypes in Society, The Rule of Law – Understanding Deepfakes, The dangers of misinformation, Understanding and preventing extremism, Discrimination and our Protected Characteristics & Hymenoplasty and Virginity Testing | Mutual Respect and the Rule of Law around Healthy Relationships Commitment values and types of relationships, The Rule of Law – Coercive behaviour, The Rule of Law – Sexual Violence harassment abuse and strangulation, Contraception, Sexual Health Well-being (an introduction to contraception) & The Rule of Law – Nudes consent and rape | The Rule of Law and Exploring Influence Drug types and their dangers, Pornography and how it impacts the perceptions of others, Gangs and staying safe, Knife Crime, The impact of the media and social media on our behaviour towards others & Harmful advertisements online and their impacts | Careers and Work Experience Individual Liberty – Post 16 Options that support our careers, Navigating a Career Landscape, Careers in the City, Mutual Respect – How to act within the workplace, Workplace Preparation & Applying for roles and interviews | The Wider World AI and its impacts, Supporting others – Suicide Prevention, The science behind our blood and blood donation, the science behind organ and stem cell donation, Managing our money |
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 | Term 5 | Term 6 |
Understanding Relationships through Mutual Respect Relationships and Pornography, Abuse and Grooming – The Rule of Law, Sexual Health and Fertility, Developing our knowledge of contraception, STI’s, Pregnancy and Parenthood | Responsibility and Life Tax and Budgeting, Budgeting and Debt, Drugs and their dangers – illegal drugs and over the counter drugs, Next Steps Post YR 11, Dealing with Exam disappointment | Independent Life Individual Liberty – University and the world of work, AI and its risks, Supporting others, suicide prevention, Toxic digital subcultures and Incels, Harmful online influencers & Social media and its impacts on us | Preparing for exams Use of Technology for Revision, Revision Techniques, Dealing with Stress, Unhealthy coping strategies, Managing our time and workload | GCSE Exams | GCSE Exams |
Please see attached the Key Stage 4 Learning Journey for Personal Development.
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 | Term 5 | Term 6 |
Our Well-Being Democracy and Mutual Respect through team building and Communication, First Aid – DR ABC, First Aid – An introduction to bleeds and bandages, The importance of mental health and looking after our mental health, The impacts of drugs and vapes & Eating Disorders and Meal Preparation | Respectful Relationships Pregnancy and Parenthood, Showing Mutual Respect – Fertility and Menopause, Respectful Relationships and Domestic Abuse against Men and Women, STI’s & Sexual Health and Myths to be aware of | Current Life The Rule of Law – Car and Road Safety, The World Around Us – Knife Crime, The Risks of Illegal Behaviours – the sale of drugs and knives, Supporting someone in danger, Vaccines and Immunisation, Supporting others and Suicide Prevention & Self Harm | Exam Readiness and Coursework support AI and its impacts, Using AI and online revision methods to support us, Developing revision strategies and SMART targets, Dealing with stress, Unhealthy coping strategies & Supporting our mental health | UCAS and Next Steps UCAS Support and applications, Skills needed for the workplace, Preparing ourselves for the world of work & Interviews | The World of Work Planning a Career Pathway, Reducing Inappropriate Behaviours in the workplace & Managing workloads and time for work and school |
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 | Term 5 | Term 6 |
Independent Life Car and Road Safety, A recall of the basics of First Aid, The next steps of First Aid – Choking shock and asthma, Drug and Alcohol and their impact, Dealing with Emergencies & Navigating our healthcare system and the benefits of self-examination and screening | Planning for the next steps The impact of AI, Managing our time and workload, Bills and Supporting Apps, Mortgages and Applications, Student Finance, Budgeting and Planning ahead & Supporting others – Suicide Prevention | Health and Relationships Mutual Respect – What a respectful and modern relationship looks like, The Rule of Law – Domestic Abuse, Pregnancy and Sexual Health, Protecting ourselves from STI’s | Stress Management and Mental Health Dealing with Stress and Healthy Coping Strategies, Time to Talk, Stereotypes around stress and opening up and noticing a friend in need, Unhealthy coping mechanisms & Stress Reduction in practice | A Level Exams | A Level Exams |
Please see attached the Key Stage 5 Learning Journey for Personal Development.