Personal Development and PSHE (Personal, Social, Health, Economic) is a core subject. We use a single, integrated framework to ensure students receive an appropriate and balanced education. This framework is adapted across the Federation as follows:
- EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage): Learners follow the PSED (Personal, Social, and Emotional Development) statutory framework, which provides the essential foundation for their personal development journey.
- Engagement Path: This is for learners with complex or profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD). Themes are explored through sensory interaction, focusing on the five areas of engagement - Realisation, Anticipation, Initiation, Exploration and Persistence. This includes reacting to touch, engaging in hand washing, and indicating signs of rejection or acceptance.
- Subject-Specific Pathways (KS1–KS4): Content is organised into the following integrated themes and topics:
- Self-Awareness (SA): Focusing on "Things we are good at" and "Kind and Unkind Behaviours."
- Self-Care, Support and Safety (SS): Including personal hygiene, physical contact, safety online and in the community, and the fundamental concept of consent.
- Managing Feelings (MF): Including identifying and managing feelings and supporting mental health.
- Healthy Living (HL): Focusing on healthy lifestyles (physical activity/sleep), food and drink, and safety around medicines and household substances.
- Changing and Growing (CG): Covering the physical changes of growing up and puberty.
- Relationships (RW): Including healthy and happy relationships, different types of families, and specific Relationships and Sex Education (RSE).
- The World Around Us (WILI): Including living in the wider world, rights and responsibilities, careers, public services, and managing finances.
- Sixth Form (KS5): Students continue to follow the thematic coverage of Personal Development in line with the rest of the school (Applying and Transferring levels). However, the delivery is highly bespoke, focusing on specific interventions based on student wants and needs alongside their BTEC qualifications to prepare them for adulthood.
The central goal is for our learners to have a voice and to acquire the integrated tools they need to achieve personal wellbeing and lifelong safeguarding.
Our framework uses student and family-accessible language that ensures every member of our community understands what is being taught and why. Under the "Personal Development" banner, RSE focuses on teaching students elements like: what a relationship is, what a friendship is, what family means and who the people are who can support them. It also teaches them how to take care of their bodies, how to stay safe (including online), and how to identify and report abuse.
Across the academic year, we specifically focus on Personal Development and PSHE topics termly:
Autumn Term - Self, Health and Wellbeing
Spring Term - Living in the Wider World
Summer Term - Relationship Education (including sex in KS4 and Sixth Form)
Our curriculum delivery compliments the Federation vision:
• Everyone will be the best that they can be: delivery prepares out students for keeping safe in the modern world.
• Everyone has a voice: through advocacy sessions planned throughout the sequences.
• No-one is excluded: planning is personalised for all students and based on what they say they want to learn as well as what they need to learn.
If you would like to know more about our Personal Development and PSHE curriculum including RSE, please contact the School Office who will direct your call to our Subject Lead.