Why do we learn personal development?
Personal Development empowers our pupils to understand and celebrate their identity and become healthy, active, safe and responsible citizens. We understand that this ambitious goal requires both knowledge and developmental experiences. Therefore, we teach our pupils about relationships, physical and mental health, online safety and citizenship through our Personal Development curriculum. Simultaneously, we provide pupils with developmental experiences via our Pupil Leadership Programme, our Enrichment Programme and our House System. Careers education is also fundamental to Personal Development at Bolingbroke Academy. We believe that providing all pupils with accurate, age-appropriate knowledge and challenging experiences through which to explore their character and future career we will create a courageous, compassionate community – empowering excellence.
Head of Department
Ms L Scott
Our approach
Courageous
A courageous approach to the Personal Development of our pupils is at the heart of Bolingbroke Academy. We bravely refresh our whole school provision so that the information is reflective of our pupils’ current world. All staff are to be courageous when delivering content so that Bolingbroke is seen as a safe space to air all opinions and questions, however challenging. This diversity of opinion empowers our pupils to be open-minded, value discussion and engage with challenging topics throughout the course of their life; embracing tolerance and diversity, which is central to British values.
The Pupil Leadership Programme (Ambassadors and Senate) enables pupils in each year group to become young leaders; we coach our pupils to help them to bravely manage events, assemblies and lead their cohort. This is also an opportunity for pupil leadership to provide a voice for the student body, to drive change. This encourages pupils to understand, develop and sustain their role as active citizens within their community, with lifelong agency as leaders. As Ambassadors and Senate leaders, they hold their peers to account in uniform and equipment checks and report back on successes and challenges through frequent meetings with their Head of Year.
Alongside this, our Careers Programme is a strand of Personal Development that particularly builds pupils’ courage. Early in their school careers, they begin to develop their self-awareness as they consider their skills, talents, and strengths, by completing Morrisby profiling, CV writing and one-to-one interviews with external careers coaches. They undertake work shadowing or experience, developing their self-confidence and ability to reflect. We facilitate such experiences to expand pupils’ aspirations for themselves so that they will ultimately be ambitious about and successful in their next steps, drawing from a wealth of additional input from external agencies and universities.
Compassionate
Our pupils are encouraged to reflect on the importance of consent in relationships, the spectrum of sexual orientation/gender and the need for appreciating individual liberty and mutual respect in line with British Values. We model respectful discussion and communication through guided debate that contributes to our Academy’s holistic approach towards compassion. By utilising Personal Development sessions in this way, compassion becomes embedded within the classroom and our wider community. To this end, we deliver these sensitive topics empathetically at an age-appropriate level using quality first teaching. Personal Development empowers our pupils to understand and celebrate their identity and become healthy, active, safe and responsible citizens. We understand that this ambitious goal requires both knowledge and developmental experiences. Therefore, we teach our pupils about relationships, physical and mental health, online safety and citizenship through our Personal Development curriculum. Simultaneously, we provide pupils with developmental experiences via our Pupil Leadership Programme, our Enrichment Programme and our House System. Careers education is also fundamental to Personal Development at Bolingbroke Academy. We believe that providing all pupils with accurate, age-appropriate knowledge and challenging experiences through which to explore their character and future career we will create a courageous, compassionate community – empowering excellence.
Our culture encourages pupils to share their views – we value actively listening to each other and consider the views of others, even if not in line with their own. However, we do not enable hate speech to be aired as free speech; when a pupil does express uncompassionate/intolerant views we follow due safeguarding processes, approaching the pupil with compassion and considered discussion in order to build a more respectful and understanding community. We ensure that all pupils will be able to appreciate diverse views and be able to express and formulate respectful perspectives on the world around them, including their place within it.
Compassion is also shown through the tailored nature of our enrichment and trips programme. We plan these ventures to maximize pupils’ experience; to complement their learning and develop their character. We aim to provide an equitable experience to ensure that pupils have access to the opportunities they deserve regardless of background.
Community
We want our pupils to feel that all voices in our school community are equal. To promote inclusion, we have organized our Personal Development groups into mixed ability Civitas groups which correspond to five houses. Civitas and House memberships foster fraternity within Bolingbroke and our inter-house competitions teach pupils the value of community spirit and collaboration, both in school and virtually during remote learning. To encourage a sense of pride in representing their respective houses which is positively reinforced through house spirit day and Sports Day. Pupils are taught to be knowledgeable about the identity of people that their houses represent and which school values they embody.
We further empower our pupils to understand what makes a healthy community through our teaching of Citizenship which encompasses British Values, Religious and sex education, human rights, bias/tolerance, democracy and the rule of law. Our incorporation of Citizenship asks pupils to consider their role as a member of school but also as citizen of London, the UK and the wider world. We help our pupils to safeguard themselves against anti-social behaviours that can disrupt communities via direct teaching and, when possible, inviting informed speakers. Through assemblies and civitas, pupils are introduced to key cultural events which highlight the importance of inclusion and diversity within a community.
We value the voice of each pupil in our Bolingbroke community and therefore ask our pupils to share their view on our school via our annual survey. We analyse these results and act upon them to meet the personal development needs of our pupils. Parents are included in this sense of community through the parent survey and the ‘My Child at School’ app which allows them to track and monitor their child’s progress and behaviour throughout the school day. Within the school there is a Sixth form Senate and Ambassador link which allows pupils of all ages to work together in creating safe spaces for pupil voice. Students and pupils are empowered to take on leadership roles within the community and are taught these skills through a leadership conference. These skills are implemented during Charities week where both Senate and Ambassadors lead on fundraising events for a specific charity.
To help our pupils feel the power of our school community we use our social media channels to broadcast community news, hold cohort social events such as the Year 7 disco, Year 9 soiree, Year 11 prom, Year 13 leavers ball and Charities Week and run a diverse range subject-specific events such as school trips. Duke of Edinburgh personifies this community endeavour – we attempt to maximize the number of pupils that access this opportunity each year. The Bark Magazine and The VIew Newsletter, has allowed student and pupils to highlight their creativity and talents. It has been a vehicle for celebrating their success, both academic and We believe that such experiences endow pupils with a model of positive community action. This, we hope, will develop young people who can navigate a variety of settings and communities as their best authentic selves.
Empowering Excellence
We have high expectations for pupils’ personal development. Our Attitude to Learning rubric helps our pupils to reflect on how their behaviour/character facilitates positive progress.
To develop intrinsic motivation, we publicly recognize pupil excellence (both academic and non-academic) through a wide range of events. Most notably: graduation ceremonies, termly achievement assemblies and our annual speech day. At KS5, students receive a highly personalised report every 4 weeks which is reviewed and celebrated in civitas. Students are allocated a member of staff to support them in their pursuit of personal excellence. At KS3 and KS4, pupils receive a personalised report termly which they reflect on with their Civitas tutor. Pupil knowledge of self if key to their personal improvement in this way. All pupils and students also have an individual progress review appointment with their parents across the year.
We further empower excellence through our continual development of pupil leadership. Each year group has 10 ambassadors in KS3 and KS4 with a 20 student senate including Head Students and deputies. These students meet their Heads of Year weekly to plan events, raise priority issues and improve school life. This strategy enables young people at Bolingbroke to feel that their voice is heard. Pupil leadership democratically allows Bolingbroke to have pupil role models within their year group who embody excellence. Our Sixth form senate are the embodiment of Pupil Leadership at Bolingbroke – they live out our vision and actively work to promote it, shown in their work across their link year groups. This empowers our pupils to continue to strive be leaders as they move through school life and beyond.
Similarly, we aim to empower excellence by giving each year group a personal development project. These include our Empowering Identity Project in Year 7, the PPQ in Year 8, their 1-1 Careers Interviews and Future Me project in Year 9, Work Experience in Year 10 and Year 11 and Beyond project in Year 11. All y10 and y11 students receive an individual Morrisby guidance appointment, helping them to highlight their own skills and strengths. In the Sixth Form, students opt into a choice of 3 personal development ventures: the EPQ, peer mentoring or Young Enterprise. This culminates in their applying for university, apprenticeship and employment choices – the culmination of 7 years of personal development at Bolingbroke.
Year 7
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
| Relationships | Relationships |
|
Induction: telling their personal story; personalised Civitas display which captures their identity. Definitions and examples of courage, compassion and community. Introduce Attitude to Learning Rubric. Vocab: courage, compassion, community, empowerment, excellence, attitude.
Friendship: Healthy Habits Behaviours of a ‘good friend’ and features of healthy friendships: kindness, trust, honesty, loyalty, boundaries. How to identify and avoid unhealthy friendships and peer pressure. Online relationships, including staying safe online. Vocab: peer pressure, boundaries, mutual respect.
Friendship: Bullying How to recognize bullying (online and offline) and courageously stand up to unkindness using Several Times on Purpose. Understanding the laws against trolling. Vocab: STOP, cyberbully, harassment, bystander, trolls.
Black History Month: Celebration Why we celebrate BHM. ’Still I Rise’ by Maya Angelou and ‘Windrush Child’ by John Agard. Writing Haiku poems for a real audience. Vocab: person of colour, identity, heritage. |
Relationships: Respecting Others Why we don’t stereotype others; how we show tolerance to others views and embrace/celebrate diversity in our communities Introduction of sexuality and sexual orientation. Eg: Race, Sexuality, Gender. Vocab: Unconscious bias, stereotype, prejudice, tolerance, gender, orientation, discrimination.
Relationships: Practical Positive Strategies The impact of positive relationships on health. Positive and open body language, active listening, resolving an argument and sharing how you feel in a calm way. Vocab: vulnerability, compromise, active listening, conflict resolution.
Families: Healthy Habits Why people have short- or long-term relationships: marriage, civil partnerships, cohabitation, arranged marriage and different types of families: nuclear, extended family etc. Family dynamics: The role of a parent/what makes a good parent and or sibling. Vocab: ancestry, parenting, sibling, neglect, abuse, privacy, marriage, divorce.
Year 7 – Safeguarding Golden 5
|
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
| Happiness and Health | Happiness and Health |
|
Physical Health: Growing Up and Puberty How the body changes from 0-25yrs with a specific focus on how puberty can impact your body, behaviour and emotions. What we mean by ‘mental health’ and physical health and the idea that ‘normal’ development is different for each young person. What menstruation is and how it impacts girls. The cycle of menstruation and ovulation. Vocab: pubic hair, body odour, adolescence, teenage, childhood, puberty.
Physical Health: The Golden Trio - Eating The importance of the golden trio of good health - sleep, eating, exercise. Explanation of how a person needs each of the three elements to stay healthy. Focus specifically on eating - what constitutes a balanced diet, what are the pitfalls of junk food and benefits of eating a varied diet. The risks associated with both obesity and dieting. Vocab: balanced diet, protein, carbohydrate, fat, sugar, vitamins, minerals, nutrients, deficiency, nutritious, obesity
Mental Health: Growth Mindset The difference between a fixed or a growth mindset using the work of Carol Dweck. The positive impact of having a grown mindset upon your mental health. Examples of growth mindset from world renowned figures and other students. Strategies to foster a growth mindset within yourself eg: positive affirmations and positive self-talk versus self-criticism and negative self-talk. Vocab: positivity, negativity, mindset, self-talk. |
Mental Health: Failure and Feedback As Fuel How we learn from feedback and failure and use it to fuel our success. Focus on feedback and failure in different contexts: school, sport, music, business, publishing. Examples of people who have used feedback and failure to their advantage. Use of ideas from Syed’s ‘Black Box Thinking’ on the power of studying our mistakes before making our next move. Vocab: work in progress, failure, feedback, development, mistakes.
Behaviour: Our Screen Habits A timeline of how screens have been introduced into our lives from black and white TV to today’s tablets and phones. A study of how our families have seen changes in screen time within their homes – how regularly they are used and why they are used. Whether we think screens have a positive or negative impact upon the health of UK families. Strategies to reduce screen time or use screens for good health. Vocab: screen time, connection, convenience, screen addiction, attention, screen function.
Safety: Staying Safe Online The safe and responsible use of information communication technology, including safe management of own and others’ personal data including images. The laws about sharing information, including photos, online. How know what is appropriate or inappropriate online and how to respond safely. Vocab: personal data, digital footprint, trolling, grooming, privacy |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
| Active Citizen | Active Citizen |
|
Citizenship: The Contribution of a Citizen What it means to be an active citizen of a country. How all citizens contribute to society; eg: how successfully functioning society can be positively impacted by the efforts of individual citizens and how society can be negatively impacted by the behaviour patterns of citizens. Pupils to conduct research on everyday heroes and how citizens can work together for the greater good of their communities or how society can shape the behaviour of its citizens for good eg: laws that mean young people must go to school, how the UK has worked to reduce the proportion of citizens smoking. Vocab: citizen, contribution, society, community, societal change.
Citizenship: Your Rights as a Citizen The key human rights and what this means for the life of each citizen – what you are entitled to receive. Focus particularly on the United Nations convention of Human Rights and The Rights of the Child. Pupils to understand that human rights are protected in societies by laws and the justice system. Pupils to learn the rights then conduct debates using the rights to decide if someone’s rights are being violated or protected. Vocab: human rights, rights of the child, convention, protection, violation entitlement.
The UK: Diversity and Multiculturalism What is the current demographic makeup of the UK: race, religion, education, disability, age and sexual orientation. A look at how London compares in terms of it’s demographic in comparison to the rest of the UK. How has the diversity of the UK changed over time; what examples can we see of these changes in our society. The benefits and challenges of multicultural society. Using Syed’s rebel ideas to explain the positive impact of diversity and the importance of tolerance. Vocab: demographic, diversity, multiculturalism, tolerance. |
Identity Project: Research and Planning Six weeks in which pupils review their identity. Pupils to look at what constitutes identity and how identity varies from person to person by considering differing identity diagram/chart models. Discussion of how culture and family shape identity eg: religious beliefs, language, opportunities available, gender stereotypes etc. Pupils then conduct research into what forms their own identity by looking at the meaning of their name, their family history/ancestry/heritage, their journey through school. Vocab: identity, culture, ancestry, heritage.
Identity Project: Communication and Presentation Pupils learn presentation skills including how to put together an engaging power point/visual resources that will engage their audience. Pupils also learn how to communicate key messages using concise scripting, open and engaging body language, volume, pupils practice delivering their identity project before presenting to their real audience. Vocab: delivery, concise, audience engagement |
Year 8
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
| Relationships | Relationships |
|
Induction: ATL rubric: exemplary communication. Asking questions/raising points, engaging in debate, calmly presenting a counter argument. Vocab: discussion, debate, delivery, confidence, ‘Devil’s advocate’, SRE: Qualities in a Partner The difference between friendship and consensual romantic relationships/attraction. How to recognise the characteristics and positive aspects of healthy romantic relationships: mutual respect, consent, loyalty, trust, shared interests, values, outlook. Seeking consent and compatibility. Vocab: love, compatibility, intimacy, values, consent. SRE: Sexuality, Gender and Individuality The meaning of LGBTQA+ and experience of LGBTQA+ individuals. Homophobic behaviour as a hate crime. To share your own view. Vocab: sexual orientation, gender identity, homophobia, lesbian, gay, queer, pansexual, asexual, trans. Black History Month: Cultural Heritage Timeline of UK Black History. The importance of standing up to racism. Using the work of David Olusoga. Vocab: diaspora, anti-racism. |
SRE: Intimacy and Boundaries How to say yes, no or maybe. Coercion and consent in romantic or sexual relationships. Understanding how someone may be groomed or coerced both online and offline. Including human trafficking. Vocab: grooming, exploitation, consensual, consent, coercion. SRE: Sexual Content The law on viewing sexual images, including revenge porn and sharing sexual content. The impact of viewing pornography on sexual expectations and behaviour. Vocab: the media, pornography, sexualization, catcalling, revenge porn, objectification. Friendships: Mob Mentality The presentation of teens and gangs in the media. How young people can be influenced by peers’ decisions and how to comfortably say no. Understanding how teens may be exploited by county lines, gang behaviour or peer pressure. Vocab: gangs, exploitation, county lines. Year 8
|
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
| Happiness and Health | Happiness and Health |
|
Physical Health: The Golden Trio – Exercise The importance of the golden trio of good health - sleep, eating, exercise. Touch upon how a person needs each of the three elements to stay healthy. Focus specifically on exercise. What constitutes regular exercise and examples of different exercise types - cardio, strength, mobility, conditioning – and sports. Benefits of regular varied exercise on mental and physical health. The negative impact of doing no exercise/being sedentary on mental and physical health. Pupils to engage in an exercise project within their civitas to last the term. Spring 1 – conditioning. Spring 2 – cardio. Vocab: sport, individual exercise, conditioning, mobility, strength, cardio, sedentary, active/inactive lifestyle.
Mental Health: Our Power Why we should focus on what is within our internal locus of control. Explanation of how an internal locus of control can improve our mental health: we are in control of our habits and behaviour and we can use self-control and to self-regulate. Human’s natural fight, flight and freeze responses to stress and strategies that we might use instead so that we stay calm and in control. Examples of those who self-regulate well with a focus on athletes and sport. Vocab: self-regulation, self-discipline, reaction, impulsivity, internal and external locus of control.
Physical Health: HPV and Vaccinations (will depend when in pupils get their vaccine) What is HPV? Why we vaccinate against HPV. How our HPV programme in the UK was developed and its positive impact upon public health for young people. The benefit of vaccination programs to public health – including the Covid 19 vaccine and MMR, vaccines. Pupils to do their own research of examples of how vaccines have had a positive impact upon our national health and/or can look at global vaccination programmes. Vocab: HPV, cancer, vaccination, public health program, national health. |
Mental Health: Anxiety What is anxiety? Why humans have anxiety – as a natural response to keep us safe. Types of anxiety: social, health, generalized anxiety and the causes of anxiety. Signs of anxiety eg: panic attacks. How to tell the difference between manageable worries and when anxiety or worry becomes a mental health disorder/problem. How chronic anxiety can impact life and why it is important to get help. Examples of individuals who have overcome anxiety and the strategies they used. Vocab: anxious, nervous, unease, distress, panic attack, generalized anxiety.
Mental Health: Staying Calm What is mindfulness and how mindfulness can improve our mental health by enabling us to stay calm and focused on the present moment rather than the future or the past. Intentional breathing and other mindfulness strategies/exercises we can use to stay at peace during stressful situations or when we feel worried. Pupils to try meditation, yoga/stretching, intentional breathing, mindfulness body scan and colouring to calm. Vocab: mindfulness, meditation, breathing, staying present.
Physical Health: Our Exercise Findings Pupils to present in small groups how their Civitas exercise project impacted their health and that of their family. Did they find it challenging to include exercise as a habit? What recommendations would they make to anyone who is currently living a sedentary lifestyle? What did they notice was the difference between cardio exercise and conditioning exercises on their health? What exercise goals will they set for the next term. Vocab: benefits, drawbacks, challenges, successes. |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
| Active Citizen | Active Citizen |
|
Government: The Development of Democracy in the UK The UK System of Governance as a constitutional monarchy. How the role of monarchy has changed in the UK with the development of the role of the Prime Minister and their Cabinet/Ministers. What the monarchy do now as head of state. The concept of democracy – what we mean by democratic and undemocratic. How the move toward a constitutional monarchy made the UK more democratic and how voting laws have changed over time to allow everyone to vote. Pupils to create a timeline of how democracy has developed in the UK and then use creative ways to represent these changes: writing a story, diary entry etc. Vocab: monarch, head of state, democratic, undemocratic, elections, voting, constitutional monarchy.
Government: The UK Parliament: House of Commons The bicameral structure of the UK parliament - the House of Commons. How one becomes a Member of the House of Commons (MP). How the largest political party in the House of Commons forms a government and the leader becomes the Prime Minister of the UK. Pupils to understand that political parties form the government and opposition in the UK House of Commons. How elections and voting can change the makeup of the House of Commons eg: Labour 1998 and Coalition 2010. Vocab: bicameral, member of parliament, house of commons, government, prime minister, majority vote, political party.
Government: Political Parties What are political parties and why do they exist across the world. Why someone might choose to become a member of a political party. The largest political parties in the UK: Conservative Party, Labour Party, SNP, Liberal Democrats and The Green Party. Pupils should understand how these parties differ in their general beliefs and consider which party they might be most aligned. Pupils to understand that parties develop policies that align with their beliefs. Vocab: political party, belief, membership, policy-making. |
Government: Political Parties Using their knowledge of political parties’, pupils run a mock-election across their year group. Pupils develop policies based on their viewpoints and societal issues they have seen developing and want to alleviate. Pupils campaign to gain votes from others to form a mock Year 8 government. Vocab: political party, belief, membership, policy-making.
Government: House of Lords The bicameral structure of the UK parliament – the House of Lords. How one becomes a member of the House of Lords (peer). How the make up of the House of Lords has changed overtime to reflect the changing viewpoints of UK society. This is likely to take one week. Vocab: hereditary peers, life peerage.
Personal Project: Communication and Presentation Pupils review their Personal Project to create a presentation and display for the conference that will engage their audience. Pupils create an A3 poster for the Personal Project Conference, this may also include resources, demonstrations, surveys, samples that will help to communicate to fellow delegates. Pupils then practice their Project Pitch; to communicate their key findings using concise scripting, open and engaging body language, volume. Pupils’ practice delivering their PPQ before presenting it at their Personal Project Conference. Vocab: pitch, research findings, creative delivery, audience engagement. |
Year 9
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
| Relationships | Relationships |
|
Induction: Self-Awareness Completing the Johari Window and the Myers Briggs. Exploring how to use your personality to improve relationships. Vocab: confidence, self-regulation, self-awareness, seeking and receiving feedback on self.
Relationships: Faith and Culture in Relationships To understand the different cultural/faith expectations around concerning relationships and sexual activity. To understand FGM, honour-based violence, child marriage. Vocab: FGM, child-marriage, abstinence.
Families: Families in the 21st Century UK The diversity of families in the UK: extended, nuclear, single parent etc. Trends in 21st century UK – later parenthood, fewer children – exploring why? Skills and qualities that are central importance to family life including the implications of young parenthood. Activities in family planning: the age of fertility, adoption, fostering, IVF, freezing eggs and abortion. Vocab: fertility, adoption, foster parents, IVF, abortion.
Black History Month: Challenging Racism History of protest for Black Rights within the UK. Riots and peaceful protest in 1919, 1958, 1981 and 2020 – using BLM resources. How the lives of black people in the UK changed over this time. Vocab: Intersectional racism, Black Lives Matter. |
SRE: Consent and Contraception To understand different levels of intimacy and their consequences e.g.: the right not to have intimate relationships until ready. Mention contraception options and the risks of unprotected sex. How to seek the sexual consent of another person. Vocab: contraception, fertility, intimacy.
SRE: Contraception - Making Choices Different types of contraception with a focus on the level of protection, side effects, availability, and use. Explanation of both partners taking part in the contraceptive role and wearing of protection/contraception between same sex partners or for medical use. Protection against STIs provided by contraception. Vocab: family planning, protection, the IUD, the pill, condoms, abortion, where to access confidential sexual and reproductive health advice and treatment. etc.
Relationships: Bullying and Harassment To revise what constitutes bullying, discrimination, and sexual harassment/abuse in the street or in the workplace and how to challenge it. How to manage unwanted attention safely. Bullying for racial, gender or ableism. Vocab: patriarchy, catcalling, revenge porn, stalking, discrimination, harassment.
Year 9
|
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
| Happiness and Health | Happiness and Health |
|
Mental Health: Body image and positive sense of self Body image being shaped by the media. How eating disorders impact individuals. Overview of Bulimia, Anorexia, Binge-eating disorder. To understand how social media can impact self-esteem. Why teens are more prone to eating disorders. Not everything they see is a true reflection e.g. media treatment of photographs (Photoshop). Vocab: bulimia, anorexia, binge-eating, disordered eating, body-shaming.
Mental Health: Mood What causes our moods and feelings? Explanation of the impact of hormones on mood. Focus upon low mood, depression including Persistent Depressive Disorder, Manic Depression, Post-partum Depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder. How to recognize the difference between depression and sadness. The treatment for depressive disorders including anti-depressants and CBT. Celebrities and public figures who have suffered from depression and their stories. Student to create their own ‘emotional jam jar’ using Alistair Campbell’s example/story. Vocab: depression, sadness, mood, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
General Health: The Impact of Alcohol What % alcohol means. Why people choose to drink alcohol or not; including a healthy intake of alcohol. Alcohol’s role in history and cultures as a method of celebration/pairing with food. The impact of alcohol on the body, including drunkenness. Issues that may cause people to drink alcohol in an unhealthy way: binge drinking culture and peer pressure. To recognise and develop strategies on how to react in various alcohol-related scenarios. Case studies on the impact of misuse of alcohol including drink driving and alcoholic parenting, how habit can change into dependency and addiction. The work of organisations such as Alcoholics Anonymous in overcoming addiction. Vocab: alcohol units and %, tipsy, drunk, alcoholism, alcohol dependency, binge-drinking |
General Health: Substances In Society How medicines have advanced to improve the general health of society eg: the changes in what was available in a pharmacy in 1900 vs now, impact on diseases such as HIV. The commonplace legal drugs that people take and why they are taken eg: antibiotics, paracetamol, ibuprofen, laxatives, sleeping pills antihistamine, nicotine, caffeine. The associated risks of taking and misusing a legal drug. Cases study on nicotine and how its use has changed over time within society, particular focus on how the government has made smoking cigarettes less legal. Vocab: pharmaceutical/pharmacy, antibiotics, painkillers, medication, nicotine.
General Health: Illegal Drugs An overview of illegal drugs including their classifications and slang terms. Focus on comparing cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy/MDMA, hallucinogens, heroin. The laws around the possession and use of each drug. Effects of taking each type of drug both short term and long term. Explanation of the drug supply lines across the world, county lines and between criminality and drug trafficking. Pupils to study the impact of drugs upon teens/young people, looking at mental health including drug-induced psychosis and drug dealing. Info on who to talk if they have concerns about drug or alcohol use. Vocab: cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy/MDMA, hallucinogens, heroin, Class A/B/C, trafficking.
Case Study: Small Group Substance Research Pupils to work in small groups to produce a case study to answer the question ‘what have you learned about substances in society?’. Pupils can choose to look at substance use by groups within society, the habits/addiction/dependence on that substance, as well as how that substance has impacted wider society. Their presentation must include their own research, consequences of legal and illegal substance on personal safety, career, relationships and lifestyle and recommendations they have for the government. Vocab: consequences, trends, impact. |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
| Active Citizen | Active Citizen |
|
Government: Systems of Government Pupils look at how systems of government vary across nations and how this can impact upon citizens and national output eg: China (communism), Saudi Arabia (monarchy), The UK and USA (democracy) and France (republic). Pupils to conduct comparisons of how these countries allow citizens individual liberties/human rights, provide public services such as healthcare and education, allow voting and elections, and the role of the media/free speech within each society. Pupils to show the pros and cons to each model. Vocab: communism, monarchy, democracy, republic, individual liberties, national identity, public services.
Government: Justice and Rule of Law A simple overview of the UK justice system – development of laws by the executive/government, passing via the legislature and then implementation via the judiciary/management via the courts. The journey of being arrested, charged with a crime, heard in court before being sentenced/convicted. Why we take these steps before imprisoning a citizen or putting them on probation. The role of the police, the magistrates court, the crown court in ensuring justice is fairly done. Pupils to stage mock investigations / trials by jury. Vocab: executive, legislature, judiciary, arrest, charged, hearing, conviction, probation, magistrates, crown court.
Your Future Workplace: Planning work experience for Year 10 with the help of Ms Robinson which suits pupils’ ideal trajectory. Overview of the laws and by-laws relating to young people’s permitted hours and types of employment including how to stay safe when at work. Vocab: apprenticeship, trajectory |
Finance: Salary Scales How much people earn in a specific industry or doing specific roles, showing the scale from minimum wage, average salary and high earning salary. A look at the earning outcomes of studying specific subjects at university. How you might enable your salary to change over time using case studies of how salaries change in different industries according to role and experience. Pupils to plan how they could expect their salaries to change if they did specific jobs. Explain the concept of a performance related bonus or commission-based roles. Explanation of salary after tax using the examples of annual salaries of £15k, £30k, £50k, £70k, £90k £150k. How much this is per year/per month. Pupils to plan how to negotiate a salary increase. Vocab: salary, tax, disposable income, bonus, commission.
Finance: Taxation Explanation of why we have taxation – the history of taxation as an ancient concept; citizens have a financial obligation to contribute to their society to enable it to function successfully. How the UK government currently spends its taxation revenue. Pupils to look at how other countries tax differently. Revision of income tax in the UK and how tax impacts upon salary. Explanation of VAT and other methods in which the UK has used tax to generate revenue eg: raising tax on sugary products. Vocab: taxation, revenue, income tax, public spending, personal allowance, VAT.
Finance: Budgeting Micro and Macro In pairs pupils given a hypothetical salary to effectively budget against their scenarios and considering what they would spend their disposable income on – paying rent, buying a property, investing/saving and spending on holidays, transport, etc. Pupils also able to factor in a partner’s salary or the cost of a family. Pupils then consider national budgeting by acting in groups as the minister for a government and planning their government spending plan. Vocab: budgeting, disposable income, saving, incoming/outgoing, national spending. |
Year 10
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
| Relationships | Relationships |
|
Induction: Professional relationships: How can you build strong professional relationships? Morrisby, professionalism as a concept including networking, reputation, and behaviour at work. Vocab: colleague vs, friend, professionalism, conduct, disciplinary.
SRE: The Spectrum of Consent Exploration of how consent can be impacted by power dynamics, expectation and substances. Specific focus on rape and cases in which consent was compromised by abuse of substances. How to ascertain and respect others’ right to agree or withhold consent to engage in different degrees of sexual activity including consent online and in long-term relationships. Grooming, manipulation, coercion and how to respond. Vocab: intoxication, incapacitation, grooming, rape, coercion, ‘taking advantage’.
SRE: Relationships in the Media To understand the role of sex in the media and its impact on sexuality. Pornography/curated filmed sex vs sexual 'norms'. Using examples in the media to explore healthy intimate relationships: communication, pleasure, orgasms, women, men and LGBTQ+. Vocab: orgasm, sex for pleasure, abstinence, intimate communication, curated sex, sexual representation/misrepresentation.
Black History Month Race relations: Representation of Black Communities in 21st Century UK Black people’s representation in politics, FTSE 500, music/theatre, sport. Experiences of being black/Black heritage told through music eg: ‘Black’ (clean version) by Dave, literature, and poetry. Vocab: equal representation, expression. |
Families: Domestic Abuse Definition of abuse, prevalence of abuse within relationships and how to whistle blow. Include role of patriarchy in domestic abuse and substances. Include multiple scenarios of abuse and how it can be tackled safely. Laws on what is considered abusive relationships. Eg: How consent can be impacted by substances. Vocab: domestic abuse, substance abuse.
SRE: Diversity of Sexual Orientation and Gender The spectrum of sexuality and gender identity. The history and challenges faced by LGBTQ+ and trans young people in the UK when exploring their sexuality/gender identity. Representation of non-heterosexual sexuality over time and it’s representation in the media Vocab: trans, non-binary, pansexual, bisexual, drag, queer culture.
SRE: Debates within Sex Porn – does it have a negative impact upon expectations of bodies and behaviour? Abstinence – why do some argue we wait until marriage? Abortion – detail on the ‘pro-life/pro-choice’ movements and options/timeline. Vocab: ethical, moral, logical, fair, legal.
Year 10
|
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
| Happiness and Health | Happiness and Health |
|
Mental Health: Coping with Challenges A look at how people use healthy or unhealthy methods to cope with struggles. How and why people use substances/numbing/bad habits: alcohol, drugs, gambling, gaming food and sex addition etc. to cope with challenges. Stereotypes that shape how people cope with challenges eg: male higher instances of addiction and suicides, stigma around talking about challenges. Suicide and self-harm as cries for help. Look at Movember, MIND, YoungMinds and Samaritans as case studies. The benefits of using exercise, sleep, socialising/talking to others and diet to deal with challenges. Vocab: coping-mechanisms, numbing, substance-misuse, addiction, dependency, struggle.
General Health: Substances and Scenarios How substance use/misuse can impact upon personal safety, career, relationships and future lifestyle. Scenarios: becoming drunk at work parties, sexual interactions when under the influence of alcohol and drugs, personal safety when under the influence in public, drink driving. What to do when you are concerned about someone in relation to substance use/misuse. How to alert someone when someone is engaged in illegal behaviours such as drugtaking or drug dealing with a look at case studies. Vocab: reputation, vulnerable, drug-dealing.
Mental Health: Habits for Happiness How our daily habits can change our overall wellbeing. Eg: the positive impact the habit of gratitude can have on happiness and contentment. Online habits and the problems caused by overreliance on online relationships. The benefits of regular exercise, sleep habits and working habits – link to revision. Pupils personal reflection on their own habits Use of James Clear’s advice on habit formation to create a new habit that they feel would benefit their wellbeing over time. Vocab: habit, routines, lifestyle planning, stress-management. |
Public Health: Life Expectancy A review of life expectancy across the UK and the world. How life expectancy has changed over time in the UK; what factors have influenced this change. Pupils to investigate how and why life expectancy still differs from country to country and within countries. Pupils to explain recommendations they would make to improve life expectancy within the UK for specific social groups or in specific areas by changing government policy and or public habits. Vocab: public health, life expectancy, demographic factors, quality of life.
General Health: First Aid Health concerns that organisations must be aware of eg: allergies, disabilities, diabetes, epilepsy and what happens when they are ignored. Practical strategies on what to do if someone is unwell: nosebleed, a bleeding wound, a burn, a choking accident, a stroke, how to put someone in the recovery position, how to give CPR. When to call 111 and when to call 999 or go to A and E including how to check a pulse. Vocab: CPR, compression, injury, pulse, emergency, defibrillator,
General Health: Sleep and Rest Why we sleep including what happens when we are asleep and the different types of sleep. The importance of sufficient good quality sleep for good health and how a lack of sleep can affect weight, mood, and ability to learn. Sleep hygiene habits including blue light, regular bedtime and journaling to improve sleep quality. Pupils to conduct a survey amongst staff and family members on their sleep habits and how to improve them over a two-week period. Vocab: REM sleep, deep sleep, sleep hygiene, tiredness, fatigue, |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
| Active Citizen | Active Citizen |
|
Government: Constitutional Monarchy Review Pupils to create diagrams which explain the interplay of the role of the Monarch, the role of the Prime Minster and their Government, House of Commons, House of Lords, The Judiciary (Courts and Police), Political Parties and the Citizen. Pupils to then look at how these systems hold each other to account/scrutinize each other, examples of scrutiny in action and why scrutiny is important to the success of the UK. Vocab: the constitutional monarchy, scrutiny, hold to account.
Government: Local Government and Lobbying The different roles played by counsellors - county council, district council elections and the role of local government in managing communities. Why people join local councils. Pupils to conduct a mock example as if they are a local council managing budgets to support Wandsworth and manage local issues they identify. Pupils to also consider how activism and operate outside government to protest and lobby for issues. Vocab: counsellor, county council, district council, lobbying, pressure groups, protest.
Government: Your Vote The different electoral systems used in and beyond the United Kingdom: first past the post as used in general elections in the UK, the alternative vote system as used in Australia, additional member system used to elect Scottish Parliament and Welsh assembly and general elections. and actions citizens to influence decisions locally, nationally, and beyond. Pupils to consider which electoral systems are the most democratic. Vocab: local elections, general elections, first past the post, alternative vote. |
GCSE Management: Revision and Beyond Revision mapping across the half term to enable success. Pupils to consider their current grades and the trajectory they have for Year 11 and beyond.
Finance: Savings, Investment and Interest. The fact that our income, after tax, can be spent or saved. Overview of methods of saving and how they can impact one’s accumulation of wealth. Understanding of the concept of interest and how that can change over time via interest. Focus on bank accounts/savings accounts cash isas and why people may choose to save via the stock market or buying an asset such as a property. Case studies of how different savings plans change over time with a touch upon pensions. Vocab: investment, interest, saving, isas, stock market, asset.
Finance: Credit and Debit Consideration of how income and expenditure can be extended with the concept of credit via common uses of credit eg: credit cards, mortgage lending, and student loans. How the debit one owes can be well managed eg: making regular payments versus the adverse effects of mismanaging debit eg: missing payments on high interest loans. A look at case studies of credit by looking at UK bank accounts to plan for expenditure, Wonga/pay day loans and Klarna. Pupils to understand the term credit score and how it may affect their financial future. Pupils to conduct case studies such as buying a car and buying a home by exploring various different credit options. Vocab: credit score, credit, debit, debt, overdraft, interest, interest-free, loan. |
Year 11
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
| Relationships | Relationships |
|
Induction: ATL Rubric - focus on organisation strand. Organisation of self across subjects to help manage the workload of GCSE study. Self-discipline.
GCSE Management Destinations/applicable/pathways. Time management strategies that map out Christmas holidays and their exam timetables. SMART goals. Revisiting ‘How to revise’. Applications to post-16 destinations.
Relationships: Control, Conflict and Compromise What is considered controlling behaviour within a relationship – friendship, romantic and familial. How to share complaints within a relationship in a way that does not create unhealthy conflict (Gottman Method). Examples of everyday relationships worries. Focus on positive communication and compatibility in contrast to control, coercion, and conflict. Vocab: compatible conflict, complaint, coercion.
Black History Month Black Lives Matter and beyond – issues impacting the Black Community today. What does it mean to be anti-racist? Unpicking unconscious bias in relation to race and colourism (Candice Braithwaite, Afua Hirsh). Micro-aggressions and how to tackle them. Vocab: anti-racism, colourism, intersectionality. |
Relationships: Online vs Offline Exploring how communication within relationship has developed as society has embraced technology. How to be safe online – what to look out for as positive or negative behaviours. Comparison of online vs online behaviour and looking at the merits and drawbacks of each form of communication to relationships – families, work, friendships and romantic. How information and data is generated, collected, shared and used online. Vocab: Trolling, gaslighting, ‘ghosting’, revenge porn.
Relationships: Attachment and Detachment Attachment theories of John Bowlby. How anxiety, avoidance or security will look in relationships. What dependency means in relationships and the importance of retaining some independence. How to manage change in personal relationships including the ending of relationships. Vocab: respect, attachment, break ups, divorce.
SRE: Sexually Transmitted Infections Revision of how different sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDs and HIV crisis in the UK. How STIs are transmitted, how risk can be reduced through safer sex (including through condom use) and the importance of and facts about testing. Focus on the prevalence of some STIs, the impact they can have on those who contract them and key facts about treatment. Vocab: herpes, chlamydia, yeast infection, HPV, hepatitis, etc. |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
| Happiness and Health | Happiness and Health |
|
Personal Safety: What does it mean to be streetwise? What do we mean by personal safety and how does that change depending on the setting/who you are? How can we work to increase our safety, reducing risk and minimize harm in different settings eg: when feeling uncomfortable on the street or during harassment, mugging, cat-calling? How should we behave in public to be safe; with a focus on avoiding anti-social behaviour. Explore stop and search means and how to react when accused of wrongdoing including the rights one has. What is the role of the emergency services in keeping us safe eg: community policing. Vocab: streetwise, harassment, cat-calling, policing, anti-social behaviour, stop and search.
Mental Health: Connection in the 21st Century Pupils to conduct a survey how people connect with others (methods, hours of contact) and focus on the impact of connection on wellbeing. Has loneliness has increased in UK society? If so, why and how. Specifically look at loneliness in different demographic groups such as the elderly in the UK and the impact of social isolation on one’s general health and wellbeing eg: how can isolation foster violent extremism. Study how the government has tried to tackle issues of loneliness. Pupils to analyse whether government measures to minimize loneliness have been effective and to recommend what more could be done. Vocab: loneliness, isolation, alienation, connection, government intervention.
Mental Health: Suicide and How We Can Prevent It Definition of suicide. Explanation of the different reasons that people commit suicide using case studies. Focus on suicidal ‘triggers’ and ‘warning signs’ to look for in yourself as part of self-care and in others as part of being a good friend, family member, colleague, or community member. A look at the statistics related to suicide including suicides being 75% males and why this may be the case? Also, consideration of how unhelpful bullying and cyberbullying can provoke suicide. What to do if you are struggling or if you know a friend/family member who is struggling including what to say to reach out to others using case studies, scenarios, and suicide safety plans. Vocab: suicide, suicidal ideation, triggering, attempted suicide, risk factors. |
General Health: Check Yourself How illness can be avoided by regularly checking yourself. Focus particularly on cancers – cervical cancer, skin cancer, testicular cancer, lung cancer and the checking and prevention methods one can take to avoid or detect illnesses. Pupils should look at how they might check themselves in the future eg: if a mole changed colour or shape. Look at example of how regular checking eg: smear tests, mole removal, breast screening and gene-technology is being used to detect illnesses and how this has improved general health of the UK. Understand how to seek help / why it is good to be an assertive user of the NHS. Vocab: cancer, terminal, smear test, screening, irregularities, NHS 111.
GCSE Management: A Healthy Approach to Revision Revising how the health triad of eating, sleeping and exercise can make a different to our overall wellbeing – giving us more energy to revise. Look at the importance of rest/down time for our minds, including time away from a screen. Use examples from high performing individuals on how they take effective breaks/use techniques to improve their focus eg: exercises we can do to calm eg: 10 mins mindfulness or 10 min stretching/yoga. Time management strategies that map out the Easter holidays against their exam timetables. Vocab: optimal performance, distraction.
Mental Health: Why Memory Matters A look at different types of memory eg: procedural, episodic, working memory. Explore how our brain produces and stores memories and information. Case studies of what happens when memory becomes damaged or disordered by looking at Alzheimer’s/Dementia and Amnesia, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – how people cope with these illnesses. Pupils to conduct a study on how to improve memory: complete baseline memory tests before research into steps we can take to improve our memory and trial these to see if their memory slightly improves. Vocab: Alzheimer’s/Dementia and Amnesia, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, memorization |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
| Active Citizen | Active Citizen |
|
GCSE Management: Revision Review Reviewing a map of their exam timetables with a view to creating a priority order of subjects/topics and identifying their pinch points. Planning how to use the health triad of eating, sleeping and exercise alongside rest/down time to maximize their performance. Review their materials for each subject to ensure that they are prepared to complete their revision plan; close any materials gaps required. Vocab: mapping, prioritization, pinch points, maximize. Finance:
Your Financial Future Pupils to research the changing patterns of employment via which industries are growing and which are shrinking at a local, national and global level. How the subjects you are planning to study may lead to a career including ideal salary projections and budgeting that you may need to do to manage your expenditure and revenue depending on your life goals eg: travelling/holidays, transport, renting/owning a home, pension contributions, student loan repayments and having children. Pupils to choose a salary to budget to or plan how they would spend the average London salary. Vocab: employment trends, personal financial planning, pension, insurance. |
Year 12
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
| Relationships | Relationships |
|
Inset/Induction to Sixth form. Relationships: Revision Forging new relationships – with a focus on university and beyond. Revision of when a relationship is healthy, unhealthy or abusive (including the unacceptability of both emotional and physical abuse or violence including rape) and strategies to manage this. Revision of consent. Revision of the impact of substances on relationships and communication, Vocab: consent, healthy/unhealthy, abuse.
SRE: The Language of Relationships To look at how words can be used to escalate or deescalate conflict in relationships. Gendered terms and how they may negatively impact young people’s exploration of gender. Various slang terms in relation to friendships and sexual relationships, their meanings and origins and connotations eg; ‘slut shaming’. Vocab: ‘man up’ ‘don’t be such a girl’ bossy, slut, slag, player etc.
SRE: Evolution of Relationships Understand how family dynamics have changed over time from doweries, to the contraceptive pill and exploring why. Specifically studying the role of sex in the media and its impact on bodies and sexuality: revise consent, negotiation, boundaries, respect, gender norms. Vocab: equality, empowerment, sexism. Black History Month The impact of colonialism on black history. Post-colonial studies within the UK. How the UK has asked for assimilation, integration and embraced black culture. Unsung heroes and ‘Pupil Voices’ illuminating the diverse culture and pride within the school community Vocab: post-colonialism, colonization, assimilation, integration, cultural heritage, diaspora.
|
SRE: Online Culture of Communication
Relationships: With The Self Developing confidence within one’s own contribution to relationships. The role you play as a son/daughter, colleague, pupil etc. How identity may impact behaviour in relationships.
Families: Becoming an Adult Exploring the role of the older teen within the home. How age impacts interactions within families. Caring for parents including young carers role. |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
| Happiness and Health | Happiness and Health |
|
Mental Health: From Hysteria to Help Pupils to conduct study of how our understanding of Mental Health has changed through time and why our understanding has changed. A particular focus on how our treatment of mental health has transformed in Western society since the 1800s. Vocab: lunatic asylum, hysteria, demonic possession, exorcism, stigma.
Mental Health: From Hysteria to Help How genetics can make individuals predisposed to mental health challenges. How mental health of a demographic group is impacted by other societal features such as culture, religion, gender roles and economic prospects. Exploration of their own family/personal mental health histories – this may be done privately or shared depending on how pupils see fit. Pupils may also to plot the changes in mental health understanding in a specific demographic group and conduct a mini survey to deepen their understanding. Eg: has the development of the internet changed the mental health of teens? Vocab: genealogy, predisposition. |
Physical Health: The UK Physique Pupils to consider how physical health patterns (what we eat, how much exercise we do and our sleep quality) has changed over time in the UK including changes in average height, weight, and common ailments. Look at how these changes have occurred during the industrial revolution/move from agricultural to urban society with advent of the NHS, changing attitudes to exercise/diet and whether they have overall benefitted UK society eg: increasing childhood obesity. Vocab: BMI, attitudes to exercise, obesity.
Public Health: A Healthy Planet Look at emerging economies eg: India, Ghana and Brazil and make predictions for how the physical health of the population may change as social factors change. Students should look at what governments or communities could do to foster positive physical health, including what happens in countries where healthcare is not a free public service. Students may also instead choose to look at a particular demographic group eg: children in the UK and explain how the health of that group may change with developments in technology. Vocab: determining factors, influential, |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
| Active Citizen | Active Citizen |
|
Finance: Student Finance Pupils to look at the student loan options available to them including bursaries and sponsorship. Compare the cost of living at different universities and within universities. Pupils to explore the salaries they might expect from studying various degrees. Produce a couple of models that look at how they would spend their student loan/organize their budget when at university or undertaking an apprenticeship. Vocab: budgeting, expenditure, income and outgoings.
Finance: Long Term Goals Pupils to consider their long-term goals/ideal lifestyle and how they might need to plan their finances to achieve them. How pensions work; why people pay into their pension and how this compares to the state pension. Pupils to conduct financial modelling of pensions. Pupils to look at how mortgages are calculated and the process of buying a property in the UK as well as in other countries eg: the costs incurred. Exploration of how compound interest could be used to enable pupils to maximize their savings. Vocab: pension, financial modelling, mortgage, compound interest. |
Government: International Relations Pupils to explore how international governance has changed over time and which issues the world has come together to try to solve. The United Kingdom’s relations with the rest of Europe, the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the wider world and how this has changed over time including the reasons behind and impact of Brexit. Pupils to conduct a model United Nations to tackle issues relating to climate. Vocab: Commonwealth, Brexit, European Union, international law, convention.
Government: Freedom of Speech and Expression How the media holds the UK government to account. What we mean by ‘free press’ and how this differs from country to country. Examples how the press has been divisive in terms of complex problems. Pupils to look at the concept of freedom of expression, hate speech and how this has changed over time including changed in laws against discrimination. Debates on particular issues which news outlets have reported differently eg: migration to the UK. Vocab: freedom of speech, hate speech, freedom of expression, discrimination, free press. |
Year 13
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
| Relationships | Relationships |
|
Inset/Induction – UCAS.
SRE: Revision of Contraception Types of contraception, their impact and how it can be impacted by substances. How contraception has changed society – looking at different examples from across the world. How to broach the topic of contraception and practicing safe sex.
Relationships: Gender and Sexual Orientation How sexual orientation and gender can impact one’s experience in life. Pronoun use, gender dysphoria, homophobia, transphobia. Understanding of gay and trans history in the UK. The role of an ‘ally’. The question if one needs to ‘come out’.
Black History Month The impact of black people on academia in the UK. The representation of Black people in universities, businesses and institutions. Unsung heroes and ‘Pupil Voices’ illuminating the diverse culture and pride within the school community. |
SRE: Relationships Over Time Anecdotes of how love changes within long term relationships and the challenges of maintaining. Marriage and its impact on society: including why people get married, how marriage has changed over time. Ageism within sexuality. How the body changes over time and the impact of that upon sexual relationships – menopause, impotence, Viagra etc.
SRE and Families: Pregnancy The consequences of planned vs unintended pregnancy and of teenage parenthood (in the context of learning about parenting skills and qualities and their importance to family life). Detail of pregnancy including abortion, miscarriage, and post-natal depression. |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
| Happiness and Health | Happiness and Health |
|
Mental Health: The Chemistry of Our Mind The main chemicals that impact our mood: oxytocin, dopamine, adrenalin, serotonin and the affects that they have on our behaviour and emotions. Students look at how drugs can change the chemistry of our brains and the positive impact medication can have on chemical imbalances as we as the negative impacts illegal drugs may have on mood during withdrawal. Students to look at how everyday activities such as phone notifications or exercise can impact the chemistry of our minds and what we can do to use that chemical balance wisely. How addiction can be linked to chemicals released in the brain. Vocab: neurotransmitters, oxytocin, dopamine, adrenalin, serotonin, chemical balance/imbalance, addiction.
Mental Health: Gratitude, Community and Compassion Students to review how gratitude can improve mental health by undertaking a daily gratitude practice then reporting their findings to their peer group. Analysis of why gratitude and appreciation improve mental wellbeing in most cases. Students could also choose to look at how volunteering, community work or other time in which humans build a sense of belonging/connection can impact upon their mental health. Vocab: appreciation, gratitude, belonging, community, |
Physical Health: Are We What We Eat? An understanding of various diet types – vegan, vegetarian, paleo, Mediterranean, carnivore etc. and how they might impact upon health including our mood and energy levels. Students to study how the processing of food has changed over time and how this will have changed our eating habits with a specific focus on how different demographic groups have changed how they eat based on the cost of food. Students to look at the composition of our diets and how we might improve our health and the resources of the planet/how we produce food by making dietary changes. Vocab: food deserts, veganism, blue zones, paleo, nutritional deficiencies.
Physical Health: Staying Healthy For Life How regular checkups at the dentist and optician can improve the general health of a person over time. Specific focus on the importance of dental health for wider health eg: the impact of poor dental hygiene on cardiovascular health. Students to conduct an audit of their own health: when they last visited to optician, dentist, how often they exercise, their BMI and their heart rate, this may also touch upon sexual health. Students given a general understanding of blood, stem cell and organ donation and its impact upon society. Vocab: dental hygiene including flossing, heart rate, cardiovascular health, blood/organ donation. |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
| Active Citizen | Active Citizen |
|
National Finance: The Future Economy How the wider economy can impact the wellbeing of citizens of a country. Looking at hyperinflation, economic trends and how the choices pupils make as consumers affect other people’s economies and environments). Pupils to debate the ethics of consumer behaviour regarding fair trade, the environment/climate change and social good. Pupils to debate the concept of Universal Basic Income and whether it would be for the good or detriment of UK society. Vocab: consumer behaviour, economic impact, ethical finance.
Government: Your Opinion Counts Pupils to review the political parties against issues they care about and decide which policies they align with and which party most represents their view. Pupils to then consider how party politics could be improved within the UK, including reaching younger voters and addressing current political questions such as automation of jobs. Vocab: politics, representation, political dilemma. |
|