PSHE Curriculum Intent

 

Vision

At Whitworth Community High School, PSHE is a planned, developmental programme of learning through which our students acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to manage their lives now and in the future. As part of a whole-school approach, PSHE will develop the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society. Our PSHE programme is tailored towards each year group and incorporates the following:

• PSHE  lessons in years 7, 9, 10 and 11.

• PSHE - Health and Wellbeing lessons, in year 8.

Our PSHE programme also includes an assembly rota, which covers essential topics such as knife crime, contraception, online safety as well as fire and water safety. 

 

From September 2026, the new guidelines include strengthened content on online safety, mental health, and misogyny to name a few. 

 

Our intention with PSHE is to equip pupils to live healthy, safe, productive, responsible and balanced lives. It encourages them to be enterprising and supports them in making effective transitions, positive learning and career choices and in achieving economic well-being. A critical component of PSHE is providing opportunities for Whitworth students to reflect on and clarify their own values and attitudes and explore the complex and sometimes conflicting range of values and attitudes they encounter now and in the future. 

 

PSHE education contributes to personal development by helping our pupils to build their confidence, resilience and self-esteem, and to identify and manage risk, make informed choices and understand what influences their decisions. It enables them to recognise, accept and shape their identities, to understand and accommodate difference and change, to manage emotions and to communicate constructively in a variety of settings. Developing an understanding of themselves, empathy and the ability to work with others will help pupils to form and maintain good relationships, develop the essential skills for future employability and better enjoy and manage their lives. PSHE can help students to reduce or remove many of the barriers to learning they experience, thus, significantly improving their capacity to learn and achieve. 

 

PSHE topics:

• Relationships

• Sex Education

• Wider world 

Personal Development topics:

• Citizenship (British Values)

• Careers

Additional KS4 Curriculum during PSHE lessons:

• KS 4 Core Computing 

• KS 4 Core Religious Studies 

 

KS 4 Compulsory 

• Computing – we incorporate the Key Stage 4 National Curriculum into our PSHE curriculum by carefully mapping our programme to the statutory requirements for Computing (for example: online safety, online grooming, deep fakes and digital responsibility). This structured approach ensures full coverage of statutory content while supporting pupils’ personal development in line with the aims and values of the National Curriculum. 

 

• Religious Studies (RS) – complements and strengthens the PSHE curriculum by providing moral, ethical, and cultural context to many of the themes explored in personal development. While PSHE focuses on skills such as decision-making, resilience, respectful relationships, and health education, RS deepens pupils’ understanding of different beliefs, values, and worldviews that shape attitudes and behaviour. RS also links closely with Citizenship themes within PSHE, such as democracy, tolerance, and the rule of law, by promoting mutual respect and understanding of diverse communities. Through discussion of ethical issues – such as justice, human rights, prejudice, and social responsibility, RS encourages critical thinking and empathy, which are core skills within PSHE.

Together, RS and PSHE support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural (SMSC) development, helping them to become informed, respectful, and reflective members of society.

British Values

Our school is committed to promoting and strengthening the core British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance. We aim to develop students’ understanding of these principles by encouraging an appreciation of diversity and an awareness of the differences that exist within society, including those relating to class, gender, ethnicity and belief. Through a broad and engaging curriculum, students are supported in developing respect for others and an understanding of the role and purpose of key institutions within the United Kingdom.

Lessons are designed to be informative and thought-provoking, enabling students to explore Britain’s rich history and the ways in which it has shaped modern values and democratic traditions. Students examine the origins and importance of democracy, consider its key features, and reflect on its relevance to contemporary society. They are also encouraged to develop an awareness of global democratic issues and to recognise the positive role they can play as active and responsible citizens.

In addition, students explore human rights, including how it is protected within UK law. They consider why freedom of belief is essential to a fair and equitable society and discuss the need for tolerance in preventing prejudice and discrimination. The curriculum addresses the issues of extremism, helping students to understand how these can threaten shared values and how individuals can contribute to safeguarding them.

Through this programme, we seek to prepare students effectively for life in modern Britain, fostering a cohesive community, encouraging responsible citizenship, and promoting respect for the rights and freedoms of all.

 

Relationship, Sex and Health Education (RSHE)

Following the Government's review on the Review of Sexual Abuse in Schools and Colleges, the school has implemented the recommendations outlined in the review as well as specific requirements for our school. Our RSHE curriculum has been planned in line with the recommendations of the PSHE Association, the gov.uk recommendations and using a programme of study designed by a company called Wellio. 

 

RSHE is taught in years 7, 9 and 10 and 11 as PSHE lessons, Health and Wellbeing in year 8. All lessons are taught using the same content by each teacher and are led by the Teacher in Charge of PSHE, Mrs Belham. The content is taught using a spiral approach, so the content develops each year in line with the maturity of the students. For example, in year 7 students are introduced to the concept of consent and by the end of year 11, students are discussing topics such as love and abuse. This enables the content to develop as students do. A full breakdown of teaching can be seen in the weekly overview using the link below.

Copy of wellio 2026/27 Social & Personal Development -Calendar