PSHE

St Ursula’s School

PHSE Curriculum Intent

Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education focuses on the holistic development of the future citizens of modern Britain. Our classrooms provide rich learning opportunities for students to discover who they are, who they want to be and strategies to help them achieve their goals. PSHE education develops lifelong skills that will support students to become resilient, confident and ambitious members of a flourishing and diverse society. Our broad and inclusive PSHE curriculum ensures students are able to look after their own wellbeing; whether that be navigating life online, making responsible decisions about relationships or understanding how to manage stress. As a result of our PSHE education pupils can independently manage many of the challenges and responsibilities they face as they develop. Our outstanding PSHE provision helps pupils to fulfil their academic potential, and leave school as tenacious, empowering young people who have the skillset and determination to achieve success.

At St Ursula’s Convent School, PSHE is at the core of what we do and enables our students to become independent, confident, healthy and responsible members of society, as well as developing the “whole child” intellectually, morally, socially and spiritually. Through our whole-school approach to PSHE, it is our belief that excellence in these areas will lead to excellence across the curriculum and beyond in later life. In KS3, PSHE intends to build empathy and compassion (including impact on decision-making and behaviour) as well as respect for others’ right to their own beliefs, values and opinions.

PSHE is an incredibly enriching subject for students. A key intention in our delivery of PSHE is to provide a safe environment where students feel able to participate in the lessons on a range of issues that affect, or may affect, them throughout their lives. In PSHE lessons the setting up of ground rules, reminding students of confidentiality issues and the encouragement of students to explore a range of attitudes through case studies help to provide an appropriate environment as well as develop empathy. 

As well as developing secure factual knowledge of moral and topical issues, we encourage students to ask deep and meaningful questions about their own worlds and the lives we share. We aim to develop attitudes of thoughtfulness and confidence about themselves – skills which are invaluable as they face the issues that are present in 21st century living.  Teachers in the PSHE department are passionate and dedicated in their commitment to provide an inclusive and nurturing environment for all students regardless of personal beliefs or views, while meeting the statutory HRSE requirements. All students are valued for their own personal beliefs and opinions and are encouraged to continue to develop 

their analytical and critical thinking to encourage academic progress

The PSHE curriculum links to, and supports, other subject’s curriculum through its focus on spiritual, moral, social and cultural education.  It also links with the work done on British Values across the school curriculum.

Key Stage 3

At KS3 we place a focus on relationships, health and well-being and also living as part of the wider world.

Links to curriculum maps:

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9