PSHE Information and links

Useful web sites:

www.nc.uk.net

National Curriculum non-statutory orders for PSHE

www.teachernet.gov.uk/pshe

DfES PSHE site

www.wiredforhealth.gov.uk

Portal for National Healthy Schools Scheme and health issues

The National Curriculum for England: non-statutory frameworks for personal, social and health education at key stages 3 & 4:

Jointly published by

Department for Education and Employment
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Great Smith Street
London SW1P 3BT

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
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London W1Y 7PD

First published in 1999
© Crown copyright 1999
© Qualifications and Curriculum Authority 1999
The National Curriculum Programmes of Study and Attainment Targets contained in this publication are subject to Crown copyright protection and are reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO.

The additional information is copyright of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.

By agreement between the Controller of HMSO and QCA reproduction of any of the material in this publication is permitted in accordance with copyright guidance issued by HMSO. This guidance is available on request from HMSO, St Clement's House, 2-16 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1BQ. Tel 01603 621000 Fax 01603 723000 or by e-mail on copyright@hmso.gov.uk. It can also be viewed on HMSO's web site at www.hmso.gov.uk/guides.htm

The importance of personal, social and health education

Personal, social and health education (PSHE) at key stages 3 and 4 helps pupils to lead confident, healthy and responsible lives as individuals and members of society. Through work in lesson time and a wide range of activities across and beyond the curriculum, pupils gain practical knowledge and skills to help them live healthily and deal with the spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues they face as they approach adulthood. PSHE gives pupils opportunities to reflect on their experiences and how they are developing. It helps them to understand and manage responsibly a wider range of relationships as they mature, and to show respect for the diversity of, and differences between, people. It also develops pupils' well-being and self-esteem, encouraging belief in their ability to succeed and enabling them to take responsibility for their learning and future choice of courses and career. PSHE at key stages 3 and 4 builds on pupils' own experiences and on work at key stages 1 and 2 and complements citizenship in the curriculum, which covers public policy dilemmas related to health, law and family.

Key stage 3

During key stage 3 pupils learn about themselves as growing and changing individuals and as members of their communities with more maturity, independence and power. They become more self-aware, and are capable of more sophisticated moral reasoning. They take more responsibility for themselves and become more aware of the views, needs and rights of people of all ages. They build on the experience, confidence and competence they developed in key stage 2, learning new skills to help them make decisions and play an active part in their personal and social life. They learn how to plan and manage choices for their courses and career. They continue to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle, coping well with their changing bodies and feelings. They also learn to cope with changing relationships and understand how these can affect their health and well-being. They make the most of new opportunities to take part in the life of the school and its communities.

Knowledge, skills and understanding

Developing confidence and responsibility and making the most of their abilities

1. Pupils should be taught:

• a. to reflect on and assess their strengths in relation to personality, work and leisure
• b. to respect the differences between people as they develop their own sense of identity
• c. to recognise how others see them, and be able to give and receive constructive feedback and praise
• d. to recognise the stages of emotions associated with loss and change caused by death, divorce, separation and new family members, and how to deal positively with the strength of their feelings in different situations
• e. to relate job opportunities to their personal qualifications and skills, and understand how the choices they will make at key stage 4 should be based not only on knowledge of their personal strengths and aptitudes, but also on the changing world of work
• f. to plan realistic targets for key stage 4, seeking out information and asking for help with career plans
• g. what influences how we spend or save money and how to become competent at managing personal money.

Developing a healthy, safer lifestyle

2. Pupils should be taught:

• a. to recognise the physical and emotional changes that take place at puberty and how to manage these changes in a positive way
• b. how to keep healthy and what influences health, including the media
• c. that good relationships and an appropriate balance between work, leisure and exercise can promote physical and mental health
• d. basic facts and laws, including school rules, about alcohol and tobacco, illegal substances and the risks of misusing prescribed drugs
• e. in a context of the importance of relationships, about human reproduction, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, HIV and high-risk behaviours including early sexual activity
• f. to recognise and manage risk and make safer choices about healthy lifestyles, different environments and travel
• g. to recognise when pressure from others threatens their personal safety and well-being, and to develop effective ways of resisting pressures, including knowing when and where to get help
• h. basic emergency aid procedures and where to get help and support.

Developing good relationships and respecting the differences between people

3. Pupils should be taught:

• a. about the effects of all types of stereotyping, prejudice, bullying, racism and discrimination and how to challenge them assertively
• b. how to empathise with people different from themselves
• c. about the nature of friendship and how to make and keep friends
• d. to recognise some of the cultural norms in society, including the range of lifestyles and relationships
• e. the changing nature of, and pressure on, relationships with friends and family, and when and how to seek help
• f. about the role and importance of marriage in family relationships
• g. about the role and feelings of parents and carers and the value of family life
• h. to recognise that goodwill is essential to positive and constructive relationships
• i. to negotiate within relationships, recognising that actions have consequences, and when and how to make compromises
• j. to resist pressure to do wrong, to recognise when others need help and how to support them
• to communicate confidently with their peers and adults.

Breadth of opportunities

4. During the key stage, pupils should be taught the Knowledge, skills and understanding through opportunities to:

• a. take responsibility [for example, for carrying out tasks and meeting deadlines such as taking assembly, running the school newspaper]
• b. feel positive about themselves [for example, by taking part in a public performance]
• c. participate [for example, in developing and putting into practice school policies about anti-bullying; in an action research project designed to reduce crime and improve personal safety in their neighbourhood]
• d. make real choices and decisions [for example, about options for their future, based on their own research and career portfolios]
• e. meet and work with people [for example, people who can give them reliable information about health and safety issues, such as school nurses, community drug awareness workers]
• f. develop relationships [for example, by working together in a range of groups and social settings with their peers and others; by being responsible for a mini-enterprise scheme as part of a small group]
• g. consider social and moral dilemas [for example, how the choices they make as consumers affect other people's economies and environments]
• h. find information and advice [for example, about the risks of early sexual activity, drug misuse, self-defence for keeping safe]
• i. prepare for change [for example, by anticipating problems caused by changing family relationships and friendships, and by preparing for new styles of learning at key stage 4].

Key stage 4

During key stage 4 pupils use the knowledge, skills and understanding that they have gained in earlier key stages and their own experience to take new and more adult roles in school and the wider community. They develop the self-awareness and confidence needed for adult life, further learning and work. They have opportunities to show that they can take responsibility for their own learning and career choices by setting personal targets and planning to meet them. They develop their ability to weigh up alternative courses of action for health and well-being. They gain greater knowledge and understanding of spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues through increased moral reasoning, clarifying their opinions and attitudes in discussions with their peers and informed adults and considering the consequences of their decisions. They learn to understand and value relationships with a wide range of people and gain the knowledge and skills to seek advice about these and other personal issues. They learn to respect the views, needs and rights of people of all ages.

Knowledge, skills and understanding

Developing confidence and responsibility and making the most of their abilities

1. Pupils should be taught:

• a. to be aware of and assess their personal qualities, skills, achievements and potential, so that they can set personal goals
• b. to have a sense of their own identity and present themselves confidently in a range of situations
• c. to be aware of how others see them, manage praise and criticism, and success and failure in a positive way and learn from the experience
• d. to recognise influences, pressures and sources of help and respond to them appropriately
• e. to use a range of financial tools and services, including budgeting and saving, in managing personal money
• f. about the options open to them post-16, including employment and continuing education and training, and about their financial implications
• g. to use the careers service to help them choose their next steps, negotiate and plan their post-16 choices with parents and others, develop career management skills, and prepare and put into practice personal action plans.

Developing a healthy, safer lifestyle

2. Pupils should be taught:

• a. to think about the alternatives and long- and short-term consequences when making decisions about personal health
• b. to use assertiveness skills to resist unhelpful pressure
• c. the causes, symptoms and treatments for stress and depression, and to identify strategies for prevention and management
• d. about the link between eating patterns and self-image, including eating disorders
• e. about the health risks of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, early sexual activity and pregnancy, different food choices and sunbathing, and about safer choices they can make
• f. in the context of the importance of relationships, how different forms of contraception work, and where to get advice, in order to inform future choices
• g. to seek professional advice confidently and find information about health
• h. to recognise and follow health and safety requirements and develop the skills to cope with emergency situations that require basic aid procedures, including resuscitation techniques.

Developing good relationships and respecting the differences between people

3. Pupils should be taught:

• a. about the diversity of different ethnic groups and the power of prejudice
• b. to be aware of exploitation in relationships
• c. to challenge offending behaviour, prejudice, bullying, racism and discrimination assertively and take the initiative in giving and receiving support
• d. to work cooperatively with a range of people who are different from themselves
• e. to be able to talk about relationships and feelings
• f. to deal with changing relationships in a positive way, showing goodwill to others and using strategies to resolve disagreements peacefully
• g. about the nature and importance of marriage for family life and bringing up children
• h. about the role and responsibilities of a parent, and the qualities of good parenting and its value to family life
• i. about the impact of separation, divorce and bereavement on families and how to adapt to changing circumstances
• j. to know about the statutory and voluntary organisations that support relationships in crisis
• k. to develop working relationships with a range of adults, including people they meet during work experience, personal guidance and community activities.

Breadth of opportunities

4. During the key stage, pupils should be taught the Knowledge, skills and understanding through opportunities to:

• a. take responsibility [for example, by representing the school to visitors and at outside events]
• b. feel positive about themselves [for example, by gaining recognition for the role they play in school life, such as organising activities for younger pupils or working in a resource centre]
• c. participate [for example, in an initiative to improve their local community; in challenging activities involving physical performance, public performance or organised events outside the school]
• d. make real choices and decisions [for example, about their priorities, plans and use of time; about their choices post-16, with regular review and support]
• e. meet and work with people [for example, through activities such as work experience and industry days; through having an employer as a mentor]
• f. develop relationships [for example, by discussing relationships in single and mixed sex groups]
• g. consider social and moral dilemmas [for example, young parenthood, genetic engineering, attitudes to the law]
• h. find information and provide advice [for example, by providing peer support services to other pupils]
• i. prepare for change [for example, in relation to progression to further education and training].