PSHE or Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education, is taught throughout Year 7 – 11 by our dedicated specialist PSHE team. The programme is overseen at Northampton School by Mrs Emma Barnett-Vincent, Assistant Headteacher for Personal Development as part of a wider whole Trust approach.

Our delivery of PSHE as a Trust, focusses on creating a safe classroom for preventative education, with scenario-based learning and a non-judgemental approach so that our students can explore issues confidently and curiously. Our students learn through a collaborative approach, discussion and debate and critical thinking on all aspects of PSHE.  Our PSHE curriculum is enhanced by our Personal Development week, which takes place at the end of Term 2 each academic year. This is where students can experience a “deep dive” into different areas of PSHE and Personal Development and hear from inspirational outside speakers.

Across The NSB Trust, PSHE is delivered in a spiral curriculum, building on previous knowledge each term and each year, in an age-appropriate manner, following seven key themes. Students build on previous learning each year through a collaborative approach, discussion, debate, critical thinking and applied learning in order to give them the knowledge and skills needed to make informed and safe decisions about themselves and others as part of preparing them for life in modern Britain.

The seven themes that our students study are:

Equalities, Health & Wellbeing, Relationships, Careers, Personal Safety, Financial Wellbeing and Environmental Education.

The vision behind each strand is as follows:

Equalities

Aims to promote an inclusive understanding of diversity that equips students to challenge stereotypes and discrimination. Through critical exploration of contemporary case studies, students are empowered to respect and celebrate differences, fostering a more equitable and cohesive society. This is rooted in the study of the Equalities Act 2010, and its 9 protected characteristics: Race, Religion, Sex, Gender Reassignment, Disability, Age, Sexuality, Marriage and Civil Partnership, Pregnancy and Maternity.

Health & Wellbeing

Aims to create a vibrant school community where every individual thrives through active lifestyles and holistic wellbeing.

Relationships

Aims to provide an accurate source of information for all students on relationships and intimacy that is media-informed, age appropriate and inclusive. Through social-emotional learning, all students will have the tools to have fulfilling, healthy relationships, know how and where to access support, and see relationships and intimacy as an enriching part of their lives.

Careers

Aims to provide broad and inclusive access to information and guidance that helps all students make informed decisions about their futures, so that they may have fulfilling careers.

Personal Safety

Aims to equip all students with the knowledge and skills to keep themselves and others safe, make informed decisions, identify and navigate potential risks both face-to-face and online, all while fostering healthy relationships and building confidence.

Financial Wellbeing

Aims to equip all students with the financial literacy necessary to successfully navigate adult life, navigate the complicated feelings they have and will have around money and equip young people with the knowledge needed to make safe decisions around money.

Environmental Education

The study of the environment and sustainability is vital to how we interact with the world throughout our lives.  We aim to ensure that students have a robust knowledge of how to be sustainable and take active care of the environment, ensuring that all students can seek to care for their future.

Assessment in PSHE:

Students are assessed in PSHE each term. These assessments will have 3 sections; Knowledge recall and Understanding, Literacy and Vocabulary, Responding to Scenarios.

In PSHE, the grades students can receive are; Grade 3 – Working Towards, Grade 2 – Working At, Grade 1 – Working Beyond. ​

Pupils will receive feedback from their teacher for each assessment on their understanding of key concepts and their use of PSHE skills.

Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)

Current regulations and guidance from the Department for Education state that all secondary schools must deliver Relationships and Sex Education as today’s young people are part of an increasingly complex world where they need to know how to be safe and healthy and how to manage their academic, personal, and social lives in a positive way. We therefore follow the statutory guidance from the Department for Education on Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education.

• Relationships and Sex Education across The NSB Trust aims to:
• Provide all pupils with accurate and unbiased knowledge
• Provide opportunities for open and accepting discussion; to challenge views, attitudes, and beliefs in order for our pupils to form their own personal values grounded in respect.
• Provide the knowledge and skills needed in order to make safe and informed decisions about their relationships, reproductive health and intimacy.

Students study RSE as part of an age-appropriate spiral curriculum from Year 7 – 11 within their PSHE lessons. Sex Education at The NSB Trust involves learning about the physical, social, and emotional aspects of human sexuality and behaviour, including human reproduction. This includes conception and contraception, safer sex, sexually transmitted infections, and sexual health, as well as the influence of various media and peer pressure on sexual behaviour. Relationships Education involves learning about the physical, social, legal, and emotional aspects of human relationships, including friendships, intimate, sexual, and committed relationships, and family life. Relationships education supports children to be safe, happy and healthy in their interactions with others now and in the future. In addition, puberty and understanding the changing body are taught as part of Health education. Relationship education is compulsory for all students.

The Right to Withdraw from Sex Education:

According to DfE guidelines, parents and carers have the right to withdraw their children from some or all parts Sex Education delivered within RSE. All students, three full terms before they turn 16, have the right to decide if they wish to receive Sex Education or withdraw. Should a student wish to receive Sex Education at this time, they can do so without parent/carer consultation. Mrs Emma Barnett-Vincent will initially email students to make them aware of this.

Further information on our RSE curriculum and the withdrawal process can be accessed by viewing our Trust RSE policy.

Should parents/carers wish to withdraw their child from Sex Education, they will need to indicate which lessons specifically they wish to withdraw their child from on a Withdrawal Form and give a written explanation for withdrawal. A copy of withdrawal requests will be placed in the pupil’s educational record. Any request for withdrawal can be followed by a conversation with Mrs Emma Barnett-Vincent, Assistant Headteacher and will be passed on to the Headteacher, Mr M Edwards to sanction, if agreed. As the curriculum is different for each Year Group, a different Withdrawal Form is required each year.

All pupils who are withdrawn from Sex Education will receive alternative PSHE education during those lessons.

The NSB Trust RSE Policy