What is Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education?

“PSHE is a school curriculum subject through which pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage their lives, now and in the future. When taught well, PSHE also helps pupils to achieve their academic potential.”                                                     

                                                                                                                        PSHE Association 2021

Our vision for the PSHE curriculum is that it shapes and develops cognitive fluency, personal character and compassion and tolerance.

Our intent is that students are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to grow and develop without barriers, having received impactful and well-timed information on relationships and sex, wellbeing and given the appropriate skills to live within the wider world of the UK and beyond.

Subject Delivery

In Key Stages 3 and 4, PSHE is taught on a fortnightly basis. Teachers who specialise in SEND and Safeguarding deliver lessons to form groups. Local service providers, such as Gloucestershire Constabulary, also visit the school to deliver county specific lessons, talks and workshops.

For information on PSHE at Key Stage 5, please see the Sixth Form information page.

Curriculum Design

A spiral curriculum is implemented using quality assured resources, ensuring students develop cognitive fluency as students transition through the school. Topics are taught at both a stage and age-appropriate time, with the curriculum being flexible and responsive to adapt to needs when they arise. Regular meetings between the Lead Teacher, the Wellbeing Team and the Careers Lead alongside meetings with pastoral leads result in programme bespoke to the needs of the Ribston Community.

Drop Down Days and Additional Events

Throughout the academic year there are 3 PSHE enrichment days which further enhance the curriculum. Students receive a mentoring session with their tutor, working on their RCQ subject scores for Key Stage 3, and PPG scores for Key Stages 4 and 5. Following on from this, students partake in a range of workshops, assemblies and lessons delivered by teachers and external providers, such as the Hollie Gazzard Trust, the School of Sexuality Education, the Armed Forces and Gloucestershire Constabulary.

We have regular additional sessions for individual year groups, such as the play Chelsea’s Story, explaining Child Sexual Exploitation to Year 8.

Form Time

Registration and Form Time take place every morning from 8:40am to 9:00am. Each year group follows a bespoke programme designed by their Head of Year, with a weekly whole-school virtual assembly delivered by a member of the Senior Leadership Team. We also have additional assemblies from the Head Girl Team throughout the year.

Sessions include subject talks from subject captains, first aid sessions, wellbeing and mindfulness and academic mentoring.

Curriculum Overview

All PHSE topics are linked to the school’s curriculum intent strands of cognitive fluency, personal character, and compassion and tolerance:

More information is available in the Curriculum Overview below.