PSHE

Intent

At St Edmund’s Catholic School, our Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education curriculum provides a broad, balanced, inclusive and progressive programme that supports pupils’ personal development, wellbeing, safety and preparation for adult life. Rooted in our Catholic ethos and the values of dignity, compassion, respect, responsibility and care for others, it encourages pupils to make informed decisions, build positive relationships and contribute responsibly to society. 

Our provision incorporates statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) alongside wider PSHE, financial education, careers learning and active citizenship. It is organised into four interconnected strands: Health and Wellbeing; Relationships; Living in the Wider World; and Economic Wellbeing and Careers. These are revisited through a spiral curriculum with increasing depth, appropriate to pupils’ age, maturity and needs. 

Teaching is inclusive of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), pupils with English as an additional language (EAL), and pupils with different experiences and family circumstances. Staff use appropriately adapted resources, safe discussion practices and safeguarding procedures. 

Key Stage 3

Year 7 – Building Foundations and Staying Safe 

Year 7 supports transition to secondary school, belonging and the foundations of healthy, safe and responsible living. 

In Health and Wellbeing, pupils learn about puberty, physical development, hygiene, dental health, nutrition and healthy lifestyles. Practical activities such as Restart a Heart introduce life-saving skills. They learn to respond to emergencies, including choking and head injuries, and consider road, rail and water safety, including the Water Safety Code. 

In Relationships, pupils explore friendship, kindness, respect, boundaries, inclusion, bullying and peer pressure, identifying trusted adults and ways to seek help. 

In Living in the Wider World, pupils develop safe online habits, including privacy, responsible communication and reporting concerns. Cultural Awareness Day and related activities celebrate diversity and shared values. 

In Economic Wellbeing and Careers, tutor activities and careers assemblies, including Know Your Options, introduce aspirations, personal strengths and future opportunities. 

By the end of this year, pupils gain confidence in friendships, everyday safety, belonging and help-seeking. 

Year 8 – Developing Independence and Responsible Choices 

Year 8 builds independence, emotional awareness and responsible decision-making. 

In Health and Wellbeing, pupils explore nutrition, physical activity, sleep, mental wellbeing, body image and social-media influences, including loneliness and sources of support. 

In Relationships, pupils develop respectful communication, empathy, conflict resolution and understanding of boundaries, stereotypes and peer influence, including how online influencers can shape attitudes. 

In Living in the Wider World, pupils consider responsible citizenship, British Values, misinformation, digital media and their role within school and society. 

In Economic Wellbeing and Careers, pupils develop budgeting and saving skills, learn about financial wellbeing, scams and misleading online offers, and encounter employment and training opportunities through assemblies and initiatives such as the Apprenticeship Bus. 

By the end of this year, pupils show greater independence, relationship skills, emotional awareness and financial responsibility. 

Year 9 – Managing Risk, Relationships and Social Influences 

Year 9 explores increasingly complex challenges of adolescence and strengthens pupils’ ability to recognise harmful influences. 

In Health and Wellbeing, pupils examine drugs, alcohol, smoking, vaping, mental health, stress, grief, loss, loneliness, knife crime, exploitation and personal safety in public spaces. 

In Relationships, pupils deepen understanding of consent, respect, equality and boundaries, while challenging misogyny, harmful stereotypes, toxic online influences and unhealthy relationship expectations. Positive role models, empathy and care are emphasised. 

In Living in the Wider World, pupils explore citizenship, law, rights, community safety, AI-generated content, deepfakes, online manipulation and how to report concerns. 

In Economic Wellbeing and Careers, careers interviews, speed networking, employer encounters and financial workshops develop aspirations, budgeting, saving and awareness of financial exploitation. 

By the end of this year, pupils can recognise risks and harmful influences, explain responsibilities and make more informed choices. 

Key stage 4

Year 10 – Greater Responsibility and Life Beyond School 

Year 10 develops judgement and practical knowledge for more complex personal, social and financial decisions. 

In Health and Wellbeing, pupils explore sexual and reproductive health, contraception, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), substance misuse, personal safety and access to reliable health advice. 

In Relationships, pupils study consent, coercion, sexual harassment, exploitation, abuse, healthy intimate relationships, family diversity, pregnancy, parenting and postnatal care. Teaching stresses that consent must be freely given and may be withdrawn, and that relationships require empathy, kindness, communication and mutual care. Age-appropriate safeguarding education addresses misogyny, violence against women and girls, pornography’s harmful influences, sextortion, image-based abuse and AI-generated intimate images. 

In Living in the Wider World, pupils consider legal rights and responsibilities, digital citizenship, harmful behaviour, online exploitation and reporting routes. 

In Economic Wellbeing and Careers, CV writing, mock interviews, college taster days, apprenticeship assemblies, alumni encounters and financial education support post-16 planning. 

By the end of this year, pupils demonstrate greater understanding of safeguarding, respectful relationships and future pathways. 

Year 11 – Transition to Adulthood and Independent Living 

Year 11 consolidates learning and prepares pupils for post-16 education, employment and increasing independence. 

In Health and Wellbeing, pupils focus on examination stress, resilience, sleep, healthy routines, mental wellbeing, sexual health, STIs, contraception and healthcare access. Sensitive issues, including grief, loss and suicide prevention, are addressed only through carefully planned, safeguarding-informed teaching with appropriate expertise. 

In Relationships, pupils revisit consent, coercion, healthy intimate relationships, domestic abuse, controlling behaviour, sexual harassment, exploitation, equality and accessing support. 

In Living in the Wider World, pupils deepen their understanding of democracy, civic participation, law, equality, digital footprints, misinformation, AI-generated content and online harms. 

In Economic Wellbeing and Careers, careers guidance, college and sixth-form applications, apprenticeship information and the Post-16 Careers Fair support transition. Practical financial education includes payslips, payroll, income tax, National Insurance, budgeting, banking, saving, borrowing, debt, fraud and online financial exploitation. 

By the end of this year, pupils leave with practical knowledge and confidence to make responsible decisions about health, relationships, finances and next steps. 

Impact 

By the end of Year 11, we aim for pupils to be informed, resilient, compassionate and responsible young people who can maintain their wellbeing, build respectful relationships, recognise risks, make sound financial decisions and prepare for education, employment and adult life. They should understand their rights and responsibilities, respect the dignity of others, challenge harmful behaviour and contribute positively to society.