Subject Intent
“Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education is a school subject through which pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage their lives, now and in the future. It helps children and young people to stay healthy and safe, while preparing them to make the most of life and work.”
PSHE Association
PSHE is a key subject in any school as it addresses the personal development of our pupils outside of academic curriculum areas. It teaches the fellowship skills of successfully living and working with other people, raises aspirations of pupils through a coherent careers and employability skills programme, encourages integrity by asking the big questions that exist in our world, allowing pupils to voice their own thoughts but also listen, take on and reflect upon those of others. The curriculum and extended FAITH award requires and encourages tenacity within our pupils as many of the subjects we cover are both personal, emotionally challenging and difficult for the pupils. This is turn requires the humility, integrity and fellowship to understand this in a classroom setting in such a socio-economic and culturally diverse school.
At Derby Cathedral School a great emphasis is placed on our pupil's personal development and the pupils are therefore taught a single lesson of PSHE each week throughout the entire school, including 6th form. This is a key part of the 6th form offer as we are focusing on not only application information for post 18 but also continuing to develop the pupils in age related topics such as deepening knowledge of consent to financial literacy and moving away from home.
Staffing
6th form PSHE lessons are staffed by Year 12 and 13 tutors. This provides a key person for particularly external pupils, new to 6th form to have a secure base with and build relationships with. This tutor will also take the pupil through the post application process and write the pupil a reference.
FAITH and Endeavour
Pupils are encouraged to record various different milestones through PSHE assessments such as presentations or wider reading and also through extra curricular endeavours. These are then stamped by their tutors and are invaluable when writing personal statements, job and apprenticeship applications and interviews.
Independent Study and Revision
PSHE is always designed to enhance our pupils experience and not hinder it. To this effect there are times in the year when external exams and PPE’s are taking place. At these times, PSHE is given to independent study where pupils are expected to utilise their PSHE space to work toward those exams.
Unifrog, UCAS and Careers Guidance
A lot of the year 12 and 13 curriculum is based around the use of these two programmes. Part of a pupils development is to be able to move on successfully to post 18 provision that is best for them.
A programme of mentoring is in place from tutors and our in house careers advisor to make sure all pupils get the advice and guidance they require.
