Dear Parent

I write to inform you about our Personal, Social and Health Education and Citizenship programme for all Year 9 students.

Students will follow a series of lessons based around the National Curriculum Programmes of Study on:

1. Economic wellbeing and Financial capability
2. Personal wellbeing
3. Citizenship

The five topic areas covered are:

1. Understanding Yourself
Friendship groups and influences, feelings, self esteem and identifying personal skills and qualities and Study Skills.

2. Keeping Healthy
Body awareness, healthy lifestyles and keeping safe.

3. Developing Relationships
Respect and responsibility towards others including responsible attitudes relating to sexual relationships, conflict and being assertive.

4. Careers
Lifeskills including learning, earning and finance.

5. Developing as a Citizen
Rights & Responsibilities and Global Issues.

These topics all provide opportunities for the student to grow and develop as individuals. They learn to work and discuss in groups and as a whole class unit thereby listening to other people’s opinions and learning to work together.

Some of the sessions will be led by Sister Shirley Crawford (from our Medical Centre). These will include Contraception and Healthy Lifestyle. On some occasions presentations will be done separately to boys and girls. There will also be a focus for the students on their future choices linked with subject options and careers during the year.

Our Personal, Social and Health Education and Citizenship programme along with other departments which compliment and reinforce it aims to provide students with a broad knowledge and understanding of many issues. We promote to ensure each individual develops the ability to deal with a variety of situations, moral and social dilemmas, develop skills, acquire knowledge and make informed choices and decisions so they grow into responsible citizens.

If you have any questions about the course, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Anne Howard
Head of PSHE