Overview

Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) supports and enhances the development of pupils at Newlands, reflecting our agreed purpose of preparing girls for life in the twenty-first century: “We aim for our girls to become confident, adaptable young women who can work co-operatively but who are also capable of thinking for themselves, making rational decisions and taking control of their own lives”.

PSHE is intrinsically linked with Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development (SMSC) and promotes the British Values of Democracy, the Rule of Law, Individual Liberty and Mutual Respect. Supporting students in becoming responsible and informed citizens is a key aspect of our PSHE programme, which is organised around the key themes of Relationships; Health and Well-being and; Living in the Wider World. Planned lessons include (but are not limited to) learning on the following topics:

• Friendship, peer pressure and bullying;
• Healthy eating, personal hygiene and mental health;
• Drug and alcohol misuse, including the dangers of county lines;
• Puberty, contraception, consent, STI’s, LGBTQIA awareness, relationships and marriage;
• Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), forced marriage and domestic violence;
• Cybersafety, knife crime and gang awareness;
• First aid;
• Citizenship, including learning on human rights, democracy, identity, liberty, radicalisation, tolerance and respect;
• Politics, finance and a deeper understanding of career pathways.

Aims

• Are equipped with the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to live confident, healthy, independent lives, as socially and morally responsible citizens of their school and local community;
• Are willing to show courage and confidence in asserting their values and beliefs; they are not afraid to challenge prejudice and discrimination;
• Are able to maintain successful interpersonal relationships, sensitive to the beliefs, values and ways    of the life of others;
• Are critical thinkers;
• Are able to collaborate and communicate with their peers, teachers and others in a climate of support and shared ambition; they can assess their personal strengths and build upon them, proactive and motivated to take the next steps in their learning. They readily reflect on their experiences and aspirations for the future;
• Have a sound sense of self-awareness and are knowledgeable about themselves, in relation to physical, emotional, intellectual and sexual development; they demonstrate self-discipline, self-esteem and self-reliance.

The values and ethos of Newlands Girls’ School serve to create an atmosphere of trust and equality, in which girls can explore their attitudes, feelings and sense of self without judgment. We commit to modelling the highest standards, celebrating thoughtful and caring actions both from within our school and in the wider community. Pupils are fully supported in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and good mental health and we promote the importance of high aspirations, enabling every girl to achieve her potential.

Opportunities for Learning

• Timetabled PSHE lessons;
• Lessons in curriculum subject areas;
• The school’s arrangements for pastoral care and pupil guidance;
• Assemblies, which are based on the ‘Thought for the Week’;
• The opportunities for girls to join the School Council and take other leadership roles;
• Planned learning opportunities in contexts outside of the school, for example residential visits and work experience;
• A wide variety of extra-curricular and offsite activities, including sport, music, additional languages, volunteering, and the Duke of Edinburgh Award;
• The opportunity to hear external speakers;
• Encouraging all pupils to play a helpful part in the life of their school, neighbourhoods, communities and the wider world.