PSHE

We believe that promoting the health and well-being of our students is an important part of their overall education at Meridian High School. We do this through our Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) provision, which looks at many topics including all kinds of relationships, physical and emotional health, and living in the wider world.

The aim of the PSHE course is to help our pupils make safe and informed decisions during their school years and beyond. For example, is important for them to know how diet and exercise choices impact on our lifestyle and general well-being as well as making informed financial and personal decisions.

PSHE is taught as a discrete lesson every week. The PSHE programme takes a thematic approach to delivery and is informed by best practice guidance from the PSHE association.The cycical curriculum is designed so that students will build on the knowledge, skills and understanding of the units they have explored in earlier years. For both the key stage 3 and 4 programme of study, materials that are presented are at the appropriate stages of our students’ development.

Y7 PSHE

Y8 PSHE

Y9 PSHE

Y10 PSHE

Y11 PSHE

Relationships and sex education (RSE) is an important part of PSHE education at MHS. Relationships education is compulsory for all primary school pupils, and relationships and sex education (RSE) is compulsory for all secondary school pupils. Our school is committed to ensuring that all our students receive the appropriate provision to improve their knowledge and understanding of different types of relationships, sex and physical development, healthy living and economic well-being. Young people face complex pressures and dilemmas in developing mature relationships. The aim of RSE at MHS is to equip our young people with the information needed to develop healthy, nurturing relationships of all kinds, not just intimate relationships. They need to face such tasks safely, and confident in their factual knowledge, as well as being given the opportunity to discuss and shape their feelings and attitudes.

To embrace the challenges of creating a happy and successful adult life, students need knowledge that will enable them to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships and to build their belief in their own abilities. We facilitate lessons about RSE in an appropriate and timely manner based on student’s maturity levels; using the correct language to support their understanding. In addition to RSE, students will also explore ways of keeping themselves safe and healthy.

Students can also put knowledge encountered in PSHE into practice as they develop the capacity to make sound decisions when facing risks, challenges and complex contexts. Everyone faces difficult situations in their lives. This subject can support young people to develop resilience, to know how and when to ask for help, and to know where to access support. This helps with their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence.

PSHE learning journey

The journey of our current PSHE curriculum began in 2020. Parents were consulted in shaping the original RSE policy. We also meet as a leadership team regularly to review contextual issues, and adapt a preventative curriculum over time.

Votes for schools

Why does PSHE as a subject matter?

The learning we undertake across the five years seeks to further safeguard students, supporting their spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development and to help prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life. We aim to make our materials as context-specific to the lives of our young people as possible and be responsive to their needs.

What does PSHE help young people to achieve?

We tailor the programme to further instil our core behaviour values of resilience, ambition and respect as students learn about themselves and others. We believe that the development of these core values develops the emotional intelligence of our students to utilise in the community and wider world around them.

PSHE infographic 24