Healthy Living 

A balanced diet, dangers of sugar, exercise and using tech to track fitness, sleep, links between physical health and mental health. Puberty- male and female changes, body image, body odour, teeth and skin care.

Competence – looking after ourselves.
Confidence – understanding our changing bodies.

Information Heroes 

Conducting effective searches online – search engines, fake news, filter bubbles, echo chambers and URLs. Information literacy – how to find and extract relevant information from non-fiction resources, skimming and scanning, introduction to article bias.

Competence – how to research.
Confidence – understanding how some information is more useful or reliable than others.

Bullying

The definition of bullying, types of bullying including cyberbullying, peer pressure and manipulation, consequences (physical and emotional) for both the perpetrator/s and victim/s. Consider case studies of young people experiencing bullying. What can we do? What advice would you give to someone being bullied, actions the school could/should take? How and where to ask for help.

Confidence – to ask for help and to know when or if bullying is happening.
Compassion – to consider consequences for others and the impact of bullying on a range of people.

Internet Safety

Online safety and security – staying safe, how to control who can access your information, the idea that nothing online is truly private. The law and the consequences of inappropriate IT use. Cyberbullying. 

Confidence – to know how to stay safe online.
Compassion – cyberbullying and its consequences.
Competence – in dealing with online issues. 

Success at Secondary

Embracing and coping with new things and more freedoms. Making the move up to secondary school and building some of the skills required to make this move a positive one. Growth mindset and the power of positive thinking in the face of challenges. The basics of money- debt, mortgages, credit, income and analysis of our money personality.

Competence –  knowing key terms and the basics of money management.
Confidence – to apply new skills in new situations.
Compassion – for ourselves in acknowledging that moving to secondary school is hard.

Outside speakers and extra input

IT Happens talk:  Puberty – confidence in ourselves and our changing bodies; competence to manage those changes.

PCSO talk: Risky Pictures- compassion for ourselves and others; confidence to know what to do in difficult situations.

Smashed Live: alcohol and the consequences; confidence to make good choices. 

Critical thinking and an introduction to politics

Exploring truth, what it really means, how hard it is to get to and what tactics we can use to try and ascertain it. Looking at the case of Breck Bednar as an example of how others may want to hide the truth from us, and what we can do to protect ourselves. Introduction to British politics- main parties, left and right wing, the fundamentals of our democracy.  Analysing newspapers and discussing bias and political agendas within our sources of news and information. Exploring examples of how the ‘truth’ can be different depending on who you are and what you are trying to achieve.

Competence – in using different sources of information.
Confidence – in our growing understanding of the world, how it works, and how information is power.

Emotional Wellbeing

Discuss what is meant by wellbeing. How physical and mental health may be linked. How friendship groups may impact how we feel. How to promote positive wellbeing through connecting with others, being active, taking notice and being curious about the world around you, learning new things, acts of kindness. Misconceptions around mental health issues. Sources of help and how to access it.

Compassion – for ourselves and others.
Confidence – in connecting with others.

First Aid

CPR for children and adults. Bleeding, burns and scalds. Seizures, epilepsy and choking.

Confidence – in looking after ourselves.
Competence – in providing help to others.

Respect

Taking ownership and responsibility for your own actions regardless of others.
We explore how to be respectful regarding:

• The spectrums of ethnicity, neurodiversity and gender
• Online behaviour and the law
• Class hierarchies and inequality
• The environment and the impact of human behaviour

Compassion – for others.

Healthy Relationships 

Types of relationships such as friendship, love, professional. The different kinds of language we use to reflect differing relationships in our lives. Positive relationships as a contributor to good physical and mental health. Characteristics of healthy interpersonal relationships and communication. How to identify unhealthy (toxic) friendships/ relationships and strategies to avoid them.

Compassion – for ourselves and others.
Confidence – in building positive relationships.
Competence – in identifying negative relationships.

Outside speakers and extra input 

IT Happens Education: Early Digital Relationships – confidence to make good decisions.

PCSO talk: ‘Drugs – Rue the Day’ confidence to make good decisions.

Alcohol, Smoking and Vaping

What do you know about alcohol/ misconceptions. Alcohol, smoking, vaping and the law.

Units, ABV, “safe” drinking/ binge drinking. Drinking scenarios such as parties and nights out. (Focus on the law and repercussions in society not in the body as that is covered in science lessons).

Competence – in knowing the law.
Confidence – to make good decisions.

Life Skills

“Home Alone”: Linked to the classic Christmas movie, parents are probably happy to leave you at home alone for an afternoon, so what could go wrong? We cover what to do in the event of a burst pipe, a gas leak, simple electrical issues and fire!

“Bicycle; bicycle”: Basic bike maintenance and safety.

“Getting ready”: Washing machines, ironing and how to tie a bow tie.

“I like driving in my car”: Applying for, and how to lose, a driving licence; basic vehicle checks.  

Confidence – in our growing independence.

Financial Awareness

Credit v. debit cards, how to build a good credit score and why it’s important. Types of fraud and fraud prevention. Borrowing money including student loans and pay day loans. Payslips and essential (National Insurance, Tax, Pension, rent/mortgage) v. non-essential outgoings.

Competence – in basic finance.
Confidence – to deal with our money.

Relationships and Sex Education

Healthy physical relationships, sex and the law, contraception, sexually transmitted infections. The essential need for consent for all activities.

Competence – in knowing the law.
Compassion – for ourselves and others.

Tackling Homophobia

Definitions, language, and stereotyping. Existing prejudices towards LGBTQ+ people. Homophobia in sport, with a focus on football. Language and the power words can have. Appropriate and inappropriate terminology with regards to sexual orientation. Barriers that LGBTQ+ people may face and building empathy. The relationship between homophobia and human rights. Increasing awareness about our responsibility to act and challenge discriminatory behaviour.

Compassion – for others.

First Aid

A recap of all the skills taught in year eight and further skills:
CPR, the recovery position, seizures and epilepsy, fainting, bleeding, choking, burns and scalds, asthma.

Competence – in first aid.
Confidence – to help.

Outside speakers and extra input

IT Happens Education:  Developing Digital Relationships – confidence to make good decisions.

PCSO Talk:  Drugs and Alcohol – Double Trouble – confidence to make good decisions.

Drugs Awareness

The nature of drugs and their effects; the ways and forms in which drugs are taken and lead to addiction. The reasons why drugs are taken including alcohol and nicotine in the form of tobacco and vaping. The situations in which people encounter and take drugs. The legal status of drugs; controlled and illegal drugs, penalties for supply and distribution. Wider political issues raised by the illegal status of drugs and campaigns for the legalisation.

Confidence – to make good decisions.
Competence – in knowing the law around drug use.

Challenging Prejudice

Identity, race, culture, gender and diversity including reflecting on the labels placed on people.  Prejudice towards certain groups. Unconscious bias.  How to address and combat prejudice and privilege in yourself and society.

Compassion – for others.

Disability Awareness

The definition of disability, recognising disabilities, ability to learn and attitudes/ barriers to education surrounding different disabilities.  Dealing with prejudice and reflection on how society should best support disabled people. Understanding blindness and autism. Basic sign language.

Compassion – for others.
Confidence – to stand up to prejudice.

Relationships and Sex Education

Consent in all relationships. Sexual health and contraception.  Pornography and social media. Objectification and healthy relationships. Sources of support, accurate advice and guidance

Compassion – for ourselves and others.
Confidence –  in our relationships.

Mental Health and Managing Stress

Statistics and demographics of suicide and the stigmas attached. What is stress and how does it affect us physiologically. Methods for both embracing stress to increase resilience as well as how to switch stress off. The importance of talking, how to talk and with whom, and providing pupils with a safety net. How to support others without compromising yourself. Where to find help.

Compassion – for ourselves and others.
Confidence – to talk.

Democracy and Current Affairs

How democracy, voting and the government work in the UK. The rights and responsibilities of the voter. Topical news items of interest such as; the war in Ukraine, the monarchy and its role following the death of Elizabeth II, the appointment of a new Prime Minister, nation states owning football clubs/ sports watching or tackle laws/ concussion/ early onset dementia in rugby and changes in schools’ attitudes towards the sport.

Competence – in our understanding of key issues.
Confidence – to challenge the status quo, to ask questions of our society, to consider the wider world.

Outside speakers and other input

IT Happens Education – Intimate Relationships.  Confidence to make good decisions.

PCSO Talk – Drugs Class Act.  Confidence to make good decisions.

IT Happens Education – Freedom and Festivals. Confidence to make good decisions

PCSO Talk- Sexual Consent.  Confidence to make good decisions, compassion for others and competence in knowing the law.

Social transition

Coping with, and making a success of our new personal freedoms and new relationships of different kinds. Our different schools – speaking up and being heard in a new environment.  An examination of gender and issues related to harmful gender stereotypes and consent.

Confidence – to make good decisions.
Compassion – for others.
Competence – in knowing the law.

Academic transition 

Motivations and stepping up to post 16 study. Study techniques- the SAAD approach (Jade Bowler) Mind mapping for revision (Tony Buzan). Plan it, Learn it, Test it for revision. Academic coaching.

Confidence – in studying, revising and stepping up.
Competence – to deal with academic change and stress.

Outside speakers and other input

IT Happens Education – Sexual Health – confidence to make good decisions, compassion for others, competence in knowing the law.

Barrister visit – knife crime, possession of drugs and the sending of sexual images on a telephone – confidence to make good decisions, compassion for others,  competence in knowing the law.

MP visit – A Day in the Life of an MP- competence in knowing how our political system works. 

IT Happens Education – Future Relationships.

Local MP visit- Day in the Life of an MP.