Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE)
PSHE is a crucial area of education in terms of personal development, safety, health, citizenship within the local and global community, and general preparation for life after school and into adulthood.
In 2020, we consulted with parents, carers, staff, students and governors as part of the statutory consultation on Relationships and Sex Education (RSE). This consultation was repeated in October 2023 after the introduction of Personal Development lessons into our timetable for Years 7-10. The consultation documents can be found here Presentation and Handbook
Once a fortnight, all students in Years 7-10 have a Personal Development lesson which is delivered by a pastoral specialist within the school. These lessons focus on Relationships and Sex Education – young people learning how to keep themselves safe and develop healthy relationships with themselves and with others. Links to this curriculum can be found here.
Year 11 have 3 RSE sessions over the year and Years 12 and 13 have a combination of bespoke speakers and extended assemblies once a fortnight.
Form tutors then deliver the wider PHSE curriculum (British Values, Life in Modern Britain, First Aid, Physical & Mental Health, Careers & Futures, Finance, and Inclusion) during a weekly tutor session.
Our curriculum is further supported via Schoolbeat (three sessions per year, delivered by the Police to Key Stage 3), performances and assemblies and some visiting speakers. Our open, honest and safe classrooms give students the very best preparation for life.
We ask our pupils to evaluate learning outcomes, relevance and how well the sessions meet their needs – we will continue to use their feedback to adapt our future programmes. Every May, students take part in a Pupil Voice survey which helps us to understand the needs of the young people of The Cotswold School. We also very much value the views of parents and carers, and we welcome the opportunity to share resources, answer questions and hear feedback.
The following links may be useful:
Mrs J Carter
Deputy Headteacher – Head of Key Stage 3, Personal Development & Designated Safeguarding Lead