Post 16 PSHEE

Our PSHEE programme at ACS builds on PSHE content from KS3/KS4. Teachers cover a range of relevant modules and external organisations are involved to offer a specialist approach to a variety of topics. 

As in KS3 and KS4, PSHEE empowers our students to become independent, confident, healthy and responsible members of society, as well as developing the “whole child” intellectually, morally, socially and spiritually. It is our belief that excellence in these areas will lead to excellence across the curriculum and beyond, to provide them with the knowledge and life skills of our diverse world and ever changing society. Our aim is to support students so that they can make informed life choices, contribute to building their “personal tool box”, and so develop a sense of self, in turn enabling our students to contribute positively to their school and the wider community. 

PSHEE is taught across the schools from Year 7- 13. Weaving through the heart of our PSHEE teaching, is a commitment to enhancing and promoting our schools’ values to equip students with knowledge through relevant and meaningful content. Our approach will allow for timely signposting and support for all students. 

Our PSHEE has a strong emphasis on emotional literacy, building resilience and nurturing mental and physical health through explorative learning, encouraging questioning and debating. Students should have an understanding of themselves and the challenges they face as individuals throughout their lives. Tolerance, challenging prejudice and discrimination and the celebration of diversity will be at the heart of all learning. 

Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)

RSE is taught within the personal, social, health and economic education (PSHEE) curriculum. All students from Years 7 – 13 have one PSHEE lesson a fortnight. 

RSE focuses on giving young people the information they need to help them develop healthy, nurturing relationships of all kinds including:

• Families
• Respectful relationships, including friendships
• Online and media
• Being safe
• Intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health 

These areas of learning are taught within the context of family life taking care to ensure that there is no stigmatisation of children based on their home circumstances (families can include single parent families, LGBT parents, families headed by grandparents, adoptive parents, foster parents/carers amongst other structures) along with reflecting sensitively that some children may have a different structure of support around them.