Personal Development

As a Church School, Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School prides itself on the development of the ‘whole child’. Our Personal Development curriculum is designed to support students to become confident, healthy, resilient and respectful citizens, who are fully prepared for life and work and are ready to tackle the challenges and opportunities of today and tomorrow.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus” – Paul’s letter to the Galatians (Galatians 3:28)

“I am a citizen, not of Athens or Greece, but of the world” – Socrates

“How wonderful it is that nobody needs to wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”  – Anne Frank

Our intent is to:

  • Ensure students have the knowledge and skills to make informed choices to enhance and enrich their own and other people’s lives.
  • Develop a strength of character and resilience that will help students to overcome the challenges they are likely to encounter in adult life.
  • Promote spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, increasing their awareness and self-confidence and create opportunities for students to explore their relationship with God.
  • Help students develop independent skills and a positive attitude toward learning.
  • Ensure that all students understand how to stay safe.
  • Provide an appropriate range of opportunities and experiences to allow students to succeed in the next stage in their education, training or employment.
  • Prepare children for life in modern Britain. We will ensure that the fundamental British values are introduced, discussed and lived out through the ethos and work of the school.
  • Provide a range of opportunities and experiences which act a vehicle for furthering understanding and deepen and develop understanding beyond the local community.
  • Develop skills in communicating ideas and opinions to influence social change.
  • Develop student understanding of healthy relationships through age appropriate relationship and sex education.

We will achieve this through our structured Personal Development curriculum, bespoke tutor and CEIAG programmes, assembly programme, enrichment initiatives (including our Wider Curriculum) and the support of specialist external bodies.

 

Year 7

  1. Introduction to secondary school (Year 7 transition lesson)
  2. Introduction to Personal Development (introduces Personal Development as a subject)

Health and Wellbeing

What do we mean by a healthy lifestyle? Health introduction

How can I keep healthy? Food groups, diet and nutrition.

Eating responsibly – food labels and health hazards

Healthy living – exercise and keeping active

Not eating healthily – what are the consequences?

What’s the big deal about energy drinks?

The dangers of cigarettes and alcohol (2 x hours)

Puberty – what happens, when and why

Periods – what happens, when and why

FGM – what is it and why is it so dangerous?

Introduction to mental health issues – depression focus.

What are drugs? Why are they dangerous? (class A, B, C)

How can we manage our anger?

Living in the wider world

Being an aspirational student

The importance of self esteem

How can we budget our money?

How can I create a personal budgeting plan? (2x hours)

What are savings, loans and interest?

What are the different types of financial transactions?

What are the different types of financial products?

How can we shop ethically?

What are wants and needs and why do we need to know the difference?

How can we enjoy social media but keep our accounts safe and private?

What is stereotyping and prejudice? Racism focus

Relationships (RSE)

Keeping good friendships and avoiding toxic ones

Family relationships – the different types and why we don’t always get along

Love and relationships – falling in love and dealing with new feelings

Bullying or banter? Why do people bully others and how can we help stop this?

What is cyberbullying? Why do people bully on line?

How do we keep safe and positive relationships (on and off line)?

What is my personal identity and why is diversity important?

Extremism – why does radicalisation happen and how does it challenge our values?

Year 8

Health and Wellbeing

Personal development and target setting – how can I improve my skills and behaviour?

How can self-confidence boost our achievement?

How can I manage my behaviour to achieve targets and goals?

Why do teenage parents have it so tough? How can we avoid teenage pregnancy?

Stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice. Disability focus

How can we look after ourselves and others in an emergency? Personal safety and first aid

What is vaping and is this as bad as smoking?

What is mindfulness? How can this aid positive mental health?

Emotional literacy – why is self-awareness in our actions towards others so important? (2 lessons)

Living in the wider world

Internet safety – what is online grooming and why must we be so careful?

How can we care for our environment and why is it changing?

Careers + development focus – how can we develop our teamwork skills?

How can we become entrepreneurs?

LGBT+ focus: homophobia (2 hours)

Finance – what is income and expenditure?

Finance – budgeting and saving personal finances

Careers + Finance – what are national insurance and income tax? Reading payslips

Why do we pay tax and how is this spent?

Stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice. Teens and the media focus

Relationships (RSE)

How do we have safe sex and use different forms of contraception?

How do we keep good sexual health and avoid STI’s?

What is consent and why is it important we know about it?

What is sexting and why is it so risky to send personal images?

What is pornography and why can it be dangerous?

How can we prevent radicalisation and recognise the signs of extremism?

Who are the extremist groups and why are they so dangerous?

Where does extremism come from?

How do religious extremists attract converts?

Islamophobia – do Muslims really want Sharia law in \Britain?

Stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice. Religion focus

How can British Values teach us tolerance and respect for others?

Domestic conflict – why do people run away from home and why is this so dangerous?

Body image and the media part 1 with a focus on boys.

 

Year 9

Health and Wellbeing

Why do we need to keep to rules in order to succeed?

How can we foster a Growth mind-set to succeed and achieve?

How can I develop interpersonal skills to help me succeed?

How can we manage the stress of school and exams?

Why do people take illegal drugs and what does the law say about drug use?

Why do people become selfie obsessed and what consequences can this have?

What are the short and long term consequences of excess alcohol drinking?

What is self-harm and why do people do this?

Why can’t some people access education?

How are we protected from prejudice and discrimination?

Mental health – how can I deal with and mange anxiety?

Acid attacks – why are these on the increase and what can we do if we witness one?

Living in the wider world

How does knife crime impact on our communities, why do teens get involved and what are the consequences? (2 hours)

How does the law deal with young offenders? (2 hours)

How can we be self-disciplined to achieve our aims at school and in the wider world?

Employability skills – preparing for and applying to the world of work and careers

What other skills do we need to develop for the work environment?

What does it mean to be ‘enterprising’ and what is an ‘enterprising personality’?

What is sustainability and why is this essential o our environment?

Navigating accounts, savings loans and financial institutions.

What rights do we have as shoppers and consumers?

How can I stay financially savvy and avoid debt?

What can we learn from successful business people and entrepreneurs?

Should we send aid to foreign countries – is aid the answer?

How can extreme views lead to human rights abuses and atrocities?

How do charities like UNICEF help across the world?

Relationships (RSE)

Who are the LGBT+ community and what would they like us to know?

Why are British communities so diverse? Immigration and diversity focus

What are domestic violence and abusive relationships? Healthy and unhealthy relationships

CSE – how are children and young people lured into dangerous relationships and what do these look like?

Body image and the media 2 -– focus on girls

Body image and the media 3 – does the media contribute to eating disorders?

Can we respect and celebrate British Values and the religion and culture of our choice (2 hours)

What is peer pressure – why is it so powerful and how can we overcome this?

 

Year 10

Health and Wellbeing

Managing tough times: change, grief and bereavement

Suicide

Managing social anxiety

Social media and self esteem

Screen time

 

Living in the wider world

Managing time

Living sustainably

Homelessness

Hate crime

Tattoos and piercings

Binge drinking

What’s the right career for me?

Employability skills: CV’s

Careers in STEM

Preparing for work

Rights and responsibilities

Why do we need International Women’s Day?

The criminal justice system

Anti-social behaviour

County lines

Money laundering

Overt and covert racism

Fake news and critical thinking

 

Relationships (RSE)

Conflict management

Forced and arranged marriages

Harassment and stalking

Revenge porn

Relationships with role models

Same sex relationships

Gender and trans identity

Community cohesion

Sexism

Parenting

 

Year 11

Health and Wellbeing

Why is PD so important?

Identity and diversity

How does privilege affect us?

Obesity and body positivity

Fertility and reproductive health

What is CPR? How do we perform

this and find sources of help?

Perseverance and procrastination

Importance of sleep

Risk taking and decision making

Gambling and online gambling

Digital footprint

Personal safety in the wider world

 

Living in the wider world

Animal rights and sustainability

Pollution, plastics and

the environment

Globalisation

Multiculturalism and British Values

Right wing extremism

Internet safety: the dark web

Cybercrime and online fraud

GCSE revision and study skills

Applying to college or university

Independent living

Preparing for job interviews

Health and safety at work

Trade unions

 

Relationships (RSE)

Bullying and body shaming

Types of relationship: Consent, rape and sexual harassment

What makes good sex?

Safe sex and chem sex

Relationships: break ups

 

Happiness and positivity