Our intent is to nurture happy, healthy young people who have the knowledge, academic achievement and strength of character to lead safe and successful lives in modern Britain, preparing them for their next steps in education or employment with a thirst for lifelong learning. We ensure that every member of our school community knows that we are committed to supporting their physical health, safety and emotional wellbeing throughout their journey with us.
At Charlton we promote personal wellbeing and development through a comprehensive Character Education and PSHE programme. PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) education is the curriculum subject that gives young people the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and practical skills to live safe, healthy, productive lives and meet their full potential. Character Education is a wider umbrella term which helps students build Character, the knowledge here is underpinned by our core school values and virtues including Respect, Responsibility and Resilience. Through fortnightly dedicated personal development lessons, tutor time and curriculum enhancement days students take part in a well-planned and sequenced programme to ensure they are committing age appropriate knowledge to memory. Students are encouraged to develop their individual character, learn how to stay safe and healthy and develop knowledge to ensure they are well equipped for the Future.
PSHEE and RSE
Our intent is to deliver a PSHE curriculum which develops learning and results in the acquisition of knowledge and skills, which enables children to access the wider curriculum and to prepare students to be responsible citizens both now and in their future roles within a global community.
Through PSHEE students will develop the necessary skills, knowledge, and personal attributes as part of a planned programme of regular lessons that addresses related factors such as valuing diversity, racism, drugs and alcohol, equality, prejudice and health. Students will have accurate and relevant knowledge of PSHEE, as well as opportunities to create personal understanding. Our students will be given the opportunities through discussion to explore and challenge a range of values, attitudes, beliefs, rights and responsibilities. Students will develop a range of skills and strategies to live a healthy, safe, fulfilling, responsible and balanced life. PSHEE education is taught during dedicated sessions throughout the school in every year group. It is monitored and reviewed regularly by the staff and governing body. All PSHEE teaching takes place in a safe learning environment and is underpinned by our school ethos and values.
Our PSHEE curriculum develops age appropriate subject knowledge, skills and understanding to fulfil the three strands of PSHE: health and wellbeing, relationships and living in the wider world. An important part of the Relationships and Health and Wellbeing strands is Relationships and Sex Education (RSE), and as you may be aware, the government have made some alterations to how schools are required to deliver RSE lessons, which will be implemented from September 2020. Relationship and Sex Education will be taught as part of the broader PSHE curriculum in line with the Shropshire Council’s Respect Yourself programme which is a cross phase initiative we follow at Charlton from Y7 to Y11.
As part of the process we have updated our RSE policy and the structure and format of the lessons that we will be delivering to students, ensuring they remain engaging and age appropriate, and cover the required areas of the curriculum. The development of the policy began in the Autumn term during 2019, it has been written in a way that takes into account our needs as a school community through collaboration with all stakeholders. The consultation and policy development process involved the following steps:
- Writing and Review – the policy has been written, considering all relevant information, including national and local guidance and information about our school context.
- Staff consultation – the policy has been reviewed by school staff, including the Senior Leadership Team and Heads of Year and the School Governors.
- Parent/stakeholder consultation – parents and any interested parties were invited to attend a meeting about the policy. This has included Friends of Charlton, meeting with interested parents, and advisors from religious groups. These steps ensured that the policy was sensitively developed to reflect the needs and views of the local community.
The consultation process closed at the end of the summer term 2020, the responses to the consultation were collated and any necessary changes made in response to the feedback given. The policy has been approved by governors and RSE will be taught as part of PSHEE and the wider Personal Development curriculum from September 2020.
For further information please see the policies and implementation documents below.
Further Support
If you would like further information on how Health and Well Being is managed at Charlton School, EmotionalHealth@charlton.uk.com