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Personal Development

Learning Journey & Sequencing Rationale

As Personal Development Teachers we place learner’s development at the heart of each lesson. We want to develop learners into responsible adults who make sustained and valuable contributions    to their local communities, and society, through active citizenship and embodying British values.  We aim to provide students with a curriculum which enables them to develop knowledge and understanding of diverse cultures and key aspects of living a responsible life including healthy relationships. Within our topics we foster an attitude of tolerance, understanding and value towards differences of any kind.  We aim to raise the aspirations and opportunities of all learners such that they realise their potential by acquiring a place at a university, an apprenticeship, or a career of their choice. We hope to develop learners who are ready to thrive in Britain and the wider world by knowing how to keep healthy and safe, be financially sound, and reflective.

unit overview - sex and relationship education

Subject: Relationship and Sex Education     

Skills

  • Analyse others feelings and values
  • Organisation of strategies to deal with difficult situations.
  • Selecting effective ways of resisting pressure,
  • Developing communication skills via presentations.
  • Developing a range of vocabulary using knowledge organisers
  • Identifying and accessing help and support
  • Clarifying own values
  • Showing empathy and compassion
  • Evaluate when a situation can be resolved safely and effectively by a young person themselves and when additional support may be required

Knowledge

Throughout 8 learners will gain knowledge on:

  • What healthy relationships look like
  • Marriage and Divorce and dealing with siblings
  • Parental relationships and conflicts
  • Other long term relationships including, safe and unsafe relationships
  • Dealing with bereavement

Rationale

The Relationship and Sex Education scheme of learning covers aspects of the Government´s requirement that all secondary schools in England teach Relationships and Sex Education (SRE). The SRE guidance states ‘To embrace the challenges of creating a happy and successful adult life, pupils need knowledge that will enable them to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships and to build their self-efficacy. Pupils can also put this knowledge into practice as they develop the capacity to make sound decisions when facing risks, challenges and complex contexts. Everyone faces difficult situations in their lives. These subjects can support young people to develop resilience, to know how and when to ask for help, and to know where to access support’ At Harrow High School we strongly agree with the above and with that in mind have put together topics which cover aspects of the above. Topics have been thought out and much consideration has been given to what is deemed as age appropriate. This unit of work in year builds on what was taught in year 7 where learners looked at areas such as friendship, respect, effects of bullying, equality. In year 8 it progresses on by looking at other types of relationships as well as safe and unsafe relationships.

Relationships education, RSE, aims to ensure pupils are taught the knowledge and life skills they will need to stay safe and develop healthy and supportive relationships.

We believe that the topics can help learners stay safe, especially when dealing with peer pressure and difficult situations.

At Harrow High School we have learners from many different cultural backgrounds, we believe it is vital for learners to understand the importance of identifying risks and ways of staying safe as well as knowing where to go if they are concerned.

The topic aims to build and nurture healthy relationships, which we believe will have a positive impact on learner’s well- being during their years at Harrow High School but also into their adult lives.  

 

 

unit overview - health

Subject: Health

Skills

  • Analyse others feelings and values
  • Analyse things that are beneficial against things that are deemed as detrimental
  • Organisation of strategies to deal with difficult situations.
  • Selecting effective ways of resisting pressure,
  • Developing communication skills via presentations.
  • Developing a range of vocabulary using knowledge organisers
  • Identifying and accessing help and support
  • Showing empathy and compassion
  • Evaluate when a situation can be resolved safely and effectively by a young person themselves and when additional support may be required

Knowledge

Throughout  this topic learners will gain knowledge of

  • Online identity and social media and well-being
  • Personal data and staying safe
  • Female puberty and menstruation
  • Male puberty

Rationale

From 2020 it will be compulsory for all schools to teach Health Education.

This topic covers aspects of the statutory requirement, the Department of Education states ‘By making health education compulsory we will ensure pupils are taught about the benefits of a healthier lifestyle, what determines their physical health and how to build mental resilience and wellbeing. It will also make sure children and young people learn how to recognise when they and others are struggling with mental health and how to respond’

At Harrow High we believe teaching about Healthy Lifestyles is vital, it not only contributes in a positive way whilst they are at school but will prepare them for their adult lives. In year 7 learners spend more time looking at ways of staying physically healthy whilst in year 8 learners will examine mental health paying attention to well-being and the use of technology, it touches on online identity, social media and personal data. It will ensure learners can identify how these things can also cause issues to well-being and how to handle situations.  The Department of Education also states ‘ All children in England will be taught how to look after their mental wellbeing and recognise when classmates may be struggling’ with this in mind, this topic will equip learners to identify when they or their friends may need help.

This topic also covers stress and what it means and ways of dealing with stress, again this contributes immensely to the overall well-being of our learners.

 

 

unit overview - finance

Subject: Finance  

Skills

  • Identifying what is good value for money
  • Analysing decisions
  • Identifying risk
  • Managing spending habits
  • Managing how to save money
  • Analysis of savings accounts benefits

Knowledge

Finance education is the teaching and learning that leads to individuals improving their knowledge, skills and attitudes in relation to managing their money. The topic will endeavour to teach the importance of being financially responsible, as well as financially aware (i.e: of different types of bank accounts and what interest is). 

Throughout Finance Education in Year 8, learners will gain knowledge of:

  • Saving
  • Types of savings accounts
  • Interest
  • Spending habits
  • Value for money
  • Borrowing money

Rationale

Since the introduction of finance education in the National Curriculum in 2014, it has become of great importance to equip learners with knowledge and skills that are not covered in their other various curriculum subjects – in this instance, Finance Education. It is crucial for learners to develop good money management and financial awareness from a young age, so that they are able to carry out these skills and utilise their financial knowledge and awareness when they are older and earn their own income. An awareness of the benefits and importance of having a steady, regular income will encourage learners to develop good financial habits from now so that they can achieve financial stability in the future.

The year 8 scheme of work for Finance Education through Personal Development covers a range of terminology regarding financial products that learners may have heard of before, but have little knowledge of. This is suggestion is supported by a survey conducted by Money Super Market that concluded that 81% of 18-24 year olds did not know what is meant by the financial term ‘interest’.

Children and young people growing up today are exposed to an increasing range of financial decisions, from day-to-day activities, such as whether or not to download apps and music online and purchase music streaming subscriptions, through to longer-term decisions, such as how to finance a car purchase, and whether to attend university or look for employment. At Harrow High School, we feel it is vital for learners to be given an opportunity to learn and build on skills which will help them during their school journey but also in their future lives, aiming to guide learners towards making sound financial decisions and achieving financial stability.

In Year 8, Finance Education aims to further enhance knowledge and awareness of key financial concepts that learners have been introduced to in Year 7.

 

 

unit overview - citizenship

Subject: Citizenship

Skills

  • Analysing rights and responsibilities of citizens in society
  • Identifying legal rights and responsibilities regarding breaking the law
  • Identify UK stance on death penalty and reasoning behind this
  • Awareness and evaluation of causes and effects of youth crime
  • Analysing types of crime and different courts.

Knowledge

Throughout the Active Citizenship unit in Year 8, learners will gain knowledge of: 

  • CPS, police, courts
  • Youth crime
  • Types of offences
  • Rights on arrest
  • Rights and responsibilities as citizens in the UK
  • Criminal age of responsibility
  • Death penalty
  • Knife and gun crime

Rationale

Following on from the Active Citizenship unit in Year 7 where learners are introduced to fundamental societal functions, such as Parliament and the Government, they then move on to more challenging content in Year 8 where they are introduced to the key concept of rights and responsibilities as a citizen. Throughout this unit, learners are able to enhance their understanding of their rights as a citizen of the UK, as well as their responsibilities in order to contribute to a well-functioning society, such as abiding by the law, being aware of the criminal age of responsibility and what types of crimes exist that they may be unaware of as being illegal, and understanding how the police and court system works. It is crucial for the knowledge of our young learners to be aware of such issues that are covered in this unit that they may not learn about in other curriculum subjects, such as the rising rate in youth crime, knife and gun crime and different consequences of breaking the law, as well as getting help through the rehabilitation process which will encourage a break in the wide societal taboo that believes rehabilitation is merely for those suffering from drug or alcohol related addictions.

Through Citizenship education, learners are encouraged to develop a thorough understanding of the importance of developing and maintaining good characteristics and morals, especially as we have many students at HHS coming from areas consisting of high crime rates, such as Stonebridge which saw a 346 crimes reported in September 2020 alone. Though in comparison to Northwick Park which saw a total of 84 crimes reported in Sept 2020, a much lower number but still emphasises the need to ensure the younger generation develop good and active roles in society in a positive manner.

In Year 8, students are provided the opportunity to further enhance analytical and critical thinking skills that they were introduced to in Year 7, by evaluating various societal issues, such as the effects of youth crime, and rehabilitation as a form of maintaining law and order.

Ensuring that children are educated about drugs can help prevent them from using them, especially ones that are made to sound harmless, but are in reality very addictive or dangerous to the body with accurate information about the topic, a person will be more likely to make a fact-based and informed decision. Ensuring that children are educated about drugs can help prevent them from using them, especially ones that are made to sound harmless, but are in reality very addictive or dangerous to the body. Ensuring that children are educated about drugs can help prevent them from using them, especially ones that are made to sound harmless, but are in reality very addictive or dangerous to the body.

 

 

 

knowledge organisers

A knowledge organiser is an important document that lists the important facts that learners should know by the end of a unit of work. It is important that learners can recall these facts easily, so that when they are answering challenging questions in their assessments and GCSE and A-Level exams, they are not wasting precious time in exams focusing on remembering simple facts, but making complex arguments, and calculations.

We encourage all pupils to use them by doing the following:

  • Quiz themselves at home, using the read, write, cover, check method.
  • Practise spelling key vocabulary
  • Further researching people, events and processes most relevant to the unit.