Personal Development
As a safeguarding first school, the personal development of every child is a key priority. Supporting mental health and wellbeing, nurturing character and affording students the knowledge they need to make well informed decisions to keep themselves safe are paramount in all that we do.
Personal Development is facilitated in a number of ways both pastorally and academically. Outlined below are the central elements that make up our provision.
It is important to use that you feel empowered as parents and carers to speak to your children about their personal development including healthy relationships and sex education. Oak National Academy have a series of topics that you might want to watch and explore with your child in the comfort of your own home. Please click the link below to access these.
https://classroom.thenational.academy/subjects-by-key-stage/key-stage-3/subjects/rshe-pshe
Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) at Stockland Green School
Relationships and Sex Education is compulsory in all secondary schools. Within this framework students acquire knowledge in relation to topics under the following headings:
- Families
- Respectful relationships
- Online and media
- Being safe
- Intimate relationships
- Mental wellbeing
- Healthy eating
- Drugs, alcohol, tobacco
- Health and prevention
- Basic first aid
- Changing adolescent body
- Internet safety
- Physical health
Fundamentally, this curriculum is designed to help keep children safe, to help them navigate the changing demands within our world and for them to feel safe, confident and happy.
Owing to its importance, we cover this frame work in a number of different ways:
Designated curriculum time– Students in year 7 and 8 have a designated Personal Development lesson per week. Students in year 9 have this lesson once a fortnight. Our year 10 and 11 students cover this content during form time.
Citizenship time– Students across all year groups throughout the year have a safe space with their form tutors to explore some of these topics.
Curriculum– Within the national curriculum itself, there are a number of links with the RSE content, predominantly through subjects such as science, PE, RE and computing. That said, many more of our subjects cover aspects of this framework through related topics and the resources and texts used.
Wellbeing weeks– Our wellbeing weeks take place at key points throughout the year, often in conjunction with key national weeks such as anti-bullying week. These weeks are an opportunity for our students to experience a host of activities designed to support their wellbeing but to also safeguard their future.
Our school ethos– We are a safeguarding first school, a Rights Respecting Silver Award school and our PRIDE values of Positivity, Responsibility, Integrity, Determination and Empathy, together with our Stockland Green Standard promotes high expectations around equality and diversity. As staff we model these in all that we do and we teach our students to do the same.
Extra-curricular programme– Our offer supports aspects of the RSE framework including physical and mental health and wellbeing opportunities
The staff delivering this curriculum are supported through a CPD programme led by a combination of external agencies such as Umbrella and internal safeguarding leads within the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership to ensure our students have the most pertinent, age appropriate and accurate information.
You can find a copy of our RSE Policy by clicking the link below. If you have any further questions about this, please get in touch and we will be happy to discuss with you.
Parent Partnership
As parents/carers and families, you are essential in supporting your children through this curriculum by talking to them about what they have learnt. We also recognise that it is unlikely we are all experts in the most recent facts, statistics and legislation in these areas and recognise that you may want to find out more. You can do that in a number of ways:
Guided reading and research– The links below will signposted you to credible websites and organisations that can provide you with a host of information about these topics.
NSPCC- https://www.nspcc.org.uk/
Barnardo’s- https://www.barnardos.org.uk/
PSHE Associate- https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/
Get in touch– If you would like to know more about a particular topic, please get in touch with us and we will be happy to discuss or meet with you.
Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE) Education
Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is an important and necessary part of all pupils’ education. While it is not compulsory, PSHE should be taught in schools and we ensure that all aspects of the framework are covered, working in tandem with our RSE curriculum. The PSHE framework extends beyond the RSE framework to include topics such as living in the wider world, financial education and how to live a physically and mentally healthy lifestyle.
Our developing partnership with our twin school Hexa in Indonesia is providing new opportunities for students to explore PSHE in an exciting and thought provoking way.
British Values and SMSC Statements:
The statements below are designed to offer a consistent and clear definition of SMSC at Stockland Green School, based around national definitions of SMSC.
The SMSC statements incorporate the Fundamental British Values which are
- Democracy
- The rule of law
- Individual liberty
- Mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
Spiritual
- Students are able to be reflective about their own beliefs, religious or otherwise, that informs their perspective on life and their interest in and respect for different people’s faiths, feelings and values.
- Students show a sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them.
- Students use imagination and creativity in their learning.
- Students show willingness to reflect on their experiences.
The spiritual development of all students is encouraged and supported at Stockland Green School. Differing faiths and cultures are discussed regularly in subjects such as Religious Education, Philosophy and Ethics, also through our RSE/ PSHE focussed assemblies, and through other subjects such as English, Geography and History.
Educational enrichment trips also promote spiritual development and visiting speakers provide students with a range of experiences, which may promote a sense of awe and wonder about the world.
A reflective approach to learning can also promote spiritual development. Students have ownership and understanding of where they are, where they need to get to and how they are to do it.
A sense of fascination with the world around them is particularly encouraged in subject areas, while our creative and performing arts subjects encourage the use of imagination and creativity in learning.
All of our SMSC assemblies end with a moment for reflection, to allow students to silently reflect on their thoughts and perspectives on the matters discussed.
Moral (click this heading for drop down information to appear)
- Students are able to recognise the difference between right and wrong and to readily apply this understanding in their own lives.
- Students recognise legal boundaries and, in so doing, respect the civil and criminal law of England.
- Students also understand the consequences of their behaviour and actions.
- Students show interest in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues and show the ability to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues.
Moral development refers to the students’ knowledge, understanding, intentions, attitudes and behaviour in relation to what is right and wrong. The school has a well-established Behaviour Policy and staff promote a supportive approach to the management of behaviour. The behaviour (BfL) system allows students to change their behaviour before it is too late, and ensures that students know the reason for any sanction given. More importantly our house reward system encourages not only good behaviour, but a positive work ethic, supported by the “Stockland Green Standard”. Students’ achievements are recognised through regular house assemblies and through our Celebration Evenings. Students who have received sufficient “House Points” and/or are nominated for progress and attainment, wear blazer badges to celebrate their success.
Legal, moral and ethical issues are discussed regularly in Personal Development lessons, through our SMSC assemblies, and through subjects such as English, Geography, History and Religious Education, Drama and Citizenship.
The Citizenship programme promotes opportunities for students to discuss legal, moral and ethical issues. Students will learn about:
- Rights and responsibilities they have as Stockland Green students and also in the wider community
- How Laws are made
- Moral dilemas such as human rights and giving aid to other countries
- Laws that are in place to support the criminal justice system
Social
Social development relates to the skills and personal qualities necessary for individuals to live and function effectively in society.
Students are encouraged to:
- Maintain and develop relationships within the school working successfully with other students and adults in the school community.
- Use of a range of social skills in different contexts, for example working and socialising with other pupils, including those from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.
- Take responsibility for their actions and these important skills are transferable into the world of work and their lives as citizens of the world.
- Show willingness to participate in a variety of communities and social settings, including by volunteering, cooperating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively.
- Students show acceptance and engagement with the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.
- Students develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain. We provide opportunities for students to demonstrate social responsibility through experiences such as, sporting social events, whole school productions and extra-curricular opportunities.
- Students also have the opportunity to develop their social responsibility through the student leadership programme here at Stockland Green School. Throughout the year there are dedicated days to support fund raising for charities and our students alongside Enrichment Leaders having the opportunity to take lead on this, for example Children in Need, Christmas jumper day and McMillan coffee morning with all proceeds going to charity.
- In addition to this students have the opportunity of partaking in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme at Stockland Green School, this requires students to engage in voluntary activities.
Cultural
Students are encouraged to appreciate, understand and respect aspects of their own and other cultural environments in terms of beliefs, values, attitudes, customs, knowledge and skills.
- Students understand and appreciate the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and those of others.
- Students recognise the value and richness of cultural diversity in Britain and the local area.
- Students are able to demonstrate knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to develop Britain.
- Students show willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities.
- Students show interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity.
- Students understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity, as shown by their tolerance and attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities.
The diversity of cultures in Birmingham, the UK, and worldwide, and their influence upon us are particularly discussed in Religious Education, Geography, History, Music and through our language subjects. During Citizenship, opportunities to discuss Britain’s parliamentary democracy are embedded into the termly scheme of work.
An annual historical visit to Belgium is also arranged by the History department, focusing on Remembrance and exploration of different cultures. When it is safe to do so, we hope to see a return to this.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
We recognise that the COVID pandemic has brought about a number of challenges for us all in different ways and that these may be on top of existing challenges. If you, your child or someone you know is in need of support, please reach out. One of the organisations below will be able to support you.
Samaritans
Call 116123
Childline
0800 1111
Papyrus
If you’re under 35 and feel that life is not worth living any more, call Papyrus’s HopelineUK from 9am to 10pm weekdays and 2pm to 10pm on weekends:
- call HopelineUK on 0800 068 41 41
- text 07786 209697
- visit the Papyrus website
Shout 85258
Shout 85258 offers confidential 24/7 crisis text support for times when you need immediate assistance:
- text “SHOUT” to 85258
- visit Shout Crisis Text Line
NSPCC
0808 800 5000
CALM
CALM is the Campaign Against Living Miserably, for people in the UK who are down or have hit a wall for any reason:
- call 0800 58 58 58 (daily, 5pm to midnight)
- free, anonymous webchat with trained CALM staff
- visit the CALM website
NHS Mental Health Advice and Support
Refuge For women and children against domestic violence
0808 2000 247
https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/
Dial 999
In a life-threatening emergency, phone the emergency services and ask for an ambulance.
