Curriculum – Life Skills

Curriculum – Life Skills

Life Skills

The Curriculum

Curriculum Intent

Life Skills at Southend High School for Girls aims to develop students with the knowledge, skills, and attributes that they need to keep themselves healthy and safe and prepare for life, further study and work in modern Britain.  Southend High School for Girls aims to provide a coherent programme of personal, health, social, citizenship and careers education, including post 16, post 18 and beyond. Students will be encouraged to maximise their personal development in order to progress and enable them the ability to enjoy success both in and out of academics. The Life Skills curriculum at Southend High School for Girls reflects the PSHE Association syllabus which equips students to live healthy, safe, productive, capable, and responsibly balanced lives through the three core themes of ‘Health and Wellbeing, Relationships, and Living in the Wider World’. Through these core themes and a spiral curriculum, students are invited to reflect on and clarify their own values and attitudes whilst exploring the views of others even if they conflict their own. A main aim of Life Skills at Southend High School for Girls is to value, appreciate and consider what it means to be a member of a diverse community.

What does it feel like to be a student in a Life Skills lesson?

As a student of Life Skills, you are open to listening, debating, learning and celebrating the similarities and differences of those around us, especially within the Southend High School for Girls community. You will learn about the Equality Act, Protected Characteristics and British Values. You are encouraged to ask questions and expand your knowledge of the world around you so that you have everything you need to enter the world with confidence. You will have open conversations that focus on topics that are prevalent in the modern day; sexting, sexual harassment and consent, online safety, and risk taking to name a few. You will learn about how to reach out for support from the Safeguarding team in school and from External Agencies.

In Life Skills you will discuss the pressures of life; considering how to remain healthy both mentally and physically. You will be provided with a variety of coping mechanisms for example ‘how to think about nothing’ and writing journals. Such lessons are particularly scheduled around the stressful points of school life such as PUPS and PPES.

Your Life Skills experience is also supplemented by a variety of external speakers that are specialists in topics such as Driving Safety, Drugs Education, consent, first Aid and different family types. You experience these both in small classes as timetabled and as whole year groups off timetable. Further to this, your personal development is also built into the registration programme where you engage in programmes such as Picture News, Oxplore and Journey of Life.

Journey

Life Skills Curriculum

Year 7 – 11

Life Skills includes RSE topics, PSHE topics and living in the wider world (including British Values).

Download British Values Tracker ‘here’.

In Years 7 and 9 Life Skills groups operate in a rotation with Food Technology and therefore the exact order of topics covered may not precisely follow that below.

Topics build on the RSE requirements explored at Primary school level. Starred topics make links to the RSE requirements of Secondary school.

Year 7

         Health and Wellbeing                            (Half term 1 & 4)

Topics

  • Healthy Living
  • Food Groups
  • Food Labels
  • The consequences of not living healthily
  • Energy drinks
  • Active Lifestyles
  • Smoking
  • Drugs
  • Mental Health
  • Anger Management
  • Puberty*
  • Periods*
  • FGM*
       Living in the Wider World                        (Half term 2 & 5)

Topics

  • Aspirations
  • Self Esteem
  • Needs vs Wants
  • Racism
  • Staying Cyber Safe
  • Ethical Choices
  • Money Management
  • Savings and interests
  • Financial products
  • Financial transactions
                  Relationships                                 (Half term 3 & 6)

Topics

  • Friendships*
  • Families and marriage*
  • Teenage love*
  • Bullying vs Banter*
  • Cyberbullying*
  • Safe relationships*
  • Personal Identity*

Year 8

          Health and Wellbeing                           (Half term 1 & 4)

Topics

  • Self-development
  • Self confidence
  • Self-managers
  • Mindfulness
  • Teen Pregnancy*
  • Smoking and Vaping
  • Cancer*
  • Personal Safety*
       Living in the Wider World                        (Half term 2 & 5)

Topics

  • Online Grooming*
  • Disability in the media
  • Discrimination in the media
  • Environmental issues
  • Homophobia*
  • Knife Crime
  • What happens to taxes?
  • Budgeting
                  Relationships                                 (Half term 3 & 6)

Topics

  • Sexting*
  • Pornography*
  • Consent*
  • Contraception*
  • STIs*
  • Religious Prejudice*
  • Can leadership be dangerous?
  • Prevent
  • British Values and tolerance*

Year 9

          Health and Wellbeing                           (Half term 1 & 4)

Topics

  • Growth Mindset
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Equal opportunities
  • Our Selfie Obsession*
  • Alcohol
  • Drugs and the Law
  • Acid attacks
  • Why do people self-harm?
  • Vaccinations, organ, and blood donation
        Living in the Wider World                         (Half term 2 & 5)

Topics

  • Knife Crime
  • Young Offenders
  • Human Trafficking
  • Foreign Aid
  • Sustainability for all
  • Consumer rights
  • Navigating financial institutions
  • Workplace skills
  • Debt
  • Enterprising personalities
                 Relationships                                (Half term 3 & 6)

Topics

  • Eating Disorders*
  • Body Image*
  • CSE*
  • Domestic Violence*
  • Peer pressure*
  • LGBT*
  • Religion and Britain
  • Immigration in the UK

Year 10

          Health and Wellbeing                           (Half term 1 & 4)

Topics

  • Bereavement
  • Suicide
  • Social Anxiety*
  • Social Media*
  • Screen time
  • Homelessness
  • Hate Crimes
  • Tattoos and Piercings
  • Binge Drinking
        Living in the Wider World                         (Half term 2 & 5)

Topics

  • Criminal Justice System
  • Anti-Social Behaviour
  • County Lines
  • Money Laundering
  • Terrorism
  • Overt & Covert racism
  • Critical Thinking
  • International Women’s Day
  • Workplace rights and responsibilities
                 Relationships                                (Half term 3 & 6)

Topics

  • Conflict*
  • Forced Marriage*
  • Stalking*
  • Revenge Porn*
  • Role Models
  • Same sex relationships*
  • Trans Identity*
  • Sexism
  • Parenting*
  • Community Cohesion

Year 11

          Health and Wellbeing                           (Half term 1 & 4)

Topics

  • Identity and Diversity
  • Privilege
  • Body Positivity*
  • Fertility and reproductive health*
  • CPR
  • Procrastination and perseverance
  • Rest and Sleep*
  • Risk taking*
  • Digital footprint
  • Personal safety
        Living in the Wider World                         (Half term 2 & 5)

Topics

  • The Dark Web*
  • Online Fraud
  • Extremism
  • Multiculturalism
  • Plastic
  • Animal Rights
                 Relationships                                    (Half term 3)

Topics

  • Body Shaming*
  • Types of relationship*
  • Consent and rape*
  • Good sex*
  • Chem sex and Legal sex*
  • Break ups*

Year 12

          Health and Wellbeing                           (Half term 1 & 4)

Topics

  • A Level Mindset: Getting organised – Team building – Vision – Taking stock – has your vision changed?
  • Journey of Life: Responsible Sexual behaviour (RSE) – Drugs and Alcohol (RSE) – On Line Behaviour and Its Ramifications (RSE) – Crime and your behaviour – Fake News and Control of the Media – Healthy Relationships (RSE)
        Living in the Wider World                         (Half term 2 & 5)

Topics

  • A Level Mindset: Effort and systems – Attitude
  • Journey of Life: Learning to Drive and the Cost of Learning to Drive – Pregnancy (RSE) – Salaries – Campaign for Change – Politics, Distribution of Wealth and Power
                 Relationships                                (Half term 3 & 6)

Topics

  • A Level Mindset: Practice and attitude – resilience Effort and practice – fulfilment
  • Journey of Life: LGBTQ+ (RSE) – Dealing with Disability – Globalisation –  Considering your Living Arrangement – Healthy Mindset (RSE)

Year 13

          Health and Wellbeing                           (Half term 1 & 4)

Topics

  • A Level Mindset: Practice and Vision – Effort and systems – Effort and practice – practice and attitude
  • Journey of Life: Salaries – Campaign for Change – Drug and Alcohol (RSE) – Responsible Sexual Behaviour (RSE) – Food Budgeting- On Line Behaviour and Its Ramifications – Crime and your behaviour
        Living in the Wider World                         (Half term 2 & 5)

Topics

  • A Level Mindset: Resilience – effort – practice – Vision and attitude – dealing with stress – fulfilment
  • Journey of Life:  Road Safety, Learning to Drive and Cost of Learning to Drive –  Sustainable Living – Responsible Sexual Behaviour (RSE) – Pregnancy (RSE) – Travelling Safely – Life after retirement
                 Relationships                                    (Half term 3)

Topics

  • A Level Mindset: Attitude – review systems
  • Life journey: LGBTQ+ (RSE) – Dealing with Disability – Globalisation