Personal Development and PSHRE

Contact

Head of Department:

Mr A Tyson

Email:

The Personal Development Curriculum at Harper Green School includes:

- Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (SMSC)
- Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE)
- Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)
- Citizenship

Our PSHRE curriculum is central to Personal Development at Harper Green and reflects our key value of 'putting students first'. It aims to equip students with the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to lead happy, healthy, safe and successful lives.

Our curriculum follows the Department for Education's statutory guidance for Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education and goes beyond the statutory requirements where appropriate. Learning is carefully sequenced, age-appropriate and responsive to the needs and experiences of our students growing up in Farnworth and Bolton and as citizens of modern Britain and the wider world.

Throughout our five-year programme, we focus on developing the whole child. Students learn about healthy and respectful relationships, physical and mental health, online safety, consent and personal boundaries, economic wellbeing and preparation for adult life.

Students in Years 7–10 receive a timetabled PSHRE lesson once a fortnight. Personal Development is also supported through the wider curriculum, including Science and RE, as well as assemblies and other opportunities across school.

Curriculum Overview

Year 7

Year 7	Term 1	Term 2	Term 3
Unit	Staying Safe in a Modern World	Respectful Relationships: Living the Harper Way	Living Together: British Values – The Island Project
Knowledge	Understand risk and how to assess levels of danger in everyday and social situations. Identify personal safety strategies and know how and where to seek help or report concerns. Understand grooming and exploitation, recognise warning signs and know how trusted adults can help. Understand what makes a safe community and how positive behaviour contributes to the safety of others. Recognise healthy and unhealthy friendships, including peer pressure and gang influence. Understand how the need to belong can influence choices and identify positive ways to respond to pressure. Understand how to protect personal information online and use digital technology responsibly. Recognise that online information, including AI-generated content and deepfakes, can be manipulated or misleading.	Identify the features of healthy friendships and relationships, including respect, trust and support. Understand personal boundaries and age-appropriate consent. Recognise how stereotypes about boys, girls and relationships can influence how people are treated. Recognise different forms of bullying, including online bullying, and understand the role of the bystander. Develop strategies for resolving conflict and know where to seek help if a relationship becomes unhealthy. Develop communication and listening skills that support positive relationships and wellbeing. Understand how HARPER values, particularly Respect, Empathy and Resilience, contribute to safe and supportive relationships.	Understand the core British Values: Democracy, Rule of Law, Individual Liberty, Mutual Respect, and Tolerance. Explore how these values promote fairness, inclusion, and equal opportunities for all. Recognise and challenge prejudice, while respecting diversity in faiths, cultures, and identities — linking to Proud and Respect (HARPER). Practise respectful debate and teamwork, valuing different opinions and perspectives. Reflect on how HARPER values can help shape a positive and inclusive future for yourself and your community.
Assessment	1 learning checkpoint 1 summative assessment	1 learning checkpoint 1 summative assessment	1 learning checkpoint 1 summative assessment
Development Days & Events
Key Vocabulary	Risk Safety Respect Empathy Peer Pressure Resilience Aspiration Community Digital Footprint	Relationship Respect Boundaries Consent Bullying Bystander Empathy Conflict Resolution	Democracy Rule of Law Tolerance Freedom Inclusion Diversity Identity

Year 8

Year 8	Autumn Term	Spring Term	Summer Term
About this Unit	Stronger Communities: Building Belonging and Respect	Future Forward: Careers and Choices	Relationships and Sex Education
Knowledge	Understand how identity and personal values influence belonging and relationships within communities. Recognise the impact of exclusion, bullying and aggression on individuals and their sense of belonging. Identify ways to promote inclusion, respect differences and build stronger communities. Understand how stereotypes and prejudice can lead to discrimination and harmful behaviour. Understand misogyny and recognise how sexist attitudes, language and stereotypes can cause harm. Recognise and challenge harmful online influences, including misogynistic and manosphere content. Recognise hate crime and understand how and where to report threats, abuse or discrimination.	Identify personal values, interests and strengths and how these can inform future choices. Recognise transferable skills developed across subjects and how they connect to different careers. Explore different career pathways and the skills and qualifications they may require. Understand how online presence and digital footprints can affect future opportunities. Develop effective time-management, organisation and healthy revision strategies. Develop communication and teamwork skills relevant to education and employment. Recognise strategies for managing assessment stress and maintaining wellbeing. Understand how aspirations and career goals can support motivation and future decision-making	Recognise the features of healthy and unhealthy relationships and understand the importance of shared relationship values. Understand consent and personal boundaries, including the right to give, refuse and withdraw consent. Understand sexual orientation and gender identity and the importance of treating others with respect. Recognise sexual harassment, including verbal, physical and online behaviours, and know how to respond, report concerns and support others. Understand the risks and consequences of sharing sexual images and how media can influence expectations of relationships. Understand basic methods of contraception, including condoms and the pill, and know where support can be accessed. Recognise forced marriage and FGM as forms of abuse, understand that they are illegal in the UK and know how to seek help. Develop strategies for responding to relationship challenges and making safe, respectful choices.
Assessment	1 learning checkpoint 1 summative assessment	1 learning checkpoint 1 summative assessment	1 learning checkpoint 1 summative assessment
Key vocabulary	Belonging Respect Inclusion Conflict Bullying Prejudice Resilience Hate crimes Safety Responsibility	Career Employment Voluntary work Self-employed Fixed employment Industry Social media	Consent Sexual orientation Puberty Consent Contraception Gender Identity

Year 9

Year 9	Autumn Term	Spring Term	Summer Term
About this unit	Staying Safe: Drug Education	Future Focus: Financial Literacy for Life	Relationships and Sex Education
Knowledge	Understand what drugs are and how they are classified (legal, illegal, medicinal). Know the legal, physical, and mental health risks of drug, alcohol, and vape use. Recognise and challenge common myths and misinformation about substances. Understand the personal and social consequences of substance use. Identify how peer influence, media, and marketing can impact choices. Know how to access help and support for yourself or others concerned about substance use. Understand how drugs and alcohol can affect judgement, decision-making and a person’s ability to recognise or respond to risk. Recognise how substance use may increase vulnerability to grooming, exploitation, unsafe situations and harmful relationships. Understand that someone who does not have the freedom or capacity to consent cannot give consent, including where alcohol or drugs have affected their capacity.	Understand the difference between needs and wants, and how responsible spending reflects personal values. Know how to create and use a budget, save for the future, and apply aspirational thinking to financial planning. Recognise different sources of income and common expenses, and how honest money management supports independence. Learn how financial services work, including bank accounts, interest, and borrowing, to build resilience in real-life decisions. Identify risks such as debt, scams, and exploitation, and understand how respectful choices protect personal and community wellbeing. Understand the risks associated with gambling and gambling-like activities, including their potential impact on finances, wellbeing and decision-making. Be aware of where to access financial advice and support, and how being engaged with financial education builds future confidence and success.	Recognise welcome and unwelcome interest and ways to challenge inappropriate behaviour. Understand readiness for intimacy and the features of healthy, respectful relationships. Explain freedom and capacity to consent and recognise when consent cannot be given. Recognise grooming, exploitation and power imbalances and know where to seek support. Identify common STIs, associated risks and sources of sexual health support. Understand methods of contraception, including condom use and contraception failure. Understand fertility and pregnancy choices and know where to access reliable support. Develop strategies for managing relationship breakups safely and accessing support.
Assessment	1 learning checkpoint 1 summative assessment	1 learning checkpoint 1 summative assessment	1 learning checkpoint 1 summative assessment
Key vocabulary	Addiction Tolerance Withdrawal Overdose Stimulants Depressants Hallucinogens Peer Pressure Harm Reduction Mental Health Vaping Cannabis Alcohol	Belonging Community Inclusion Diversity Discrimination Equality Prejudice Stereotypes Extremism Respect	Consent Boundaries Trust Respect Communication Healthy Relationships Sexual Health Contraception Peer Pressure Online Safety STI

Year 10

Year 10	Autumn Term	Spring Term	Summer Term
About this Unit	Headstrong: Building Resilience and Well-Being Health and well-being Relationships	Relationships and Sex Education Relationships	Careers and Work Experience Living in the Wider World
Knowledge	Identify opportunities and challenges young people may experience as they move towards adulthood. Develop strategies for managing challenges, setbacks and change positively. Understand how mental health and emotional wellbeing can change throughout life and be affected by external events. Recognise negative thinking patterns and develop strategies to reframe unhelpful thoughts. Recognise signs of mental health difficulties, including stress, anxiety and mood disorders. Understand the importance of good-quality sleep and how sleep habits can affect physical health, mood, learning and emotional wellbeing. Understand when and how to seek support for their own or someone else's mental health and know where appropriate support is available. Understand how loss, change and bereavement can affect people differently, including different experiences of grief. Develop strategies for managing loss and bereavement, supporting others and accessing appropriate help.	Understand enthusiastic consent, readiness for intimacy and the importance of communication and respect in healthy relationships. Recognise pressure, persuasion and coercion, including when consent cannot be freely given or is withdrawn, and understand the relevant law. Evaluate how pornography, misogynistic online content and the manosphere can influence attitudes towards gender, sex, consent, power and relationships. Understand the risks and legal implications of sharing explicit images, including AI-generated sexual imagery and deepfakes. Recognise sexual harassment and sexual violence, challenge victim-blaming and know how to seek support. Recognise unhealthy, controlling, coercive and abusive relationship behaviours and know how to respond safely. Develop strategies for managing relationship conflict and breakups respectfully and safely. Understand how to seek support for themselves or others experiencing harmful or abusive relationships.	Understand how personal values, interests and strengths can influence career choices and pathways. Understand different types of employment, including employment, self-employment and voluntary work. Recognise the skills, qualities and behaviours employers value and how these transfer to the workplace. Understand how digital footprints and social media can affect employment opportunities and professional reputation. Develop practical employability skills, including communication, professionalism and workplace etiquette. Understand workplace expectations, rights and responsibilities and how to prepare for work experience.
Assessment	1 learning checkpoint 1 summative assessment	1 learning checkpoint 1 summative assessment	1 learning checkpoint 1 summative assessment
Key vocabulary	Resilience Self-Care Stress Anxiety Mindfulness Coping Strategies Support Networks Emotional Regulation Stigma Well-Being Bereavement Grieving	Consent Coercion Pornography Contraception Sexual Health STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections) Healthy Relationships Boundaries Peer Pressure Online Safety	Employability Self-employment Voluntary work CV (Curriculum Vitae) Interview Skills · Workplace Etiquette · Career Pathways · Transferable Skills · Apprenticeships · Professionalism

Working with Parents and Carers

We recognise the important role of parents and carers and aim to work in partnership with families.

Parents and carers have the right to request withdrawal from some or all of the sex education delivered as part of RSE. This does not apply to Relationships Education, Health Education or relevant content within the National Curriculum for Science.

Further information is available in our RSE policy and the Department for Education's statutory guidance.

For further information, please contact our Head of PSHRE, Mr A Tyson.

Download the current PSHRE Curriculum Overview