PSHE Curriculum

Personal Development

“Personal development, behaviour and welfare was judged to be Good". (Ofsted 2018) and it continues to be a real strength of the school.

Personal Development is the development of knowledge, skills, dispositions and habits which will promote and support our students in leading healthy, happy and fulfilling adult lives. Personal development encompasses many areas of students’ lives that include:

· Spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development.

· Personal, social, and health education (PSHE) education

· Careers education information, education, advice and guidance (CEIAG)

· Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)

“Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong” (Ofsted 2018)

Values and Ethos

At Barnwell School, our ethos is shaped by our three core values: Respect, Responsibility, and Aspiration.

These values underpin our expectations and guide the way we learn and grow together.

· Under Respect, we promote consideration, kindness, and politeness.

· Responsibility is reflected through accountability, integrity, and thoughtfulness.

· Through Aspiration, we encourage ambition, optimism, and resilience.

These values are central to our culture and help nurture strong character in every student.

Since grading ‘Good’ for our Personal Development provision in our last Ofsted inspection in 2018, the school has continued to embed and develop our provision. The Barnwell School Personal Development journey extends beyond the academic, vocational, or technical and ensures students’ broader development.

Alongside this, we ensure students understand how to keep physically healthy, eat healthily and maintain an active lifestyle, including giving ample opportunities for students to be active during the school day and through extra-curricular activities. Students receive age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships through appropriate relationships and sex education.

We aim to support students’ understanding of the fundamental British values of democracy, individual liberty, the rule of law and mutual respect and tolerance. As well as shaping student’s character which informs their motivation and guides their conduct so that they reflect wisely, learn eagerly, behave with integrity and cooperate consistently well with others.

CHARACTER EDUCATION

At Barnwell School, Character Education underpins everything we do. It is woven into our curriculum, pastoral care, and wider school culture, helping our students grow into respectful, responsible, and aspirational individuals. We are proud to be working towards the Association for Character Education’s prestigious ‘ACE School of Character Quality Mark’, which recognises schools that place character development at the heart of their ethos. This journey aligns perfectly with our core values—Respect, Responsibility, and Aspiration—ensuring that every student not only achieves academic success but also develops the personal qualities needed to thrive in life beyond school.

BARNWELL PSHE LESSONS

Although evidence of these key values of school life can be seen in all areas of the school, at Barnwell we teach the PSHE, SMSC and the Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) content in discrete PSHE lessons. Currently students in Year 7 and 8 have one PSHE lesson a week and students in Year 9, 10 and 11 have one lesson a fortnight. We follow the Cre8tive Curriculum scheme of learning that consists of 6 curriculum pathways.

Our 6 Key Barnwell PRIDE Curriculum Pathways

· Rights, Responsibilities and British Values

· Celebrating Diversity and Equality

· Relationships and Sex Education

· Staying Safe Online

· Health and Wellbeing

· Life Beyond school

Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)

As a secondary school, we must provide RSE to all pupils as per section 34 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and the recently updated Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education policy – July 2025. Schools are also required to comply with the relevant requirements of the Equality Act 2010 with particular relevance here to the fact that schools must not unlawfully discriminate against pupils because of their ‘protected’ characteristics.

At Barnwell School we teach RSE as set out in our RSE policy. Further details of the RSE curriculum content can be found in the school’s Barnwell Pride Learning Journey and schemes of learning. Our approach to RSE and the development of this policy has been created in consultation with staff, students, parents and governors to ensure it meets the needs of our community.

 Click on the links below to access the following RSE guidance.

· Barnwell School RSE Policy

· DfE guidance for RSE education

Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)

Careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) is an integral part of all students’ entitlement and learning at Barnwell. Effective careers support will help to prepare young people for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life; it can help them to make decisions and manage transitions as learners and workers.

As options for young people become more varied and complex, it is vital that we support them to develop the knowledge and skills they need to make informed choices for their future. As a result, innovative employer engagement is a whole-school priority designed to complement the rest of the school curriculum.

The Barnwell School careers programme aims to:

· Encourage students to be ambitious, broaden their horizons and explore their own career aspirations throughout their life at school

· Ensure students are fully prepared to take the next step in their learning or career

· Barnwell School follows the principles of the Gatsby Benchmarks.

  Click on the links below to access Careers related information:

· The full CEIAG policy

· The CEIAG Learning Journey

PSHE Curriculum - Learning Journey

The learning journey shows the units that are taught in each term and in each year group through the academic year in PSHE lessons.

Click the image to download the learning journey.

PSHE Curriculum Maps

Year 7 – Scheme of learning

Year 8 - Scheme of Learning

Year 9 Scheme of Learning

Year 10 Scheme of learning

Year 11 Scheme of learning

Martyn Patching
Assistant Headteacher – Personal Development
Barnwell School