PSHE, RSE & Citizenship
Personal, Social and Health Education
We believe that promoting the health and well-being of our pupils is an important part of their overall education at Harris Academy Rainham. We do this through our Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) provision, which looks at many topics including all kinds of relationships, physical and emotional health, and living in the wider world.
The aim of the PSHE course is to help our pupils make safe and informed decisions during their school years and beyond. For example, is important for them to know how diet and exercise choices impact on our lifestyle and general well-being as well as making informed financial and personal decisions. Our PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education) and assemblies programmes emphasise the academy’s ethos of Belong, Believe and Become.
Relationships and sex education
Relationships and sex education (RSE) is an important part of PSHE education at HAR. Relationships education is compulsory for all primary school pupils, and relationships and sex education (RSE) is compulsory for all secondary school pupils. Our Academy is committed to ensuring that all our students receive the appropriate provision to improve their knowledge and understanding of different types of relationships, sex and physical development, healthy living and economic well-being. Young people face complex pressures and dilemmas in developing mature relationships. The aim of RSE at Harris Academy Rainham is to equip our young people with the information needed to develop healthy, nurturing relationships of all kinds, not just intimate relationships. They need to face such tasks safely, and confident in their factual knowledge, as well as being given the opportunity to discuss and shape their feelings and attitudes.
To embrace the challenges of creating a happy and successful adult life, students need knowledge that will enable them to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships and to build their belief in their own abilities. We facilitate lessons and assemblies about RSE in an appropriate and timely manner based on student’s maturity levels; using the correct language to support their understanding. In addition to RSE, students will also explore ways of keeping themselves safe and healthy.
Students can also put knowledge encountered in PSHE 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. This subject can support young people to develop resilience, to know how and when to ask for help, and to know where to access support. This helps with their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence.
Citizenship
Citizenship studies introduce students to key citizenship issues and help them develop a practical understanding of what it means to be a citizen in our society today. Students will gain a deeper knowledge of democracy, government and law, acquiring knowledge and skills necessary to think deeply and critically about roles within our society. Students will learn how to create and develop sustained and reasoned arguments, present their own viewpoints and those of others and plan a practical citizenship action project which benefits society.
Further information about the intent, implementation and evaluation of our PHSE curriculum can be found in the document below.
