Ethos

When Henry Ford allegedly said ‘If you believe you can or you can’t… you’re probably right’ he recognised the role of self-belief in achievement. It is this self belief that we aim to foster in PSHE Education. We encourage our students to feel valued, to develop their self belief, to develop good personal qualities and attitudes and to have aspirations for their future.

Through a comprehensive programme of study we teach our pupils how to become the person they want to be, to have good relationships especially with their families and close friends, to develop the skills needed to get on in life and to make a difference to the community in which they live. We teach them to become responsible citizens, confident learners and successful individuals.

The bullet points below are only a snapshot of what we include.

Year 7

• Police Presentation – Pupils are introduced to our school’s Youth Crime Reduction Officer (YCRO) with the presentation emphasis placed on theft, although some references to drugs are made.
• ‘Boys Stuff’ – A personal hygiene lesson
• Bulling including cyberbullying

Year 8

• Taking Responsibility – a lesson designed to develop knowledge and understanding about rights and responsibility
• Mobile phone tariff – to develop understanding of personal finance
• Hospice – a visitor from the Weald of Kent Hospice - gives a presentation on coming to terms with bereavement and loss.

Year 9 

• Police presentation – led by YCPO on alcohol and solvent abuse and the law.
• Human Rights – a presentation delivered by Major Ian George, who has served in Kosovo – based on the European Convention on Human Rights.
• Alcoholics Anonymous – a presentation from the AA on how to tell when drinking is becoming a problem

Science Lessons – Lessons delivered through Key Stage 3 Science include:

• Alcohol – Knowledge about alcohol and its effects on the body, both short term and long term. Attitude to drinking.
• Smoking – the effect both short and long term on the body and health. Peer pressure and smoking
• Drugs – the different types of drugs and their effect on the boy and health. Attitudes to drug use and how we are influenced. Drugs and the law.

 Year 10

• Presentation by Suzi Lamplugh Trust on Personal Safety and risk
• Democracy – dealing with the responsibilities attached to living in a democratic environment.
• Over Here – A lesson based on immigration to the UK.
• Teenage Cancer Trust – A presentation from guest speaker on illness and young people

Year 11

• First Aid – Delivered by Martin Beard to individual forms on how to act in an emergency
• A-Z Mental Health – Using a DVD as a resource, this lesson explores emotional issues connected with depression and ill health.
• Fire Service – Rush. Delivered by the Kent Fire and rescue Service and explores issues relating to road accidents. 
• Lovewise – delivered to individual form groups by Lovewise on the moral and spiritual element of sex and relationships with the emphasis on relationships.

Years 12−13
Presentations in the PSHE programme in the Sixth Form will seek to build upon the earlier programme. Outside agencies such as primary health care professionals may be involved in delivering age–appropriate presentations aiming to develop student’s knowledge of drug use and issues surrounding this. An example being a PHSE programme examining young people and alcohol: The Happy Hour.

Healthy School

We are in the process of becoming a Healthy School and hope to have achieved this status by September 2009. It involves the school reaching specific standards in four areas: PSHE Education, Healthy Eating Physical Activity and Emotional Health and Wellbeing. We are well on our way at the moment and are very pleased that we now teach Food and Nutrition to years 7, 9 and 12.During the summer, we had a competition for the new ear 7s to design a poster advertising Healthy Food and encouraging good eating habits.

PSHE staff

The department is led by Geraldine Green who has completed the Government led training for PSHE Education. She is also a member of the Advisory Council for the PSHE Association and is the lead Regional Adviser in the Southeast for the association.

For further information please contact the Head of Department via the School Office:
T: 01892 529551
E: thegrammarschool@twgsboys.kent.sch.uk