Subjects

Personal Development

Intent

At Baines our Personal Development curriculum challenges pupils to become creative, successful and happy individuals. By focusing on three key strands, which include ‘Health and Well-being’, ‘Living in the Wider World’ and ‘Relationships’, we aim to equip students with the skills and knowledge they will need to face current and topical issues and that will allow them to respond with resilience to future change and challenge in their personal lives and the wider world.

Personal Development at Baines is the subject which prepares our students for life and work in this changing world; helping to keep them safe, healthy and boosting their life chances. Through Personal Development we want our student to protect themselves both online and offline, improve their physical and emotional health, develop character, resilience, academic attainment and employment prospects. Personal Development at Baines is delivered in regular timetabled lessons as a whole subject – from relationships & sex education to mental health and employability skills. Personal Development at Baines supports our students to address the changes they are experiencing, beginning with the transition to secondary school, the challenges of adolescence and their increasing independence. It also helps develop skills which will equip them for the opportunities and challenges of life as well as managing diverse relationships and the increasing influence of peers and the media.

Names of staff, role & contact details

Ms S Wild
Subject Leader
swd@baines.lancs.sch.uk

Mr K Egan
Life Skills Co-Ordinator
keg@baines.lancs.sch.uk
 HT1HT2HT3HT4HT5HT6
Year 7Transition to secondary school
Healthy eating		Emotional well being
Resilience
Dealing with change		Friendship and BullyingCareersThe risks of alcohol, tobacco and other substances
Managing puberty and the issues of unwanted contact		Making ethical financial decisions
Saving, spending and budgeting our money
Year 8Drugs and the Law
Review of alcohol and tobacco
What are the different types of relationships
Healthy relationships		Valuing each other
Contributing to communities
Hate crime and radicalisation
Bullying
Dealing with pressure		Understanding careers and future aspirations
The Real Game		Understanding careers and future aspirations
The Real Game		Introduction to sexuality and consent
Contraception, pregnancy and birth
Exercise and supporting our health		First aid and CPR
Family
Gender identity
Stereotypes
Faith and values
Year 9Commitment in relationships
Pornography and sexting
Contraception
STIs		The impact of drug taking
Managing situations involving drugs
Emotional well-being
Coping with loss and bereavement		Understanding careers and future aspirations
Identifying learning strengths and setting goals as part of the GCSE options process		Rights and responsibilities
Community contribution
Prejudice and discrimination		British values, human rights and community cohesionCredit and debt
Dealing with money pressures
Year 10Transition to KS4 and developing study habitsCareersRelationships and sex education including healthy relationships and consentThe Teenage Brain
Rights and responsibilities		When things go wrong onlineGangs and knife crime
Year 11Careers
Understanding the college application process and plans beyond school		Careers
Understanding the college application process and plans beyond school		Parenting skills and family life
Exploitation and abuse in relationships
How to access support for relationships
Learning and revision skills to maximise potential		Parenting skills and family life
Exploitation and abuse in relationships
How to access support for relationships
Learning and revision skills to maximise potential

How and when is my child assessed?

The Life Skills Department do not carry out formal assessment as this would be inappropriate due the nature of the topics and skills studied. We give feedback on work completed in books to ensure high levels of engagement and that understanding is taking place.

How to support your child in Life Skills:

We would encourage you to discuss the issues that are raised during lessons. The three main themes we examine are Relationships (including sex education), Health & Wellbeing and Living in the Wider World. These three themes should help to equip the students at Baines with knowledge about their futures, decision making, ability to remain safe in different environments and how to interact with others. We also look at Careers within Life Skills and the students partake in an enterprise project once a year in KS3.

This is an excellent guide for parents about the value and importance of PSHE (called Life Skills at Baines School) – https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/pshe-education-guide-parents