Wellbeing and PSHE Programme 2022/23
ProgrammeWellbeingKGS
Mrs M Robinson Head of PSHE
Mr N Forsyth Head of Wellbeing
Welcome to our PSHE and Pastoral Programme for the academic year 2022-2023. This programme sits alongside our academic curriculum to support the social, emotional and physical development of each of our Instudents.thisbooklet
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you will find details of our PSHE education and wider pastoral programme for our students, as well as details of talks and discussion evenings for parents.
www.kgs.org.uk/pastoralcare
KGS | Pastoral Programme
Welcome to our Pastoral and PSHE Programme for 2022/23. It sits alongside our academic curriculum to support the social, emotional and physical development of each of our students.
ISI Inspection Report 2017
www.kgs.org.uk/pastoralcare
“Without exception, those spoken to feel this is a kind school where unkindness is never acceptable.”
Mrs S DeputyHumphreyHead(Pastoral)
This booklet provides an overview of our PSHE education and wider wellbeing programme for students, along with details of talks and discussion evenings for parents.
OUR PASTORAL TEAM
The limbic system is also the ‘positive reward’ system of the brain, associated with instant gratification that all too easily overrides any sense of restraint. Imagine your teenage son or daughter sees the last chocolate in the box. The limbic system says “that’s for us, we’ll have it, grab it”. Once the prefrontal cortex develops, though, they
www.kgs.org.uk/pastoralcare KGS | Pastoral Programme
Clearly, some things never change! What is particularly telling is the huge difference we often see in how teenagers behave around their parents compared with when they are with their peers and other adults. I have lost count of the number of parent consultation evenings where I have been happily extolling the virtues of a particular student only to be met with blank and incredulous looks from their parents. “Your child is simply wonderful,” I say, “always polite, friendly, hardworking and eager to please”. “Are we talking about the same child?” ask the parents, “the same child who, at home, is selfish, moody, uncommunicative and who regards us as if we are aliens from another planet?”
Thanks to modern research techniques such as MRI, we now know more about the intensive brain remodelling that happens during adolescence in order to prepare teenagers for adulthood and independence. This phase of rapid brain development begins with the limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for emotions, impulses, aggression and instinctive behaviour. The limbic system is actually quite mature in teenagers but it’s only later that the more advanced, decision-making, “prefrontal cortex” develops. This part of the brain is all about controlling emotions and impulses and is responsible for planning, problem solving and thinking about the consequences of actions. This developmental mismatch really is a case of the accelerator developing before the brakes.
This disconnect is far from uncommon and like a lot of typical teenage characteristics and behaviour can be explained by the huge changes that the teenage brain undergoes during adolescence. Quite simply, teenage brains are very different from adult brains and a large part of this difference is because teenagers experience a strong, biological need to become independent from their parents.
If you are reading this then it’s very likely that you live with a teenager or, if you’re very unlucky, more than one! Throughout history, teenagers have always had something of a reputation for their characteristic behaviour, seemingly designed to drive parents to despair. The ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates, wrote…
“The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.”
The teenage brain
KGS | Pastoral Programme
are more likely to refuse the last chocolate, knowing that mum will notice and then reward them later with a bigger bar of chocolate just for them.
The idea that all teenagers are selfish, inconsiderate risk-takers can also be a misunderstanding. As the teenage brain develops, so does their creativity, empathy and emotional resilience. Yes, their heightened need to fit in with a particular social group may lead to them becoming involved in undesirable behaviour but, equally, it leads to them supporting and helping their friends and contributing positively to their local community and wider society. The reward centre in the limbic system is activated by helping others as much as it is from taking the last chocolate and our widely popular community service programme, as well as the Duke of Edinburgh scheme and mentoring programme, is testament to that.
Understanding the huge changes that occur during adolescence is crucial if we are to give our students the help and support they need as they navigate their way through the choppy waters of puberty and adolescence. Teenagers’ innate need to conform socially and mimic their friends’ behaviour means that we spend a lot of time talking about positive relationships, bullying and social media. This begins with our First Year Bonding Day but continues right through the school. The hardwired tendency of teenagers to take risks means that we need to help and guide our students in all sorts of ways. For younger children, this may mean setting clear boundaries and managing emotions and behaviour. For older children, it may mean drugs and alcohol education as well as Relationship and Sex Education, staying safe at parties and festivals, and university life.
The huge developmental changes in the brain, together with social and emotional changes, can also make teenagers particularly vulnerable to mental health problems. We know that half of all mental health disorders become established before the age of 15 and, of course, if these problems are not addressed they may continue into adulthood. So, at KGS, we have a school culture where mental health is openly discussed and where students have expert talks on issues such as self-esteem, stress and anxiety.
At KGS, we understand our students. We know that the journey through adolescence can and probably will be turbulent but our expert teaching body and support staff, including nurses, counsellors and coaches, means that your son or daughter will receive the very best pastoral care throughout their time with us. The positive relationships we enjoy with our students also means that those who are finding life particularly challenging, for whatever reason, can talk to us with the confidence that we will do whatever necessary to help and support them through the difficult times.
www.kgs.org.uk/pastoralcare
Our parent information talks continue to be very popular. Working closely with the PSA, we seek to address the common issues and concerns. Over the last few years we have covered a huge range of topics including parenting, RSE, the internet, sexism and misogyny, LGBTQ+ and mental health problems such as self-harm. Last year, our series of early evening webinars were particularly well attended and we hope to continue with this format throughout this year.
YearFirst 23 September
Details about each evening and how to book will be sent to you nearer the time. As always, we look forward to welcoming as many of you as possible.
Natasha Devon MBE
Inner Drive 12 Oct 24 Nov 13 Dec EqualityBeyond/HappensIt 24 March RSE It Happens 29 Sept BystanderActive date tbc InclusionLGBT+ Henry Hudson
YearFifth 6 Oct ConsentSchool’sProject 12 Dec EverydaySexism
Stress and Anxiety: Helping Myself and Others
Robert Higgs 26 January RSE It Happens 23 March
YearThird 24 Jan ConcentrationTraining
Pastoral sessions
PASTORAL PROGRAMME www.kgs.org.uk/pastoralcare KGS | Pastoral Programme
Bonding Day 14 October Show Racism the Red Card 3 October OnlineSafety 26 January RSE It Happens 23 March Social phones,media,techandself-esteem
Laura Bates date tbc Festival Talk
YearSecond 10 October MyWorldOnline Childnet 13 December Bullying
DevonNatashaMBE
For parents
YearFourth 13 Dec Drugs Addictionand Peter Hall 6 Oct ConsentSchoolsProject 11 October RacismShowtheRedCard 23 March RSE It24HappensMarch RSE It Happens
The government’s statutory guidance for Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) has now well and truly been embedded in our comprehensive PSHE curriculum. The RSE programme was a key focus in our recent inspection and we were very pleased that all our hard work over the past few years paid off!
However, PSHE is an ever-changing programme of study and, with the support of our Senior Leadership team, we are delivering updated lessons in a new format in 2022-23. Our spiral curriculum will be clearer for everyone, and students will have a better understanding of how their learning develops over their time at KGS. We will also have a smaller dedicated team of trained teachers delivering the statutory RSE curriculum. This team includes members of our wider pastoral team including Heads and Assistant Heads of Year, and members of our Senior Leadership team which helps bring together pastoral education across the whole school.
www.kgs.org.uk/pastoralcare KGS | Pastoral Programme
PSHE lessons
Our pastoral student forums were hugely successful last year. They will continue to provide invaluable feedback and suggestions of how to ensure our lessons are always relevant to students.
Dealing with change, attitudes to mental health and promoting emotional wellbeing
EMOTIONAL WELLBEING
Gender and sexuality, consent and the impact of media
Digital resilience, healthy and unhealthy coping strategies
INFLUENCE OF OTHERS
Fifth Year TRANSITION
SAFETY Gambling and addiction
MENTAL HEALTH
Domestic abuse & FGM, public sexual harrassment
Issues in the wider world including domestic abuse, FGM, public sexual harrassment
HEALTH & WELLBEING
First Year OUR DEMOCRACY
LIVING IN THE WIDER WORLD
Alcohol, vaping and recreational drugs
COPING STRATEGIES
Biases and stereotypes in the media, racism and sexism
Second Year
Fourth Year
Dealing with casualties including CPR and using an AED
Third Year
Lower Sixth
Debating, voting, fertility and pregnancy choices (part one)
Unhealthy and healthy coping strategies
RELATIONSHIPS
LIVING WITH OTHERS
TURNING 18
FAMILY LIFE
DISCRIMINATION
Preparing for the last two terms, and uni accommodation
Sex and gender in the media, harrassment and racism
LIVING AWAY
MEDIA & ME
INDEPENDENCE
Celebrating diversity and challenging sterotypes, gender identity and sexual orientation
Upper Sixth
COPING STRATEGIES
STAYING SAFE Alcohol and drugs
MENTAL HEALTH Mental health and wellbeingemotional STUDY LEAVE
MEDIA & INFLUENCES
Consent, influences on relationships and expectations
Body image and keeping healthy
EMOTIONAL WELLBEING
UNDERSTANDINGIDENTITY
Fertility and pregnancy choices (part two), gap year planning, volunteering & moving on after KGS
FIRST AID
Cooking, gardening, Lego
Positive and toxic masculinity, cancel and call-out culture
Digital resilience, teenage brain and understanding depression
Biases and stereotypes in the media, racism and sexism
CONSENT RELATIONSHIPS&
MOVING ON
HEALTH, BODY & MIND
Pornography and sending nudes
Dealing with change, attitudes to mental health and promoting emotional wellbeing
Staying healthy through diet, sleep and exercise, mindfulness and yoga, personal hygiene
What makes a good citizen including fundamental British values, volunteering, sign language and First Aid
Cancel and call-out culture, alcohol, body image, religion and sex in the media
FINANCIALMAKINGDECISION
WELLBEING SKILLS
Careers, jobapprenticeships,university,interviews,research,unifrog,personaldevelopment,andleadership
RESILIENCE
Long-term commitments, marriage and parenting
Mental health and wellbeingemotional STUDY LEAVE
Democracy and our parliament, government and the welfare state including the Equality Act and immigration
Preventing STIs, contraception and safe sex
SCHOOLBEYOND
COMMUNITY & CAREERS
Personal statements, networking & branding and interviews
Democracy & voting, student finance & organising trips
TURNING 18
Healthy relationships, prejudice and discrimination including the Equality Act
SEXUAL HEALTH
EXPLORING INFLUENCE
Autumn Term 1 Autumn Term 2 Spring Term 1 Spring Term 2 Summer Term 1 Summer Term 2
LIVING AWAY Living away from home and sexual health
DEALING RELATIONSHIPSWITH
Friendships and bullying; online and in person, bystander behaviour and staying safe
FRIENDSHIPS & SELF-CARE
IDENTITY RELATIONSHIPS&
RELATIONSHIPS
BODY IMAGE
Savings, taxation, pensions, budgeting and keeping money safe
BEING A CITIZEN
PASTORAL PROGRAMME www.kgs.org.uk/pastoralcare KGS | Pastoral PSHEProgrammeProgramme 2022-23
RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS
STAYING SAFE Personal safety and driving
Work well and be happy