PSHE What will pupils be studying in PSHE?
What pupils will be studying: The theme for the half term for Years 7-10 is ‘Celebrating Difference’. Year 7 will look at prejudice and discrimination, stereotypes and bullying. Year 8 will look at prejudice and discrimination, inequality and how they can make a difference. Year 9 will look at bullying, discrimination and the use of positive language. Year 10 will look at equality in the workplace, multiculturalism and inequality. The theme for the half term for Years 11-13 is ‘Dreams and Goals’. Year 11 will look at managing anxiety, money, future relationships and what to do when things go wrong. Sixth Form will focus on their aspirations and future plans, focusing on vision, effort and attitude. An added topic that will be explored by all year groups this half term is bullying. The 14-18 of November is ‘Anti-Bullying Week’ and this year the theme is ‘reaching out’. All students in the school will explore and discuss bullying with a focus on who they can reach out to for support as well as how to be a support to others. Whether bullying takes place in person or online, being an ‘upstander’ rather than a ‘bystander’ is vital and so we will work through scenarios in groups to explore how we can stand up to bullying and challenge unpleasant behaviour as a school community.
Hymers C ollege
NEWSLETTER HALF TERM 2
What has been happening in PSHE so far? On Friday 14 October, all of Year 8 participated in ‘Restart a Heart Day’, run by the Yorkshire Ambulance Service. All students were taught how to carry out CPR and were given information on the importance of knowing this life saving technique. Another aspect of the PSHE programme which has been very popular so far is the development of mindfulness across the
school. In a recent survey some students commented on this new aspect of the curriculum that it was ‘best thing about PSHE in our school’ and that it is a great opportunity to ‘relax and de-stress’. Sixth Form students have engaged in a range of activities and lectures over the first half term, with all of them taking part in our new VESPA programme which focuses on their resilience and development towards achieving long term goals.
Online Safety Every half term in this newsletter we will share some tips and guidance on online safety and ways that our students can keep themselves safe online. Many of these resources are provided to us by National Online Safety (https:// nationalonlinesafety.com/). Their website has a wealth of advice and guidance, not only for schools but for parents and carers as well, on how to help keep children safe online. We would highly recommend paying this website a visit if you are concerned
about anything from online gaming, social media websites or internet safety. This half term’s newsletter focuses on online gaming, in particular ‘Overwatch 2’ – a popular, multi-player action game. (‘What Parents and Carers Need to Know About Overwatch 2’ Guide overleaf) We would remind parents/carers that the school policy is that mobile phones are turned off between 8.30am and 4pm. If you need to get a message to your child, please contact them through the General Office.
Where to seek extra guidance/support on PSHE topics At the start of every PSHE lesson, we reiterate the importance of everyone’s rights and responsibilities. We remind everyone in the classroom that: Everyone has the right to: • Participate or pass • Listen and speak • Privacy • An opinion • Learn Everyone has the responsibility to: • Allow others to participate or pass • Listen and allow others to speak • Maintain privacy • Respect difference of opinion • Allow others to learn
If any students need to seek extra support and guidance on PSHE, or the session raises worries or concerns for them, we would encourage them to speak in the first instance to their form tutor. Other people they can speak to are their Heads of Year, Head of PSHE, Form Prefects and buddies as well as trusted adults at home. At the end of every session, students are signposted to websites or leaflets that can provide extra information or support on the topic they have covered.