PSHE – Personal, Social, Health, and Economic Education
At Everton Free School, PSHE is taught weekly across all year groups to develop students into well-rounded, responsible citizens as they progress through school and onto further education, employment, and wider society.
Our PSHE curriculum is underpinned by the core values of Everton Free School and Everton Football College, with students encouraged to approach each day with the Three R’s: Respect, Responsibility, and Resilience.
PSHE aims to:
- Raise awareness of risks and challenges young people face today
- Promote healthy relationships, including inclusive RSE (Relationships and Sex Education)
- Develop life skills, emotional wellbeing, and personal resilience
- Prepare students for future careers, employability, and independent living
Year Group Delivery
| Year Group | PSHE Frequency | Additional Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Year 9/10 | Once per week | Humanities programme replacing the second PSHE session, covering historical and current societal issues, race, and religion |
| Year 11 | Twice per week | Enhanced programme to support transition to further education, careers, and independent living |
PSHE Curriculum Overview
The PSHE curriculum is structured into key thematic areas, each covering a range of topics designed to develop knowledge, skills, and personal development.
| Theme | Key Topics Covered |
|---|---|
| Substance Misuse & Self Identity | Drug misuse, risk-taking behaviours, drugs and the law, recognising signs of risky behaviours |
| Consent & Intimate Relationships | Healthy relationships, consent myths, capacity to withdraw, sex and media expectations, STIs and contraception, sexting, sexual harassment, support and reporting |
| Prejudice, Discrimination & Bullying | Inclusion, respect, communities, equality/diversity, social media influence, cyberbullying, LGBT/BLM/POC representation |
| Mental Health Awareness | Challenges in adolescence, reframing negative thinking, wellbeing strategies, accessing support, media portrayal, challenging stigma |
| E-Safety & Online Safety | Online safety, grooming, online gambling, identity theft, sharing images, law surrounding nudes |
| Substance Misuse & County Lines | County Lines, knife carrying, child criminal exploitation, gang awareness, risk management |
| Equality & Diversity | Respecting beliefs/values, equality in the workplace, diverse families, Black History Month |
| Healthy Lifestyles | Physical and mental health, nutrition, sleep, smoking cessation, firework safety |
| Healthy Relationships | Relationship values, online relationships, media influence, consent, coercion, exploitation, reporting, asexuality, abstinence, celibacy |
| Understanding Change | Gender expression, resilience, family structures, bereavement |
| Me & My Rights | Employment rights, first aid, defibrillator use, UNICEF rights of the child, emergency situations |
| G.O.A.L.S & Target Setting | SMART targets, post-16 options, career choices, employability, transferable skills, decision making |
| Relationships & Sex Education | Intimacy without sex, consent, safer sex, consequences of unprotected sex |
| Identity & Relationships | Changing relationships, family types, parenting, positive home relationships, handling harassment/stalking, abusive relationships support |
| Extremism & Radicalisation | Community inclusion, social media influence, recognising extremism, safe challenge of discrimination |
| Building for the Future | Managing judgment, stress, resilience, sleep, safe online engagement, internet opportunities |
| Careers Education | Self-assessment, career opportunities, overcoming adversity, workplace responsibilities, health & safety, CV writing, enterprise and employability |
Key Features of PSHE at Everton Free School
- Weekly delivery for all year groups with additional support for Year 11
- Inclusive RSE curriculum, considering LGBTQ+ perspectives
- Practical life skills, from health and wellbeing to careers and employability
- Integrated with G.O.A.L.S and enrichment programmes to encourage personal growth
- Focus on safeguarding, resilience, and digital citizenship
