Introduction to Department:

At Bishop Wordsworth’s School, Personal, Social, Health, Religious and Citizenship Education (PSHRCE) is central to our vision of developing articulate, responsible and principled young men. Rooted in our school ethos of Veritas in Caritate (Truth in Love), the curriculum is designed to equip students with the knowledge, understanding and character needed to thrive in modern Britain and beyond.

The intent of our PSHRCE curriculum is to provide a coherent, progressive programme that enables students to make informed, safe and responsible decisions. It fully meets statutory requirements, including Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE), Health Education and Citizenship, while also addressing the key challenges facing young people today such as mental health, online safety, identity and personal wellbeing.

Implementation is carefully structured through a spiral curriculum delivered via dedicated lessons, tutor time and assemblies, ensuring that key themes are revisited and deepened over time. Students are encouraged to think critically, reflect on their values and engage with real-world issues.

The impact of this is seen in students who are confident, reflective and resilient, able to contribute positively to school life and the wider community, and well prepared for the next stage of their education and future responsibilities.

Results & Achievements:

Although PSHRCE is not formally examined, its impact is evident across the school in students’ personal development, behaviour and readiness for life beyond Bishop’s. Students develop essential life skills including resilience, communication, decision-making and self-regulation. These directly support academic success and underpin the school’s strong pastoral systems. The curriculum plays a vital role in safeguarding, ensuring students understand risk, know how to seek support and are equipped to manage challenges such as peer pressure, online influences and mental health. Students leave Bishop’s with a strong sense of personal responsibility, moral purpose and an understanding of their role as active and informed citizens.

Extra- and super-curricular:

PSHRCE is enriched through a wide range of additional opportunities that extend learning beyond the classroom and ensure relevance to real-life contexts.

These include external speakers, workshops and awareness events covering topics such as mental health, relationships, online safety, substance awareness and personal safety. School assemblies and themed weeks reinforce key messages and promote reflection. Students also benefit from opportunities such as first aid training, careers education and leadership roles, enabling them to apply their knowledge in practical and meaningful ways. These experiences strengthen students’ confidence, independence and preparedness for adult life.

Recommended reading list:

Students and parents are encouraged to develop their understanding beyond the classroom through engagement with high-quality reading. This supports the development of informed, reflective and critically aware individuals, and enables important conversations to continue at home.

The following texts are recommended to support key areas of the PSHRCE curriculum:

Mental Health & Wellbeing

• Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? – Dr Julie Smith
• The Chimp Paradox – Prof Steve Peters
• You Are Awesome – Matthew Syed
• Happy Mind, Happy Life – Dr Rangan Chatterjee
• The Anxiety Workbook for Teens – Lisa M. Schab

Relationships, Identity & Personal Development

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens – Sean Covey
• Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor E. Frankl
• Atomic Habits – James Clear
• 12 Rules for Life – Jordan Peterson
• The Courage to Be Disliked – Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga

Online Safety & Digital Responsibility

• Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now – Jaron Lanier
• Digital Minimalism – Cal Newport

Financial Literacy & Life Skills

• Rich Dad Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki
• The Psychology of Money – Morgan Housel
• I Will Teach You To Be Rich – Ramit Sethi
• Your Money or Your Life – Vicki Robin

Decision-Making, Behaviour & Motivation

• The Molecule of More – Daniel Z. Lieberman & Michael E. Long
• Thinking, Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman
• Drive – Daniel H. Pink
• Grit – Angela Duckworth

Citizenship, Society & Current Affairs

• Prisoners of Geography – Tim Marshall
• Factfulness – Hans Rosling
• Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire – Akala

Health, Lifestyle & Physical Wellbeing

• Eat, Sleep, Move, Breathe – Nick Littlehales
• How to Make Disease Disappear – Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Students are also encouraged to engage with the PSHRCE booklets produced in-house and linked via the website, which provide structured content, guidance and opportunities for further reflection beyond lessons.

Learning by Key Stage

KS3 (Years 7–9)

At Key Stage 3, the curriculum establishes a strong foundation in personal development, supporting students as they transition into adolescence and secondary school life.

In Year 7, students focus on core areas such as healthy lifestyles, sleep, organisation, digital responsibility and personal safety. In Year 8, the curriculum develops students’ understanding of relationships, identity, equality, careers and the impact of their choices both online and offline. In Year 9, students engage with more complex and sensitive issues including mental health, consent, equality, the law and first aid, preparing them for the challenges of Key Stage 4 and beyond. Across KS3, the curriculum is carefully sequenced to build knowledge, resilience and self-awareness, ensuring students are equipped to make informed and responsible decisions.

KS4 (Years 10–11)

At Key Stage 4, the curriculum prepares students for adulthood, focusing on the knowledge and skills required for independent and responsible living. Students explore areas including relationships and sexual health, drugs and alcohol education, mental health, financial literacy, careers and life beyond school. There is a strong emphasis on critical thinking, enabling students to evaluate risk, challenge misconceptions and make informed choices. By the end of Key Stage 4, students are well prepared for further education, employment and life in modern society, with a clear understanding of personal responsibility, wellbeing and citizenship.

Staff

Lead Teacher of PSHRCE: Mr B Denham bwd@bws-school.org.uk

Teacher of PSHRCE:

• Mrs K Bazire-Smith kbs@bws-school.org.uk

PSHRCE is delivered collaboratively by teaching staff and tutors across the school. Year 7 tutors play a key role in delivery, alongside specialist staff who contribute to specific areas such as careers education and financial literacy. This is supported by pastoral and safeguarding teams to ensure a consistent, high-quality and impactful provision for all students.

Additional Information

Parents retain the right to withdraw their child from the Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) component of the curriculum up to the term they turn the age of 16, after which students may choose for themselves whether to participate.

Requests for withdrawal from RSE must be made in writing to the Head.

To support transparency and partnership with parents, PSHRCE booklets produced in-house are linked via the website. These provide a clear overview of the content taught across each year group and enable parents to engage with and support their child’s learning.