Year 9 – Personal Development

Overview

All pupils will participate in designated hour-long Personal Development lessons once per two weeks, incorporating the following content:

Autumn/Winter	Spring/Summer
PSHE – Healthy relationships and lifestyles Mental wellbeing: Pupils will investigate the nature of the ‘13 year old brain’ in the context of behaviour including emotional awareness, risk-taking, and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Committed, respectful, intimate relationships: Pupils will consider factors of successful platonic and romantic relationships with a focus on commitment, respect, and the importance of marriage. Sexual health: Emphasizing aspirations, pupils will receive honest facts and advice about consent, delaying intimacy, sexually transmitted infections, contraception, and pregnancy choices. This session is led by the Tameside sexual health team, YouThink. Exploitation and abuse in relationships: Pupils will learn to recognise the signs of coercion, exploitation, and abuse in relationships, with emphasis on staying safe and understanding the impact these behaviours have on others. Hate crime, prejudice and discrimination, knife crime and radicalisation: We will look at factors that put some people at risk of radicalisation, hate crime, or knife crime and explore the impact these behaviours have on individuals and communities.	Citizenship – Crime and Justice in the UK Rights and the police: Pupils will explore the roles of the police within the justice system, including community support, protection, and police powers. Youth crime, young offenders, and the law: Building on PSHE content about hate crime, knife crime, and radicalisation, we will consider the factors that may lead young people to offend, support systems for those at risk, and consequences for young offenders. Courts, punishments, and further implications: We will investigate the justice system in the UK, including courts, the role of judges, types of punishment, and the implications for victims and perpetrators. Money matters: Pupils will explore budgeting and how price and competition influence decisions as consumers. Character development: Pupils will engage in child-centred social action, applying employability skills in line with our school Character Development Pillars of Participation, Community Service, Leadership, and Scholarship.

Autumn/Winter

Spring/Summer

PSHE – Healthy relationships and lifestyles

Mental wellbeing: Pupils will investigate the nature of the ‘13 year old brain’ in the context of behaviour including emotional awareness, risk-taking, and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).

Committed, respectful, intimate relationships: Pupils will consider factors of successful platonic and romantic relationships with a focus on commitment, respect, and the importance of marriage.

Sexual health: Emphasizing aspirations, pupils will receive honest facts and advice about consent, delaying intimacy, sexually transmitted infections, contraception, and pregnancy choices. This session is led by the Tameside sexual health team, YouThink.

Exploitation and abuse in relationships: Pupils will learn to recognise the signs of coercion, exploitation, and abuse in relationships, with emphasis on staying safe and understanding the impact these behaviours have on others.

Hate crime, prejudice and discrimination, knife crime and radicalisation: We will look at factors that put some people at risk of radicalisation, hate crime, or knife crime and explore the impact these behaviours have on individuals and communities.

Citizenship – Crime and Justice in the UK

Rights and the police: Pupils will explore the roles of the police within the justice system, including community support, protection, and police powers.

Youth crime, young offenders, and the law: Building on PSHE content about hate crime, knife crime, and radicalisation, we will consider the factors that may lead young people to offend, support systems for those at risk, and consequences for young offenders.

Courts, punishments, and further implications: We will investigate the justice system in the UK, including courts, the role of judges, types of punishment, and the implications for victims and perpetrators.

Money matters: Pupils will explore budgeting and how price and competition influence decisions as consumers.

Character development: Pupils will engage in child-centred social action, applying employability skills in line with our school Character Development Pillars of Participation, Community Service, Leadership, and Scholarship.

SRE

As part of their series of Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education lessons, our pupils will take part in Sex and Relationship Education (SRE). In Year 9, SRE content relates to: the nature of committed, stable, respectful, intimate relationships (including marriage; sexual health and contraception; that pupils have a choice to delay sex and enjoy intimacy without sex; and the nature of exploitation and abuse in relationships including coercion. The purpose of these lessons is to: empower pupils with the knowledge and skills to make informed and healthy choices; to build confidence and skills to deal with situations they may encounter; and to help them to stay safe and know where to ask for help if needed. All content is taught in an age-appropriate way in the context of encouraging aspiration, respectful relationships and personal safety, being able to use correct language, and feeling confident to ask questions and discuss in a mature and appropriate way and access trustworthy guidance. At times, carefully chosen external visitors and speakers may contribute to the SRE programme. In these cases, lesson content is agreed in advance and visitors are always supervised by a member of school staff. Any materials distributed by external agencies will be available for you to view through our school website prior to the element being taught.

If you have concerns or would like to discuss RSE or PSHE further, please make an appointment to speak with our Assistant Headteacher, Mr Thompson.

Year 9 E-Safety / PREVENT

Internet Safety & Harms

Cyber Security:

How to identify key threats to the security of a computer system and its data (Including personal data)
Different kinds of malware and their threats.
What social engineering is and how it is used to trick people into revealing sensitive information.
Methods of prevention and protecting sensitive data.

Online Data

How cookies work.
Online platforms and search engines gather personal information.
How and why personal data is shared by online companies.
How to limit the data companies gather including paying particular attention to tick boxes when accessing a game or app for the first time.
Much of the content seen online is the result of some form of targeting.
How adverts seen at the top of online searches and social media often come from companies paying to be there, different people will see different ads
How pupils can protect themselves, including what to do if something goes wrong.
What a digital footprint is, how it develops and how it can affect future prospects.
How content can be shared, tagged and traced.
How difficult it is to remove something a user wishes they had not shared.
Online platforms and search engines gather personal information.
How to find information about privacy settings on various platforms.
Privacy settings have limitations.
Much of the content seen online is the result of some form of targeting.

Year 9 Careers and KS4 Transition

Year 9 will participate in careers education during form time through the nationally recognised STEPs Careers Programme. In addition to this, to support transition into Key Stage 4, pupils will also work through ‘Which Way Now?’. Within this, pupils will explore their personal skills, interests and aspirations and be advised on the nature and breadth of KS4 courses available at Hyde, before making a decision regarding study options at Key Stage 4.

Year 9 Super Learning Days and Curriculum Enrichment

Year 9 pupils have the opportunity to attend workshops to enhance their understanding of PSHE, Careers and Citizenship.

Global Policing workshop outlining the importance of choices and consequences, being a responsible citizen, water safety and knife crime awareness.
Medical Mavericks Careers in the NHS including practical opportunities and information about careers paths in the NHS, salaries and training routes.
PIE (Pursuing Individual Excellence) mental health workshops
Outdoor educational teambuilding and puzzle solving activities to build resilience.

Pupils experience involvement in democratic processes though the nomination of form captains, and the nomination of a charity for whole school support.

Our school library contains a great selection of recommended reading relating to Personal Development. Pupils who engage in opportunities for independent enquiry related to Personal Development through the school library or through engagement in extracurricular clubs are recognised for their efforts with Personal Development subject badges and access to external visits, such as our London Parliament trip organised by our House of Lords link teacher, Mrs Tong.

Key Staff

Mr Thompson, Assistant Headteacher (Personal Development and Curriculum)
Miss Mahboob, Personal Development coordinator
Ms Amdurer, Careers coordinator and adviser (CEIAG)
Mr Panter, E-safety/PREVENT coordinator