Life Skills has got off to a flying start this academic year, which started with sharing the results of the student voice survey with each year group.

This included many questions including whether students enjoy Life Skills, if students feel confident giving views and opinions and if they feel listened to during lessons. The results were very positive. Students also had the opportunity to suggest improvements.

With the new style exercise books (the logo was designed by Abi L in Year 11 last year), every student completed their first lesson about the various topics covered within Life Skills and how they feel about some of the content. This was also an opportunity to try out the new style baseline assessment.

The survey also asked for student volunteers for a focus group and the response was overwhelming to say the least. This group will be present at parents’ evenings to give out information and advice about their particular year group and inform parents about the opportunity to complete a parental questionnaire.

I am also still hoping to start a parent focus group. If you are interested, please contact me directly.

r.cahill@penworthamgirls.lancs.sch.uk

 

Mrs Cahill

Life Skills Coordinator

Year 7 and 8 have spent several lessons looking at gender identity, sexuality and homophobia. They recognise the importance of equality and diversity and how to show respect towards the values, beliefs and opinions of others.

To tie in with Pride month, students had a look at the history of Pride and the different flags to represent inclusivity.  They then produced a display and included sources of support.

Year 9 have been busy looking at the topic of ‘Health’. They learned more about the vaccinations that they may have had as teenagers and the reasons why, as well as looking at herd immunity. They also got the chance to use the mini Annie resuscitation dolls to learn CPR, provided by the Heart Foundation.  They have then produced some information leaflets on what to do.

Year 9 have also been looking at health apps. Digitally Healthy Schools is a program designed to give young people access to trusted digital health apps to support a wide range of health areas. Students will be able to access the library within Digital Healthy Schools in the next academic year.

They have also had a look at some other apps and trialled an app for a week.  They then wrote about their experiences and the benefits of using health apps. The best write-ups have been entered in to the Digitally Healthy Schools competition for the chance to win a fitness tracker or a £30 amazon gift voucher. Maisie W, Charlotte R, Prisha P, Libby W and Molly T, plus many more submitted some great entries. We are currently awaiting the results.

Finally, every student had the opportunity to complete a survey on Life Skills this academic year. The responses were largely positive and this will be shared in the next newsletter. It was encouraging to see the students caring and actively involved in Life Skills.  They took full opportunity at having a student voice on the matter. I also have an army of volunteers ready for next year, who will be helping to raise awareness at parent meetings and parent voice, as well as other exciting opportunities. Watch this space!

Mrs R Cahill

Life Skills Co-ordinator

Last week, students took part in the ‘Question of the Week’ on the Prevent duty and Channel. This is to reinforce the messages already covered in Life Skills and other areas of personal development at PGHS. A short forms quiz was successfully completed to demonstrate understanding and how to report or access support. 

These are both important topics that are revisited regularly.  It is reassuring to know from the forms quizzes completed, that students here do know to tell a trusted adult in these situations. 

Mrs Cahill
Life Skills Co-ordinator

KS3 students recently spent an afternoon looking at certain aspects of e-safety. This is to compliment the work covered in Life Skills, computing, and other aspects of personal development at PGHS. Mark Naylor from Lancashire Constabulary joined students on Teams for a talk on current issues around e-safety and the reporting process. Students asked lots of interesting questions. This was followed by a session on healthy and unhealthy relationships online, including consent and coercion, live streaming, the sharing of images and other information online.  

This was continued in the Life Skills lessons with a forms quiz and a parentmail was sent should you wish to continue the conversation at home or gain more information. Below are some of the responses from Year 8 and 9.  The sources of support that have been shared with the students are:  

www.childline.org.uk  

www.themix.org.uk 

www.youngminds.org.uk 

www.childnet.com 

Mrs Cahill
Life Skills Co-ordinator

Years 9-11 are taking part in a pilot of resources produced by WOT WUD U DO. The resource is aimed at talking to young people with confidence by equipping staff with dedicated resources to facilitate lessons and open conversations around mental health, relationships, thoughts, feelings, and emotions. These resources have been designed to address several aspects of the relationships, sex, and health education curriculum (2019)

Overall there are resources for 15 topics.

KS3 Life Skills lessons are now being taught with the new Collins resources. The feedback has been extremely positive from both staff and students.

This half term, students will be exploring some of the more sensitive topics of RSE and health education. Here is the half-termly update with sources of further information and support should you wish to continue to conversation at home.

Year 7

L1 – You and bullying.

L2 – Cyberbullying.

L3 – Protecting your online identity.

L4 – The Right to education. (Linked with international women’s day and the rights of a child.)

L5 – UNICEF – Rights of the child.

L6 – Gender and your identity.

L7 – Exploring your sexuality.

https://www.bullying.co.uk/

https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/feelings-and-symptoms/bullying/

www.thinkuknow.co.uk/11_13/

www.safetynetkids.org.uk/personal-safety/online-safety/

https://www.unicef.org.uk/what-we-do/un-convention-child-rights/

https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents/parents-guide-to-support-a-z/parents-guide-to-support-gender-identity-issues/

www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/your-feelings/sexual-identity/sexual-orientation

www.youngstonewall.org/get-support/coming-out-lgbt

Year 8

L1 – Your developing sexuality.

L2 – Understanding your gender identity.

L3 – LGBT+ rights.

L4 – Sex facts and myths.

L5 – Consent and contraception.

L6 – Sexting.

https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents/parents-guide-to-support-a-z/parents-guide-to-support-gender-identity-issues/

www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/your-feelings/sexual-identity/sexual-orientation

www.youngstonewall.org/get-support/coming-out-lgbt

https://www.stonewall.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/campaigning-global-lgbt-equality

www.healthforteens.co.uk/sexual-health/

https://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers/hot-topics/sexting

Year 9

L1 – Money and mental health.

L2 – Credit and debit.

L3 – Gambling and online fraud.

L4 – Social media and body image.

L5 – Sexually transmitted infections.

L6 – Symptoms of STI’s and sexual health clinics.

https://natwest.mymoneysense.com/students/students-12-16/

https://www.bigdeal.org.uk/

https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/feelings-and-symptoms/body-image/

https://lancashiresexualhealth.nhs.uk/

https://www.healthforteens.co.uk/health/about-chathealth/

https://legacy.brook.org.uk/press-releases/new-sexual-health-services-for-lancashire

Mrs Cahill

LIfe Skills Co-ordinator

A big focus for Year 7 since our return has been looking at their values, opinions and worries. This has been completed using the new Collins resources. Here is a lesson on worries and anxieties with some of the work that 7G have been completing in class.

After the Easter break, students at KS3 will be continuing with their Life Skills course. There will be the usual topic update and sources of support and advice for continuing the discussion at home. This will be in the first newsletter after the Easter holiday.

Mrs Cahill

Life Skills Co-ordinator

Once again, here are the KS3 topics for the next half term with some sources of support.

Year 7

Students are looking at self-awareness through identifying core values. Strategies to deal with anxious feelings or worry, listening skills, dealing with difficult friendships and a revisit of personal safety online. They will also be completing baseline assessments on forms.

L1 –You and your values.

L2 – You and your opinions.

L3 – Feeling worried/anxious.

L4 – Rivalries.

L5 – Personal safety online revisit.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/skillswise/speaking-and-listening/zdfwgwx

https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/conditions/anxiety/

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/

Year 8

L5 – How do you spend your time?

https://www.talktofrank.com/get-help/worried-about-a-child

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/49961887

https://nationalonlinesafety.com/guides/screen-addiction-guide-for-parents

Year 9

https://natwest.mymoneysense.com/students/students-12-16/

For KS4, Year 10 are moving on to different families. There is a video to show how the role of a woman has changed over the years and a description of all of the different types of family before a quiz on Forms.

Year 11 are exploring the website https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/looking-after-yourself/sexuality-and-mental-health/#what-is-sexuality?

They have some questions to answer on Forms and are invited to also have a look at the https://lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/ website in celebration of LGBT+ history month.

Mrs Cahill
Life Skills Co-ordinator

I am pleased to announce that we have sourced some excellent textbook resources for the statutory content for the RSE and health education aspect of Life Skills. These are the most up to date resources and together with the current one’s students will have the most current information and support in these areas. The SOW for Life Skills now shows where these books are used for individual lessons starting after February half term.  It is also a superb opportunity for literacy and reading skills at PGHS. At present this is just for KS3, however there will be a KS4 set of resources coming out in May 2021, which we have already sourced. 

Mrs Cahill