Personal Development

The Cherwell School Social Wellbeing Curriculum

Statement of Intent

Social Wellbeing (SW) is a planned programme of learning through which young people acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to manage their lives, and support those around them, now and in the future.  SW develops the qualities and attributes students need to thrive as individuals, friends, family members, and members of society and our curriculum is a key part of how we teach personal development. The subject aims to contribute towards preparing young people to manage many of the most critical opportunities, challenges and responsibilities they will face growing up in such rapidly changing and challenging times. SW helps students to connect and apply the knowledge and understanding they learn in this and other subjects to practical, real-life situations while helping them to feel safe and secure enough to fulfil their academic and personal potential. Evidence shows SW’s impact in a number of areas, including emotional wellbeing, physical health, academic attainment, and preparation for work. Furthermore, SW helps students to develop the character, resilience and skills they need to succeed. It can also reduce barriers to learning, and create opportunities for success and esteem-building for the most vulnerable students.

Aims for Social Wellbeing at The Cherwell School

1. Our curriculum and individual lessons are well designed, high quality and knowledge rich (they are aligned with the CAT policy). Lessons will be well organised and delivered with enthusiasm, energy and clarity.

2. Clear guidance is provided to help staff develop expertise by producing standardised resources which are rooted in up-to-date research, alongside models, definitions, and scripted explanations. 

3. Students receive a broad, balanced and diverse curriculum which is well sequenced in accordance with and supports the personal development programme throughout the school. 

4. The curriculum is consistently refined, and updated in line with contemporary developments. There will always be flexibility within our curriculum to respond to topical issues (within both school and the wider world). 

5. We will adapt and change resources to ensure they meet the aims of the subject and the needs of the students. 

6. Supporting and strengthening the school ethos and whole school priority of developing personal growth. 

Essential Guidance 

Social Wellbeing at Cherwell is in line with the RSE (2020) Guidance where relevant and organised according to the themes suggested by the PSHE Association*.

• CORE THEME 1: Health And Wellbeing

• CORE THEME 2: Relationships

• CORE THEME 3: Living In The Wider World

At Cherwell we use the following definitions of sex, relationships, and health education to guide our curriculum planning: SRE and PSHE Definitions and content

Teachers will be mindful that there may be students in the class who have direct or indirect experience of the issues covered in Social Wellbeing. Nonetheless it is crucial that all students have access to information on how to stay safe and seek help. Therefore teachers may wish to speak with particularly vulnerable students beforehand and share the lesson intentions with them so they can ask any questions. In order to provide a wider safety-net it may be appropriate to do this in conjunction with the relevant pastoral teams in school. 

Our lessons are designed to use non-emotive language, we strive to be factual rather than dramatic. We know students learn best and most safely when presented with facts and given the opportunity to discuss and explore them within safe boundaries. Students deserve to be provided with clear, accurate and consistent explanations. Often there will be key words provided, these should be printed out for students. Encourage students to use and refer to them throughout the lesson. Key words and concepts are important for improving a student’s ability to communicate effectively about the issues that affect them and other people around them. 

We also emphasise the importance of being informed to support those around us. This, along with scenarios to practise problem solving, is a way of equipping students with knowledge and skills whilst allowing them emotional distance. 

Disclosures: Teachers are aware that students may make disclosures to them or their peers at any point during or after the lessons. Should a child make a disclosure within the lesson either directly or indirectly teachers will follow Cherwell’s safeguarding procedure and report this to the relevant staff as directed in our safeguarding policy. Teachers are trained to be vigilant, take notice and report any concern, however small, as it could be part of a bigger picture.

Year 8 Social Wellbeing SoW

1 hour per fortnight av. 19 weeks p/y

Year 9, 10, and 11 Social Wellbeing SoW

During year 9 and 10 all students study GCSE citizenship and a variety of themes from the PSHE curriculum are delivered through these lessons. We also continue to support students’ personal development by teaching a social wellbeing curriculum via a series of drop down days. These drop down days are delivered by teachers within the RS/PSCHE faculty and trained members of the extended social wellbeing team. These are bespoke sessions planned by members of the faculty drawing on the best practice nationally, designed to be age appropriate and meet the needs of our school context. 

Examples of teacher or student material can be found below which we hope will help demonstrate to parents the content and tone of these sessions:

Pornography Literacy 

Safer Sex

Peer on peer abuse

Drugs and alcohol

Students will return to the most important theme a number of times across the time at school and we adjust sessions accordingly to make them age appropriate. As the sessions deal with current issues we also seek to adjust in light of events and changes within society, the school and the wider community. 

Year 10 Social Wellbeing SoW (Post GCSE Citizenship)

3 hours per fortnight av. 7 weeks p/y

Information for parents: As Year 10 have now completed their Citizenship Studies GCSE we have put together an extended curriculum for term 6 to deliver lessons on some significant and essential topic areas as part of their wider development within the Cherwell community. The lesson areas are identified below. Through these lessons students will learn a variety of new knowledge and skills. For example, students will be prepared for year 11 work experience, they will be developing communication skills (verbal, body language etc) and develop critical and analytical skills on topical legal issues. They will be self-reflecting on their own aspirations, behaviours and relationships with others in and outside of school. This personal development will contribute towards your child’s overall school experience and is part of their entitlement to receive carefully constructed lessons on these issues in a safe and supportive environment. We will also aim to continue using Google classroom to be able to sign post further sources of support for students as we recognise that many of these areas are highly sensitive. 

Year 11 Social Wellbeing SoW

1 hour per fortnight av. 14 weeks p/y

Year 12 Social Wellbeing SoW

2 hours per fortnight av. 27 weeks p/y

As part of their core sixth form provision all Y12 students will also learn a social wellbeing curriculum. The content summary is listed below.