LIFE SKILLS/PERSONAL AND SOCIAL EDUCATION

Head of Department Mrs S Sellers

Each pupil is allocated one lesson a week for Personal and Social Education or Life Skills.

We also have a list of useful web links for teenagers and their parents. 

Please >>click here<< to view these.

Personal and Social Education

This subject involves the presentation, often through role-play, of inter-related topics such as health, including drug use and misuse, school and family life, and adolescence.

PSE helps pupils to develop their social skills and build self-confidence. There is vast opportunity for discussion initiated by and concerned with the pupils themselves. The process of decision-making is examined closely since this is a major theme of the work carried out in Year 9. Pupils need to consider their options carefully at this stage, taking account such matters as balance in the curriculum, eventual career requirements, and an understanding of themselves and their potential - all adult conceptions demanded from a young person.

Life Skills

'Life Skills' is just that - a lesson where discussion, direction and information will eventually lead all pupils to a greater awareness of themselves and the world into which they will soon be entering.

During the two years, speakers from colleges will be invited to give information about their particular courses; representatives from industry and commerce will also put forward their views and, at the same time, the pupils will meet the Careers' Officer and investigate their own particular interests. In July, at the end of Year 10, pupils also participate in a fortnight of Work Experience. This is organised through the school and very varied opportunities are presented to the pupils. During their experience members of the teaching staff visit them.

Study skills will also be investigated in order to give pupils a greater understanding of their own time management and organisational skills.

It is hoped too that the pupils will have a greater understanding of health issues when videos and films will illustrate the vast range of concerns that affects all aspects of our lives today. These lessons will be followed by discussions where each pupil's viewpoint is listened to and respected - another skill that is essential for success in today's world.

Useful links

Some useful links for both pupils and parents can be found below:

Lifebytes - a new website which gives young people aged 11 - 14 facts about health in a fun and interesting way.

Talk to Frank - an informative and straight-talking advice site about substances for both parents and students

Raising Kids - an online parenting magazine offering advice, support and help to parents.

Youth Information from the National Youth Agency and includes a database of over 1000 information topics and holds contact details for more than 1200 national organisations, including hundreds of built-in web links.

Teenage Health Freak who aim to provide web-based, accurate and reliable health information to teenagers in a contemporary, cringe-free, entertaining and informative way.