Personal Social Health and Citizenship Education

All students follow a course of Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education. The course is designed to meet the needs of the students in a particular year group. Topics covered each year include Careers Education, Progress File, Study Skills, Industrial and Economic Understanding (including Work Experience) and Citizenship.

Health and Sex Education forms part of the PSHCE programme and some aspects are taught in Science classes. Specific topics are also delivered in other departments particularly those which have a health theme. The overall aim of Health Education in the College is to promote the development of a healthy lifestyle, thus protecting the student from illness and risks. Factual information is presented to students but equal emphasis is placed on decision- making.

The PSHCE programme includes discussions about alcohol and solvent abuse, smoking and the misuse of drugs. Sex education plays an important part in the Health Education programme and covers topics such as puberty, pregnancy and birth, contraception and sexually
transmitted diseases including AIDS.

The emphasis throughout the sex education programme is to encourage students to adopt a moral lifestyle and to be responsible for their own decisions. Parents may wish to exercise their right to withdraw their child from some or all of the sex education lessons in the Health Education programme. Before doing so they might wish to see the College Sex Education Policy and view the materials used. If they wish to do so, they should contact Mrs T M R Clarke, PSHCE Coordinator.