The Ethics curriculum is divided into specific threads and themes to ensure that all students have access to the subjects above and opportunity to build on the skills, qualities and values that underpin their future role in society. The curriculum follows the guidelines drawn up by the DFE, PSHE Association and Healthy Schools.

The three overlapping and linked ‘Core Themes’ (Health and Well-being, Relationships, Living in the Wider World), expressed as areas of core knowledge, understanding, language, skills and strategies, and taught in accordance with pupils’ readiness, are appropriate across all Key Stages and build upon Early Years Foundation Stage Learning. The students’ knowledge and understanding will build year on year as a part of the spiral curriculum model.

It is important to recognise that many decisions about both health and lifestyle are made in a social context or are influenced by the attitudes, values and beliefs of significant others.

Ethics should respect and take account of pupils’ prior learning and experiences. Programmes of study should reflect the universal needs shared by all children and young people as well as the specific needs of the pupils in the Academy.

We have a variety of guest speakers, who speak to the students about topics such as Homelessness, CSE, Fire Safety, Drugs, Hate Crimes, Cancer. We have activities such as drama productions, First Aid and Charity appeals for local charities and food banks.

The intent of our Ethics curriculum is to deliver a curriculum which is accessible to all and that will maximise the outcomes for every student enabling them to become healthy, independent and responsible members of a society.

The Ethics curriculum should result in the acquisition of knowledge and skills which enables our students to access the wider curriculum and to prepare children to be a global citizen now and in their future roles within a global community.

The Ethics curriculum should also enable all students to be safe and to understand and develop healthy relationships both now and in their future lives.

The lessons bring together Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education, Emotional Wellbeing, Social Skills, Careers Information and Guidance, British Values, Relationship and Sex Education all taught in a safe, empathic environment with particular emprises on personal safety and safeguarding paramount at all times.

We intend to help our students to understand how they are developing personally and socially, and tackle many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up.

We provide our students with opportunities for them to learn about rights and responsibilities and appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society. Our students are encouraged to develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community.

The intent of RSE (Relationships & Sex Education) is to give young people the information they need to help them to develop healthy nurturing relationships of all kinds, not just intimate relationships. It should enable them to know what a healthy relationship looks like and what makes a good friend, good colleague and successful marriage or other type of committed relationship.

In RSE we cover topics such as: contraception, developing intimate relationships, resisting pressure to have sex, not applying pressure to a partner to have sex, consent, harassment, peer on peer bullying, acceptable & unacceptable behaviours within relationships as well as others that are in line with the governments (DFE) guidelines.

This will help students to understand the positive effects that good relationships have on their mental wellbeing, and being able to identify when relationships are not right and understand how such situations can be managed.

RSE does not encourage sexual experimentation, instead it teaches students to understand human sexuality and to respect themselves and others around them.

It enables students to mature, build their confidence & self-esteem and understand the reasons for delaying sexual activity.

Overarching concepts

1. Identity (their personal qualities, attitudes, skills, attributes and achievements and what influences these)
2. Relationships (including different types and in different settings)
3. A healthy (including physically, emotionally and socially) balanced lifestyle (including within relationships, work-life, exercise and rest, spending and saving and diet)
4. Risk (identification, assessment and how to manage risk rather than simply the avoidance of risk for self and others) and safety (including behaviour and strategies to employ in different settings)
5. Diversity and equality (in all its forms)
6. Rights (including the notion of universal human rights), responsibilities (including fairness and justice) and consent (in different contexts)
7. Change (as something to be managed) and resilience (the skills, strategies and ‘inner resources’ we can draw on when faced with challenging change or circumstance)
8. Power (how it is used and encountered in a variety of contexts including persuasion, bullying, negotiation and ‘win-win’ outcomes)
9. Career (including enterprise, employability and economic understanding)

Ethics is led by a strong team of staff, who encourage pupils to be curious and challenge their preconceptions.

Safe At Last – charity organisation working with young people at risk of running away.

Childline – Website with help for lots of the topics we cover in Ethics.

With Me In Mind – Mental Health Charity

Mind – Mental Health Charity

CEOP website – safeguarding reporting website

If you have any questions please contact

Mrs Myers – Head of Ethics: nmyers@bri.leap-mat.org.uk