PSHE

Intent

At St Edmund’s Catholic School, our Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education curriculum provides a broad, balanced, inclusive and progressive programme that supports pupils’ personal development, wellbeing, safety and preparation for adult life. Rooted in our Catholic ethos and the values of dignity, compassion, respect, responsibility and care for others, it encourages pupils to make informed decisions, build positive relationships and contribute responsibly to society. 

Our provision incorporates statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) alongside wider PSHE, financial education, careers learning and active citizenship. It is organised into four interconnected strands: Health and Wellbeing; Relationships; Living in the Wider World; and Economic Wellbeing and Careers. These are revisited through a spiral curriculum with increasing depth, appropriate to pupils’ age, maturity and needs. 

Teaching is inclusive of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), pupils with English as an additional language (EAL), and pupils with different experiences and family circumstances. Staff use appropriately adapted resources, safe discussion practices and safeguarding procedures. 

Key Stage 3

Year 7 – Building Foundations and Staying Safe 

Year 7 supports transition to secondary school, belonging and the foundations of healthy, safe and responsible living. 

In Health and Wellbeing, pupils learn about puberty, physical development, hygiene, dental health, nutrition and healthy lifestyles. Practical activities such as Restart a Heart introduce life-saving skills. They learn to respond to emergencies, including choking and head injuries, and consider road, rail and water safety, including the Water Safety Code. 

In Relationships, pupils explore friendship, kindness, respect, boundaries, inclusion, bullying and peer pressure, identifying trusted adults and ways to seek help. 

In Living in the Wider World, pupils develop safe online habits, including privacy, responsible communication and reporting concerns. Cultural Awareness Day and related activities celebrate diversity and shared values. 

In Economic Wellbeing and Careers, tutor activities and careers assemblies, including Know Your Options, introduce aspirations, personal strengths and future opportunities. 

By the end of this year, pupils gain confidence in friendships, everyday safety, belonging and help-seeking. 

Year 8 – Developing Independence and Responsible Choices 

Year 8 builds independence, emotional awareness and responsible decision-making. 

In Health and Wellbeing, pupils explore nutrition, physical activity, sleep, mental wellbeing, body image and social-media influences, including loneliness and sources of support. 

In Relationships, pupils develop respectful communication, empathy, conflict resolution and understanding of boundaries, stereotypes and peer influence, including how online influencers can shape attitudes. 

In Living in the Wider World, pupils consider responsible citizenship, British Values, misinformation, digital media and their role within school and society. 

In Economic Wellbeing and Careers, pupils develop budgeting and saving skills, learn about financial wellbeing, scams and misleading online offers, and encounter employment and training opportunities through assemblies and initiatives such as the Apprenticeship Bus. 

By the end of this year, pupils show greater independence, relationship skills, emotional awareness and financial responsibility. 

Year 9 – Managing Risk, Relationships and Social Influences 

Year 9 explores increasingly complex challenges of adolescence and strengthens pupils’ ability to recognise harmful influences. 

In Health and Wellbeing, pupils examine drugs, alcohol, smoking, vaping, mental health, stress, grief, loss, loneliness, knife crime, exploitation and personal safety in public spaces. 

In Relationships, pupils deepen understanding of consent, respect, equality and boundaries, while challenging misogyny, harmful stereotypes, toxic online influences and unhealthy relationship expectations. Positive role models, empathy and care are emphasised. 

In Living in the Wider World, pupils explore citizenship, law, rights, community safety, AI-generated content, deepfakes, online manipulation and how to report concerns. 

In Economic Wellbeing and Careers, careers interviews, speed networking, employer encounters and financial workshops develop aspirations, budgeting, saving and awareness of financial exploitation. 

By the end of this year, pupils can recognise risks and harmful influences, explain responsibilities and make more informed choices. 

Key stage 4

Year 10 – Greater Responsibility and Life Beyond School 

Year 10 develops judgement and practical knowledge for more complex personal, social and financial decisions. 

In Health and Wellbeing, pupils explore sexual and reproductive health, contraception, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), substance misuse, personal safety and access to reliable health advice. 

In Relationships, pupils study consent, coercion, sexual harassment, exploitation, abuse, healthy intimate relationships, family diversity, pregnancy, parenting and postnatal care. Teaching stresses that consent must be freely given and may be withdrawn, and that relationships require empathy, kindness, communication and mutual care. Age-appropriate safeguarding education addresses misogyny, violence against women and girls, pornography’s harmful influences, sextortion, image-based abuse and AI-generated intimate images. 

In Living in the Wider World, pupils consider legal rights and responsibilities, digital citizenship, harmful behaviour, online exploitation and reporting routes. 

In Economic Wellbeing and Careers, CV writing, mock interviews, college taster days, apprenticeship assemblies, alumni encounters and financial education support post-16 planning. 

By the end of this year, pupils demonstrate greater understanding of safeguarding, respectful relationships and future pathways. 

Year 11 – Transition to Adulthood and Independent Living 

Year 11 consolidates learning and prepares pupils for post-16 education, employment and increasing independence. 

In Health and Wellbeing, pupils focus on examination stress, resilience, sleep, healthy routines, mental wellbeing, sexual health, STIs, contraception and healthcare access. Sensitive issues, including grief, loss and suicide prevention, are addressed only through carefully planned, safeguarding-informed teaching with appropriate expertise. 

In Relationships, pupils revisit consent, coercion, healthy intimate relationships, domestic abuse, controlling behaviour, sexual harassment, exploitation, equality and accessing support. 

In Living in the Wider World, pupils deepen their understanding of democracy, civic participation, law, equality, digital footprints, misinformation, AI-generated content and online harms. 

In Economic Wellbeing and Careers, careers guidance, college and sixth-form applications, apprenticeship information and the Post-16 Careers Fair support transition. Practical financial education includes payslips, payroll, income tax, National Insurance, budgeting, banking, saving, borrowing, debt, fraud and online financial exploitation. 

By the end of this year, pupils leave with practical knowledge and confidence to make responsible decisions about health, relationships, finances and next steps. 

Impact 

By the end of Year 11, we aim for pupils to be informed, resilient, compassionate and responsible young people who can maintain their wellbeing, build respectful relationships, recognise risks, make sound financial decisions and prepare for education, employment and adult life. They should understand their rights and responsibilities, respect the dignity of others, challenge harmful behaviour and contribute positively to society. 

Financial Education Curriculum Intent

St Edmund’s Catholic School

Years 7–11

Our Vision

At St Edmund’s Catholic School, we believe that financial education is an essential part of preparing young people for life beyond the classroom. Our Money Matters programme aims to equip every student with the knowledge, practical skills, confidence and values needed to make informed, responsible and ethical financial decisions.

Rooted in our Catholic ethos, we encourage students to recognise the importance of responsibility, fairness, honesty and stewardship. We want our young people to understand not only how to manage money effectively, but also how their financial choices can influence their wellbeing, future opportunities, relationships and wider society.

Our Curriculum Intent

Our Financial Education programme is designed to develop financial literacy progressively from Year 7 to Year 11, building students' understanding as they move towards greater independence and adulthood.

Through age-appropriate, real-life financial scenarios, students learn to:

· Make informed financial decisions by distinguishing between needs and wants, recognising spending influences and evaluating value for money.

· Develop financial independence through budgeting, saving, understanding income and managing financial commitments.

· Understand financial risks including borrowing, debt, gambling, fraud and online financial exploitation.

· Become responsible consumers by understanding banking, consumer rights, financial products and ethical spending.

· Prepare for their futures by exploring earnings, taxation, pensions, employment pathways and long-term financial planning.

· Protect their financial wellbeing by recognising financial pressures, developing resilience and knowing when and where to seek trustworthy support.

A Progressive Journey: Years 7–11

Our curriculum follows a carefully sequenced approach, ensuring that students revisit and extend their financial knowledge throughout their secondary education.

Year 7 – Building Financial Foundations

Students develop an understanding of needs and wants, sources of income, simple budgeting, saving goals, advertising influences and keeping money safe.

Year 8 – Becoming Informed Consumers

Students explore bank accounts, payment cards, bank statements, value for money, online advertising, shopping scams and ethical purchasing decisions.

Year 9 – Understanding Financial Responsibility

Students develop their ability to manage budgets, compare saving and borrowing, understand debt, recognise gambling risks, explore earnings and protect themselves from identity fraud.

Year 10 – Preparing for Financial Independence

Students examine payslips, taxation, regular financial commitments, borrowing costs, consumer rights and the relationship between financial pressures and wellbeing.

Year 11 – Planning for Life Beyond School

Students apply their knowledge to post-16 choices, independent living, credit reports, saving, investing, pensions, insurance and long-term financial security. They evaluate realistic financial dilemmas and develop strategies for responsible decision-making in adulthood.

Our Teaching and Learning Approach

Our Money Matters programme is delivered through structured, interactive tutor-time lessons, using our Engage, Enhance, Elevate learning framework.

Students are encouraged to move from identifying and understanding financial concepts to applying, analysing and evaluating decisions through practical challenges.

Each lesson incorporates relatable financial dilemmas, discussion, problem-solving and opportunities for reflection.

Through their Financial Thinking Passport, students reflect on their learning, justify decisions and develop confidence in applying financial knowledge to everyday situations.

Catholic Ethos and British Values

Financial education at St Edmund’s supports our commitment to developing compassionate, responsible and informed citizens.

Our programme promotes the British Values of individual liberty, mutual respect, democracy and the rule of law, while reinforcing our Catholic values of dignity, justice, fairness and responsible stewardship.

Students are encouraged to consider how financial decisions affect themselves, their families, their communities and the environment.

Our Intended Impact

By the end of Year 11, we aspire for every student to leave St Edmund’s with the confidence and practical understanding to manage everyday financial decisions, recognise risks, seek reliable guidance and plan responsibly for their future.

Above all, we want students to become financially informed, resilient and responsible young adults, capable of making thoughtful decisions that support their independence, wellbeing and contribution to society.

“I can do all things with the help of God who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:1