Personal Development
In Personal Development we strive to empower our young people to stay safe and healthy whilst also preparing them for life’s opportunities now and in the future.
We teach balanced, age appropriate and factually accurate lessons covering different aspects of PSHE, RSE, careers and Citizenship that meet our individual students need as well as our wider community needs.
Our lessons cover the law and a range of views and beliefs that are inclusive and respectful to people of all religious and cultural backgrounds. This helps all our students at Alder understand themselves, respect others and form and sustain healthy relationships within our school and in the wider world.
Our PD lessons empower students to make positive and informed choices in their lives and also ensure that all students feel comfortable and supported to explore these subjects whilst giving them the tools to seek additional help and support if they face challenges.
Personal Development at Alder aims to help all our young people develop the skills and knowledge needed to become successful, happy and well-rounded members of society.
Sex and Relationships Education (SRE)
The Personal Development curriculum at Alder takes full account of the government’s statutory guidance on RSE and health Education (June 2019). We aim to prepare students to take their place in society as responsible and risk aware citizens. The curriculum has been carefully sequenced taking into account age appropriateness to provide students with knowledge that will enable them to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships and to develop the resilience to ask for, and know when to, seek support and advice.
The curriculum is designed to support students to embrace the challenges of adult life, equipping them with the knowledge that will enable them to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships and to build their self-efficacy. Students can also put this knowledge into practice as they develop the capacity to make sound decisions when facing risks, challenges and complex problems in a range of contexts.
The aims of sex and relationship education (SRE) at our school are to:
-
Provide a framework in which sensitive discussions can take place;
-
Prepare students for puberty, and give them an understanding of sexual development and the importance of health and hygiene;
-
Help students develop feelings of self-respect, confidence and empathy;
-
Create a positive culture around issues of sexuality and relationships;
-
Teach students the correct vocabulary to describe themselves and their bodies.
We have a clear Sex and Relationships Education policy which outlines our vision, intent, teaching approach and curriculum plan. This was created through engaging with parents, students, teaching staff, school leaders and governors and is informed by statutory guidance to write the policy, and will continue to engage all stakeholders when updating policies.
Parents’ have the right to withdraw their children from the [non-statutory/non-science] components of SRE.
Requests for withdrawal should be put in writing and addressed to the Headteacher.