Learning and undertaking activities in personal well-being contribute to
achievement of the curriculum aims for all young people to become:
- successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve
- confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling
lives
- responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society.
The importance of personal
well-being
Personal well-being helps young people to embrace change, feel positive
about who they are and enjoy healthy, safe, responsible and fulfilled lives.
Through active learning opportunities young people recognise and manage
risk, take increasing responsibility for themselves, their choices and behaviours
and make a positive contribution to their family, school and communities.
As young people learn to recognise, develop and communicate their qualities,
skills and attitudes they build knowledge, confidence and self-esteem and
make the most of their abilities. As they explore similarities and differences
between people and discuss social and moral dilemmas they learn to deal
with challenges and accommodate diversity in all its forms. The world is
full of complex and sometimes conflicting values. Personal well-being helps
young people explore this complexity and reflect on and clarify their own
values and attitudes. They identify and articulate feelings and emotions,
learn to manage new or difficult situations positively and form and maintain
effective relationships with a wide range of people. Personal well-being,
therefore, makes a major contribution to the promotion of personal development.
Personal well-being
This non-statutory programme of study for personal well-being is designed
to update and complement the existing non-statutory framework for personal,
social and health education. The content of this new programme of study
is based on the first four outcomes of Every Child Matters and on the
Department for Education and Skills guidance on sex and relationships
education. Most aspects of the content are non-statutory; however, sex
and relationships education (SRE) is a statutory element of the curriculum
at key stages 3 and 4. The presentation and headings of this programme
of study follow the format of the programmes of study for other subjects,
to support cross-curricular planning.
Personal well-being provision addresses the core theme of personal, social
and health education within the National Healthy Schools Programme. This
is essential for achieving National Healthy School status. Well-planned
personal well-being programmes can help schools fulfil new requirements
to promote the well-being of students (Education and Inspections Bill
2006). At key stage 4 young people should make a positive contribution
to planning for and developing the well-being of those in their school
community.
Personal development
Personal well-being makes a significant contribution to young people's
personal development and character. Evidence of this can contribute to
sections 4 and 5 of schools' self-evaluation forms (SEF).
Key
concepts
There are a number of key concepts that underpin the study of personal
well-being, students need to understand these concepts in order to deepen
and broaden their knowledge, skills and understanding.
Key concepts
These are provided to help learners understand and think critically about
issues as they learn in personal well-being. They are not intended to
provide an exhaustive list of every concept addressed in personal well-being.
The same concepts can be used at all key stages to help common understanding
of personal well-being and aid progression.
Personal
identities
- Understanding that identity is affected by a range of factors including
a positive sense of self.
- Learning that how personal qualities and attitudes, skills and achievements
are evaluated affects confidence building and self-esteem.
- Understanding that self-esteem can change with personal circumstances
such as those associated with family and friendships, achievement and
employment.
Personal identities
Understanding personal identities and the factors that contribute to them
is essential to accepting and valuing who we are. It is also an important
factor in developing confidence and self-esteem and being able to make
the most of attributes and abilities and celebrate achievements. At key
stage 4 a positive sense of personal identity contributes to the ability
to feel confident about roles and responsibilities and making a positive
contribution to society. Students should reflect on how a positive sense
of personal identity relates to healthy lifestyles and relationships and
consider in more depth its relationship with the concept of diversity.
The links with citizenship education become particularly important as
young people consider themselves in relation to the citizenship concept
of identities and diversity in local, national and global contexts. This
concept contributes to the Every Child Matters outcomes enjoy and achieve
and make a positive contribution.
Healthy
lifestyles
- Recognising that healthy lifestyles, and the well-being of self and
others, are dependent on information and making choices.
- Understanding that our physical, mental, sexual and emotional health
affects our ability to lead fulfilling lives and that there is help and
support available when it is threatened.
- Being aware that growth and change are a normal part of growing up.
Healthy lifestyles
Staying healthy is affected by physical, mental, emotional, social, environmental
and economic circumstances. The need to make informed decisions about
behaviours and consider the short- and long-term consequences of their
actions on themselves and others becomes more important at key stage 4
when young people have increasing autonomy and often have more challenging
decisions to make about their lifestyles. Links with the concept of risk
continue to be important. This concept links with the concept of healthy,
active lifestyles in physical education and contributes to the Every Child
Matters outcome be healthy.
Risk
- Understanding risk in both positive and negative terms and understanding
that individuals need to manage risk to self and others in a range of
personal and social situations.
- Appreciating that pressure can be used positively or negatively to influence
others in risky situations.
- Developing the confidence to try new ideas and face challenges safely,
individually and in groups.
Risk
Risk is an important part of everyday life. Having the confidence to take
risks is essential to enjoying and achieving in learning and life. However,
the ability to recognise, assess and manage risk is essential to physical
safety and mental and emotional well-being. At key stage 4 students further
develop skills of managing risk and exercise positive pressure on others
and support them in risky situations. It is increasingly important to
make links with work on financial capability, enterprise and career choices
addressed in economic well-being. The concept of risk is closely linked
with that of healthy lifestyles and contributes to the Every Child Matters
outcomes stay safe, make a positive contribution and achieve economic
well-being.
Relationships
- Understanding that relationships affect everything we do in our lives
and that relationship skills have to be learnt and practised.
- Understanding that people have multiple roles and responsibilities in
society and that making positive relationships and contributing to groups,
teams and communities is important.
- Understanding that relationships can cause strong feelings
and emotions.
Relationships
Understanding relationships and the skills associated with forming, maintaining
and ending them is fundamental to personal well-being. At key stage 4
students explore this concept in more depth and consider how to exercise
responsibility as they deal with the pressures and emotional challenges
involved in a range of relationships. The concept of relationships links
with all the other concepts and is a constant theme through all of personal
well-being. It contributes to all five Every Child Matters outcomes.
Feelings and emotions
The National Healthy Schools Programme (emotional health and well-being
theme) requires that 'the school has clear, planned opportunities for
students to understand and explore feelings using appropriate learning
and teaching styles'.
Diversity
- Appreciating that, in our communities, there are similarities as well
as differences between people of different race, religion, culture, ability
or disability, gender, age or sexual orientation.
- Understanding that prejudice, racism and discrimination must be challenged
at every level in our lives.
Diversity
This concept links with both personal identities and relationships. When
considering personal attitudes and behaviours towards diversity it is
important to identify similarities as well as differences between people.
Learning to empathise with others helps people accommodate difference
in their lives and accept their responsibility to challenge prejudice
and discrimination wherever it is encountered. At key stage 4 students
explore in more depth personal assumptions about people different from
themselves and consider the power dynamics of prejudice. With other concepts
in personal well-being, the concept of diversity contributes to the Every
Child Matters outcome make a positive contribution. Links should be made
with the concept of identities and diversity in citizenship and learning
about diversity in other subjects including religious education.
Key
processes
These are the essential skills and processes in personal well-being that
students need to learn to make progress.
Key processes
These all support the development of personal, learning and thinking skills
(PLTS) by providing a context for young people to become independent learners,
creative thinkers, team workers, self-managers and effective participators.
Critical
reflection
Students should be able to:
- reflect critically on their own and others' values
and change their behaviour accordingly
- reflect on their own and others' strengths
and achievements, give and receive constructive praise and criticism,
and learn from success and failure
- identify strategies for meeting personal targets, reflect on their effectiveness
and implement and monitor strategies for achieving goals
- reflect on feelings and identify positive ways of managing strong emotions
and behaviour and act positively on them.
Critical reflection
Thinking in depth about increasingly challenging issues, ideas and experiences,
questioning assumptions and connecting learning with real life plans,
behaviour and experiences. For example, 'how does what I have learnt impact
on my values?' 'is the basis for my assumptions valid?', 'how effective
are my strategies for achieving my goals?' 'how can I take responsibility
for my behaviour and its impact on others?' etc. Critical reflection particularly
supports the development of the PLTS areas of independent enquirers, creative
thinkers and reflective learners. Links should be made with the key process
of critical thinking and enquiry in citizenship. It also supports the
development of functional skills (English-speaking and listening).
Values
Exploring topical and real-life social and moral dilemmas provides the
context for exploring complex and conflicting values. Reflecting on how
this impacts on personal values and re-evaluating them is important at
this stage.
Strengths and achievements
This links with learning for economic well-being. Care should be taken
to avoid repetition and ensure coherence.
Decision
making and managing risk
Students should be able to:
- use knowledge and understanding to make informed choices about safety,
health and well-being, and be able to evaluate personal choices making
changes if necessary
- find and evaluate information, advice and support from a variety of
sources and be able to support others in doing so
- assess and manage risk in personal choices and situations, minimise
harm in risky situations and demonstrate how to help others do so
- use strategies for resisting unhelpful peer influence and pressure,
and assess when to use them and when and how to get help.
Decision making and managing risk
This involves finding and using accurate information, weighing up the
options and identifying risks and consequences of each of them in order
to make an informed choice. At key stage 4 students use these skills more
independently as they consider choices and challenges in relation to health,
personal safety, relationships, leisure and learning opportunities both
in and outside the classroom. They reflect on and apply learning to situations
in their own lives. Decision making and managing risk particularly support
the development of the PLTS areas of independent enquirers, self-managers
and effective participators. Finding and evaluating information from a
range of sources and communicating it contributes to the functional skills
of English and ICT.
Developing
relationships and working with others
Students should be able to:
- build and maintain a range of positive relationships, reflect upon what
makes these successful and apply this to new situations
- negotiate within relationships, recognising that actions have consequences,
and resolve conflicts peacefully
- work
individually, together and in teams for specific purposes using
communication skills and skills of negotiation, assertiveness and empathy
- demonstrate respect and acceptance for, and value differences between,
people and challenge offensive behaviour, prejudice and discrimination
assertively and safely
- explore feelings
and emotions related to changing relationships and develop skills to cope
with loss.
Developing relationships and working with others
The ability to actively listen, to empathise and understand the consequences
of aggressive, passive and assertive behaviour in relationships is important
for personal and social development, and to challenging inappropriate
behaviour safely. Developing relationships and working with others particularly
support the development of the PLTS areas team workers and effective participators.
Links should be made with citizenship processes of advocacy and representation.
Work individually, together and in teams
A willingness to live and work with people different from themselves is
important at key stage 4 as students develop a wider range of personal
relationships in different contexts. Links should be made with citizenship
- taking informed and responsible action - and with the functional skill
of English (speaking and listening).
Feelings
The National Healthy Schools Programme (emotional health and well-being
theme) requires that 'the school has clear, planned opportunities for
students to understand and explore feelings using appropriate learning
and teaching styles'.
Range
and content
This section outlines the breadth of the subject on which teachers should
draw when teaching the key concepts and key processes.
The study of personal well-being should include:
- the effect of conflicting values on individuals, families and communities
and ways of responding to them
- how the media portrays young people, body
image and health issues
- causes, symptoms and treatments of some mental and emotional health
disorders, including stress and depression, the link between eating disorders
and self-image and the need to balance work, leisure and exercise
- the benefits and risks of health
and lifestyle choices, including in relation to sexual
activity and substance
abuse and the short- and long-term consequences for the health
and mental and emotional well-being of individuals, families and communities
- where and how to obtain health information, how to recognise and follow
health and safety procedures, ways of reducing risk and minimising harm
in risky situations, sources of emergency help and use of basic
and emergency aid
- characteristics of positive relationships,
awareness of exploitation in relationships and statutory and voluntary
organisations
that support relationships in crisis
- the roles and responsibilities of parents, carers and other family members·
parenting skills and qualities and their central importance to family
life
- parenting skills and qualities and their central importance to family
life
- the impact of separation, divorce and bereavement on families and the
need to adapt to changing circumstances
- the diversity of ethnic and cultural groups, the power
of prejudice, bullying, discrimination and racism, the need
to take the initiative in challenging this and other offensive behaviours
and in giving support to victims of abuse.
Range and content
When planning to address the range and content of personal well-being
strong links should be made with learning for economic well-being. The
use of national and local statistics can help planning by informing priorities
and learning activities by making issues real to young people in a local
area. The relationship with citizenship education should be considered.
For example, when planning learning in relation to health issues the personal
health aspects are part of personal well-being and the public health and
policy aspects contribute to citizenship learning.The social and emotional
aspects of learning (SEAL) programme will be made available to schools
in September 2007. It provides a framework and some resources to help
deliver social and emotional skills within the personal well-being curriculum.
Body Image
This links with work on bullying.
Health and lifestyle choices
This includes activities such as sunbathing as well as choices about diet,
the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, and sexual activity.
Sexual activity
This should include the social, emotional and economic impact of unintended
pregnancy, issues of sexual exploitation and opportunities to review and
build upon earlier learning about contraception, sexually transmitted
infections and HIV.
Substance abuse
This should include benefits and risks of the use of alcohol and medicines
as well as tobacco, volatile substances and illegal drugs. Prior learning
should be reviewed and then built upon rather than repeated.
Basic and emergency aid
For example, recovery position and resuscitation techniques. Organisations
such as the Red Cross and St John's Ambulance Brigade have information
about first aid and dealing with emergency and risky situations.
Relationships
This should include a wide range of relationships in discussion including
boy/girl, same sex, people of different race, culture, ability, disability,
age etc. Address the role and benefits of marriage and civil partnerships
in stable relationships and family life building on key stage 3 learning.
An awareness of exploitation in relationships includes the use of mental
and physical violence and other forms of abuse. These and other issues
should be explored with extreme sensitivity using distancing techniques
outlined in the opportunities section.
Organisations that support relationships
This includes those involving divorce and bereavement, forced marriage
and violence and abuse in families and relationships.
The power of prejudice, bullying, discrimination
and racism
Make links with the school's anti-bullying policy including homophobic
bullying (obtain information from the Anti Bullying Alliance website),
compliance with the Race Relations Amendment Act and the requirement for
schools to respond to community/social cohesion. Links should be made
with work in citizenship, geography and history.
Curriculum
opportunities
During the key stage students should be offered the following opportunities
that are integral to their learning and enhance their engagement with the
concepts, processes and content of the subject.
The curriculum should provide opportunities for students to:
- make real choices and decisions based on accurate information obtained
through their own research using a range of sources, including national
and local/ward data, the internet,
other media sources, visits
and visitors to/from the wider community
- form opinions and express viewpoints confidently to a range of audiences
- meet and work with people from the wider community both in school and
through external visits, for example community health professionals and
drug advisers
- use case
studies, simulations, scenarios and drama to explore personal
and social issues and have time to reflect on them in relation to their
own lives and behaviour
- take part in individual and group discussion to consider personal,
social and moral dilemmas and the choices and decisions relating
to them
- work as members of groups and teams for specific purposes, taking on
different roles and responsibilities and identifying the range of skills
and attributes needed for teamwork
- evaluate their own personal
development and learning, set realistic targets and goals for
future life choices and develop strategies for meeting them
- identify sources
of help, support and accurate information and take responsibility
for providing accurate information to others in a range of situations
- make links
between personal well-being and work in other subjects and areas of the
curriculum and out-of-school activities.
Curriculum opportunities
Personal well-being provides active and practical opportunities for the
development of personal, learning and thinking skills. There may also
be opportunities to develop citizenship learning. It is important that
the learning outcomes for each subject are clear and that the achievement
of each is checked so that the different and distinctive outcomes are
not confused. Personal well-being provides an ideal context for the development
of functional skills particularly as young people practise speaking and
listening about issues that are of direct personal concern to them.
The internet and other media sources
At key stage 4 students should take the initiative in researching, interpreting
and using a wide range of sources of information to inform their decision
making. This includes critically evaluating media and other sources and
validating information obtained via the internet. They should communicate
safety messages relating to internet use. This links with other parts
of the curriculum including citizenship, English and ICT and supports
the development of the functional skills of English and ICT.
Visits and visitors
Students should take responsibility for arranging visits and inviting
visitors, and checking that the input from external contributors meets
the planned learning objectives and is compatible with the school's values
and policies.
Case studies, simulations, scenarios and drama
Can be used as distancing techniques. They allow issues that are very
sensitive and that may impact on young people personally to be explored
and discussed without reference to young people's lives and family circumstances.
Social and moral dilemmas
Effective personal well-being teaching requires regular exploration of
social and moral dilemmas that may relate to young people as they grow
up. Students will need to revisit skills and ground rules to ensure work
is carried out showing sensitivity to those who may be affected by such
issues.
Personal development
Personal well-being makes a significant contribution to young people's
personal development and character.
Sources of help
These include local sources, including GPs, community nurses and drug
and alcohol services as well as national organisations such as Relate,
FPA, Brooke, RoSPA, Childline, 'Ask Frank' and many more. These organisations
can also provide information about helpful websites.
Links between personal well-being and other
subjects and areas of the curriculum
There are many ways in which links can be made between work in personal
well-being and other subjects and areas of the curriculum. Examples include
linking work on sex and relationships, drugs, alcohol and tobacco with
work in science and linking diversity and dealing with prejudice and discrimination
with work in citizenship, history and RE. It is important that links are
planned and coordinated and that young people have time to reflect on
the sum of their experiences in order to maximise their learning and its
impact on their lives.
