Life Skills
Context
Life Skills education helps pupils to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society. From making responsible decisions about alcohol, online technology, relationships and community issues to succeeding in their first job, Life Skills education helps pupils to manage many of the most critical opportunities, challenges and responsibilities they will face growing up. Pupils will complete their statutory learning, as outlined by the Department for Education for personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) and relationships and sex education (RSE), through sequenced schemes of learning, where pupils will be inspired and enthused by the topics being discussed.
CURRICULUM
The Life Skills curriculum at Fairfield is one that provides all pupils with a deep understanding of the world around them, a desire for learning and offers the specific opportunity for pupils to reflect and build on themselves as individuals and members of society. Statutory elements such as relationships and sex education (RSE), drugs education and equality are included within the curriculum, ensuring that all pupils receive the required subjects that will support them to be happy, healthy and safe, equipping them for life as an adult in British society.
The curriculum will allow pupils to gain an understanding of the topics covered, as well as building on their skills from across the wider school curriculum. A central part of the curriculum is to have the pupils’ ability to believe that they can achieve goals, both academic and personal; to stick to tasks that will help them achieve those goals, even when the reward may be distant or uncertain; and to recover from knocks and challenging periods in their lives.
At KS3 RSE, drugs education, bullying and staying safe follow a spiral curriculum through all three years and into KS4. Each topic builds upon the content from the previous year and develops their knowledge and understanding on topics such as county lines and drug dealing, puberty, sexual relationships including STIs and contraception, FGM (female genital mutilation) and Honour Based Violence. The KS4 Life Skills curriculum also meets our further statutory requirements for Religious Education for all pupils, including religious and non-religious viewpoints and beliefs taught around topics covered including contraception, abortion, drug use and marriages.
