‘Good PHSE is not just about imparting knowledge – it’s about developing personal attributes’

Prior to coming to BGS, I worked in Botswana teaching biology for seven years. That’s possibly where my passion for PHSE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) came from, particularly relationships education.

Living in a very remote community on the edge of the Kalahari Desert at a time when there was a high incidence of HIV infection in Sub-Saharan Africa, seeing people living with the disease as it progressed into AIDS and the devasting impact on families, awoke my curiosity. I met my husband in Botswana and our son was born there, but on August 27, 2004 we relocated to the UK and I had a job at BGS by September 1.

Being a teacher allows me to reflect on the education I had when I was younger, when PHSE didn’t exist as a subject; there was no careers education and relationships education would never have been considered as something that should be addressed in schools. This was a time when we learned by living life, making mistakes and bouncing back stronger; however, we didn’t have the pressures that the Internet has brought. In my first year as a form tutor at BGS, PSHE did have a timetabled lesson, but I’m not too sure if the content of the programme addressed many of the needs of the students at the time. I saw the potential for a different approach.

I was appointed to the post of Personal Development Coordinator in 2014 and two years ago I became Head of Personal Development. From the start, my aim was to create a PHSE curriculum valued by students and teachers, and one that met the needs of young people who are growing up in an increasingly complex world. In September 2020, Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) became compulsory in schools but at BGS we’d been delivering much of the content for many years prior to this. Nonetheless, it was a significant milestone for RSHE to be finally given this recognition. Over the years, more and more quality assured resources have been published which I’ve embedded into our PSHE programme at age and developmentally appropriate times. It’s important to me that the students engage with the content and find it relevant, which is why I enjoy receiving their feedback. Students should know they have a voice which is being heard and every year, using feedback from parents, students and staff, I make improvements to the programme, whether it’s updates on financial education, careers or relationships education.

I think social media has transformed the lives of young people causing them to be affected by many issues, but mental wellbeing, body image and the pressures to do well in school are high on the list of things which have a significant impact on young people today. They feel much greater pressures than when I was their age, and the pressures are coming from a variety of directions. If I think back to my teenage years, life before mobile phones was so much more carefree, with much less anxiety than that experienced by young people today.

Good PHSE is not just about imparting knowledge – it’s about developing personal attributes. I think good PSHE should equip students with the knowledge, understanding and life skills to allow them to make informed decisions and successfully navigate their journey through life. Sometimes we talk about sensitive issues, but hopefully we are allowing the young people to consider and reflect on their developing values, attitudes and skills so that they can make their own decisions in that moment when they need to. We try to use a spiral curriculum, so we don’t just cover a topic and that’s it, we revisit it all the way through school, hoping to break down the barriers associated with some topics and offer students opportunities to have more open and frank conversations as they mature.

Good PSHE should offer a safe space for students to discuss issues or to sit and listen to the conversations in the room. Establishing ground rules is an important part of creating this safe space and of the ten ground rules we have, the key ones focus on distancing techniques, where no one talks about their own personal experiences, listening to others and respect for different opinions. We are very fortunate to be able to use specialist teachers for some sensitive or niche topics and the School Nurses and the School Counsellor also contribute to delivering lessons on puberty, consent, relationships, breast and testicular cancer and wellbeing. We have found the latter to be hugely beneficial with more students having the initiative and confidence to seek support from the School Nurses or Counsellor regarding issues that they are concerned about.

Not only should the PSHE classroom offer a safe space, but it should be an inclusive space. Everyone, irrespective of race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other differences between us, should feel that the content is relevant to them. Everyone should be able to access every lesson wherever they are coming from, whether it’s mental or emotional health related or their developing gender or sexual identity. It’s important that we get the language right, with a non-heteronormative approach, and ensure that ignorance does not cause offence. Finally, whether there’s an issue at school, home or in the community, young people should know where and how to get further help and guidance, so with this is mind, every PSHE lesson is signposted to local and national organisations that offer support.

I love being a teacher. Today good PHSE is more important than ever to help our young people make choices from which they can develop resilience, autonomy and happy, successful lives. The students at BGS make my day. Every day it is a privilege to be with them.