Citizenship & PSHE

Aims and philosophy

The aim of the PSHE and Citizenship programme at St Bonaventure’s is to enable and encourage our all of our students to acquire the skills, understanding and key knowledge they need to thrive as individuals in all aspects of their life and to become active and responsible citizens who contribute to our society. At the centre of all that we do as a faith community, is the understanding that each human person is made in the image and likeness of God. Our curriculum therefore, underpins the Catholic ethos and Mission of the School and is a catalyst for the School’s principle role of teaching our students to grow and flourish as responsible Catholics in our society.

PSHE and Citizenship is embedded across the curriculum in all subjects studied at St Bonaventure’s and is also an integral part of a wide range of activities which are carried out on a day-to-day basis.

Citizenship is delivered throughout the curriculum by all subjects, Form time and in assemblies. Subjects deliver different aspects of the National Curriculum for Citizenship.

The curriculum:

  • Enables us to build on what we are already doing in school in a flexible and innovative way.
  • Is relevant to pupils, connecting with their interests and experiences.
  • Encourages pupils to investigate and think critically about issues of current interest, using problem solving, and reasoning and evaluation skills.
  • Relates to pupils abilities and backgrounds.
  • Provides pupils with opportunities to discuss and address real life issues and to see that they can participate in activities that make a difference in their schools and the wider community.
  • Is complemented by the PSHE curriculum as well as ALL other curriculum areas.
  • Provides opportunities for all pupils to learn and achieve.
  • Promotes pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepares them for opportunities, responsibility and experiences of life.

To complement their learning in subject areas, there will also be workshops for year groups, covering the following topics:

Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4

In addition to the embedded curriculum, specific PSHE and Citizenship lessons are taught in themes across the three terms of the School’s academic year in addition to enrichment and skills days, numerous outside speakers, extended assemblies and drop down days where students are taken off timetable in order to focus on a particular aspect of the curriculum. For one day per term, our students are taken off their usual timetable to attend sessions on carefully selected topics which are delivered by a combination of external agencies and our own teaching staff.

The topics we aim to cover are as follows:

Autumn Term

Health and Wellbeing

  •  Transition from Primary to Secondary and Managing Change
  •  Mental Health – Individuality
  •  Mental Health – Exam/Work Pressure
  •  Being Healthy – Diet, sleep, personal hygiene and fitness
  •  Travelling Safely – Getting around London safely
  •  General Road Safety
  •  Street Crime – Strategies to avoid street crime in London
  •  Nicotine and Tobacco – Key facts and effects on health
  •  Alcohol – Key facts and effects on health and social impacts
  •  Illegal and Legal Substances – Key facts and effects on health and social impacts
  •  E-Safety – New technologies and potential risks
  •  First Aid Training – Basic first aid skills

Spring Term

Law and Politics

  •  UK Democracy
  •  Justice System
  •  UK Liberties
  •  Crime and the Law
  •  Human Rights
  •  International Law
  •  International Governance
  •  E-Safety Laws

Vocation and Enterprise

  •  Careers
  •  Academic Options
  •  Study Skills
  •  Work Experience
  •  Enterprise

Summer Term

Equality and Discrimination

  •  Nationalities at St Bonaventure’s and the wider community
  •  Diversity
  •  Bullying

Finance and Economics

  •  Uses of Money – Personal spending
  •  Budgeting – Avoiding debt
  •  Financial Products and Services
  •  Moral and Social Effects of Spending Choices
  •  Gambling – Risks and social impacts
  •  Public Spending

Key Stage 5

When our pupils reach the Sixth Form, they attend a variety of talks and workshops across the year delivered by external agencies in preparation for the wider world. Some of the sessions that they will attend include:

  •  Nicotine and Tobacco – Key facts and effects on health
  •  Alcohol – Key facts and effects on health and social impacts
  •  Illegal and Legal Substances – Key facts and effects on health and social impacts
  •  Crime and the Law
  •  E-Safety
  •  Study Skills – Key strategies for high achievement and managing exam pressures
  •  Personal Finance – Budgeting and money management for life after 6th Form
  •  Careers
  •  UCAS and Higher Education