Building Healthy Lives

At The Bulmershe School, we believe that personal development is a fundamental part of a child's journey through education. Our mission is to create local, national and global citizens who possess the character and resilience to thrive. This term, our Personal Development (PD) curriculum, delivered during dedicated tutor time, focusses on the vital theme of Health and Wellbeing.

Our Ethos and Personal Development

Our curriculum is built on our core values: Respect, Resilience, Responsibility and Safety. By integrating Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) into our PD sessions, we provide students with age-appropriate, evidence-based information. This ensures they can make safe and healthy choices as they navigate the challenges of growing up.

Building Healthy Lives: Termly Focus by Year Group

Each year group explores a theme tailored to their developmental stage and the specific pressures they may face:

Year 7: Foundations of Health & Wellbeing

Theme: Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds The transition to secondary school is a significant milestone. To support this, Year 7 are focusing on the intrinsic link between physical health and mental wellbeing.

• Routines & Sleep: Understanding the science of sleep and how "sleep hygiene" affects concentration and mood.
• Diet & Exercise: Moving beyond "good vs. bad" foods to understanding balanced nutrition and the benefits of an active lifestyle.
• Mental Wellbeing: Introducing the concept that mental health, like physical health, is something we all have and must take care of.

RSHE Focus: Students are learning "the importance of sufficient good quality sleep" and "the characteristics and evidence-based scientific benefits of a physically active lifestyle."

Year 8: Making Informed Choices

Theme: Drugs, Alcohol, and Decision Making As students mature, they may face more complex social situations. Our focus is on equipping them with the facts to navigate these pressures confidently.

• The Facts: We cover the laws, physical effects, and risks associated with alcohol and drug use.
• The Risks: Honest discussions about the impact of substance misuse on physical health, mental health, and future aspirations.
• Decision Making: Empowering students to say "no" and manage situations where they might feel pressured.

RSHE Focus: Students will be taught "the facts about legal and illegal drugs and their associated risks" and "the law relating to the supply and possession of illegal substances."

Year 9: Emotional Resilience & Mental Health

Theme: Coping with Change and Loss Year 9 is often a year of emotional and social growth. We are deepening their understanding of mental health conditions and how to navigate life's inevitable challenges.

• Understanding Conditions: reducing the stigma around common mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.
• Loss & Bereavement: Age-appropriate discussions on grief and coping with the loss of a loved one or a pet.
• Navigating Change: Strategies for handling "big life events," such as family changes or moving house, and where to seek support (e.g., school counsellors, external helplines).

RSHE Focus: The curriculum covers "how to recognise early signs of mental wellbeing concerns" and "common types of mental ill health."

Year 10: Safety & Influence

Theme: Personal Safety and Managing Peers With increased independence comes a need for increased vigilance. Year 10 are looking at how to keep themselves safe in the wider world and online.

• Peer Influence: Distinguishing between positive support and negative peer pressure. How to recognize manipulation or coercion in friendships and relationships.
• Personal Safety: Practical advice on staying safe in the community and assessing risk in social settings.
• Assertiveness: Developing the communication skills to set boundaries and de-escalate conflict.

RSHE Focus: We cover "how to manage peer influence" and ensuring students understand "how to judge when they or someone else needs support."

Year 11: Future Health & Prevention

Theme: Health Promotion and Early Detection As our oldest students prepare for adulthood, we focus on proactive health management and taking responsibility for their own bodies.

• Non-Communicable Diseases: Understanding lifestyle diseases (such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes) and how current choices impact long-term health.
• Self-Examination: In line with cancer awareness guidance, we discuss the importance of checking one's own body (e.g., testicular and breast self-exams) and recognising what is "normal" for them.
• Screening & Prevention: The importance of immunisations and attending health screenings.

RSHE Focus: Students will learn about "health and prevention," including "self-examination" and the "importance of sufficient good quality sleep for exam performance."

How to Support Your Child at Home

Personal development doesn't stop at the school gates. We know that the most impactful learning often happens when school and home work together. While these topics can sometimes feel awkward to broach, having open, honest conversations is the best way to support your child's growth.

Resources for Families

If a topic raised in school sparks a question at home, here are some UK-based organisations that offer excellent, non-judgemental advice:

• Mental Health: YoungMinds and Kooth
• Drugs and Alcohol: Talk to FRANK  and Drinkaware.
• Bereavement: Winston’s Wish
• Physical Health: CoppaFeel! and Movember’s "Know Thy Nuts" guide for self-examination.

By staying informed and engaged with our Personal Development programme, we can work together to ensure every Bulmershe student is ready for a healthy and successful future.