Knowledge, skills and understanding

Developing confidence and responsibility and making the most of their abilities

1) Pupils should be taught:

1. to reflect on and assess their strengths in relation to personality, work and leisure
2. to respect the differences between people as they develop their own sense of identity
3. to recognise how others see them, and be able to give and receive constructive feedback and praise
4. to recognise the stages of emotions associated with loss and change caused by death, divorce, separation and new family members, and how to deal positively with the strength of their feelings in different situations
5. to relate job opportunities to their personal qualifications and skills, and understand how the choices they will make at key stage 4 should be based not only on knowledge of their personal strengths and aptitudes, but also on the changing world of work
6. to plan realistic targets for key stage 4, seeking out information and asking for help with career plans
7. what influences how we spend or save money and how to become competent at managing personal money.

Developing a healthy, safer lifestyle

2) Pupils should be taught:

1. to recognise the physical and emotional changes that take place at puberty and how to manage these changes in a positive way
2. how to keep healthy and what influences health, including the media
3. that good relationships and an appropriate balance between work, leisure and exercise can promote physical and mental health
4. basic facts and laws, including school rules, about alcohol and tobacco, illegal substances and the risks of misusing prescribed drugs
5. in a context of the importance of relationships, about human reproduction, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, HIV and high-risk behaviours including early sexual activity
6. to recognise and manage risk and make safer choices about healthy lifestyles, different environments and travel
7. to recognise when pressure from others threatens their personal safety and well-being, and to develop effective ways of resisting pressures, including knowing when and where to get help
8. basic emergency aid procedures and where to get help and support.

Developing good relationships and respecting the differences between people

3) Pupils should be taught:

1. about the effects of all types of stereotyping, prejudice, bullying, racism and discrimination and how to challenge them assertively
2. how to empathise with people different from themselves
3. about the nature of friendship and how to make and keep friends
4. to recognise some of the cultural norms in society, including the range of lifestyles and relationships
5. the changing nature of, and pressure on, relationships with friends and family, and when and how to seek help
6. about the role and importance of marriage in family relationships
7. about the role and feelings of parents and carers and the value of family life
8. to recognise that goodwill is essential to positive and constructive relationships
9. to negotiate within relationships, recognising that actions have consequences, and when and how to make compromises
10. to resist pressure to do wrong, to recognise when others need help and how to support them
11. to communicate confidently with their peers and adults.

Breadth of study

4) During the key stage, pupils should be taught the Knowledge, skills and understanding through opportunities to:

1. take responsibility [for example, for carrying out tasks and meeting deadlines such as taking assembly, running the school newspaper]
2. feel positive about themselves [for example, by taking part in a public performance]
3. participate [for example, in developing and putting into practice school policies about anti-bullying; in an action research project designed to reduce crime and improve personal safety in their neighbourhood]
4. make real choices and decisions [for example, about options for their future, based on their own research and career portfolios]
5. meet and work with people [for example, people who can give them reliable information about health and safety issues, such as school nurses, community drug awareness workers]
6. develop relationships [for example, by working together in a range of groups and social settings with their peers and others; by being responsible for a mini-enterprise scheme as part of a small group]
7. consider social and moral dilemmas [for example, how the choices they make as consumers affect other people's economies and environments]
8. find information and advice [for example, about the risks of early sexual activity, drug misuse, self-defence for keeping safe]
9. prepare for change [for example, by anticipating problems caused by changing family relationships and friendships, and by preparing for new styles of learning at key stage 4].