PSHE Personal, Social and Health Education

The health and wellbeing of our students are our highest priority and the PSHE programme is central to the pastoral care offered to girls at Godolphin. Expert external speakers who are leaders in their fields regularly come into the school to deliver talks and workshops on important issues, such as mental health and coping with stress; e-safety; relationships and sex; peer pressure and consent; drug, alcohol and tobacco awareness. We also emphasise the importance of personal and online safety. In addition to external experts, many of the PSHE sessions are delivered by Form Tutors: through activities and discussion we help our students develop personal qualities such as self-esteem, a strong sense of their own identity and emotional intelligence.

Relationships and Sex Education is set in the context of respect for individual decisions and beliefs and making informed choices. We place great emphasis on issues of sexual consent and permission which we cover in an age-appropriate way as part of our Relationships and Sex Education modules. External speakers from It Happens, Digital Sisters and the Rap Project provide engaging expert advice and insight for a range of year-groups.
– In the Lower School we specifically discuss what constitutes a positive and healthy relationship; choice and decision-making and how to say ‘no’; stereotypes and peer pressure; what is and what isn’t consent; alcohol and drugs; and sex and the law with specific reference to sexting.
– These themes are recapped in Year 10 with further investigation of the legal definition of sexual consent; sexual abuse and rape; and the verbal and non-verbal cues for non-consent.
– In Year 11 there are scenario discussions about drugs and alcohol awareness; parties and festivals; consent and the law; sexual abuse and harassment.
– In the Sixth Form It Happens join us again to talk about sexual consent within relationships, at parties and festivals, and the talk from Rap Project explores these themes within the context of university life and the workplace.
This is a constantly evolving programme and we listen, and adapt content to incorporate feedback and suggestions from our students; our aim is to ensure that all students have access to the support and information they need.

Each girl is encouraged to take a lively interest in social and current affairs and in the world around them. There is a strong focus on making an active contribution to the community beyond the school gates. Environmental awareness is promoted throughout the school with a ‘green’ approach to travel, waste and consumerism.

Good physical and emotional health and wellbeing are key to our students’ development. The importance of exercise, nutrition and sleep is explored in order to give girls the confidence to make positive choices about their health. The need for balance in the girls’ hectic lives is encouraged through mindfulness and relaxation sessions and by teaching them how their bodies and minds function, so they can look after themselves better during times of stress. This is supported by our annual ‘Spotlight on Wellbeing’ day.

The PSHE programme is reviewed and updated annually so that new issues can be addressed.