PSHE: Relationships in the Spotlight

PSHE, the subject that helps children and young people stay healthy, safe and prepared for life, was in the spotlight right across Harrodian during the middle week of January.

Last week was a busy one for Harrodian’s PSHE team. Right across our Prep and Senior Schools, year groups were busy taking part in constructive talks and learning sessions focused on the relationships and sex education elements in this wide-ranging life learning programme.  Some of them were directed by our trusted regular visiting speakers and consultants; others were led by the PSHE experts on Harrodian’s own staff. 

In the Prep School, visiting relationships specialists Amy Forbes-Robertson and Louise Squire from It Happens, delivered sessions to pupils in ours 9s, 10s and 11s (Years 5 -7). These talks covered topics that come up in the Prep on a regular basis such as bodily changes, healthy and unhealthy relationships, inclusivity, consent, and puberty. Smaller Q&A groups were arranged to provide a safe and open environment for pupils, and an additional after-school session was held for parents. 

In the Senior School, Mr. Andy Woodward and Ms. Bryn McNaught, respectively Head and Deputy Head of the Senior School, were at the heart of the week’s action. The 13s (year 9) discussed the subject of sex and the law and filled out a survey during form time before taking part in smaller, single sex discussion groups. In his session, Mr Woodward addressed boys’ concerns about stereotypes, expectations, peer pressures, and healthy relationships. Discussions also included consent and the dangers of learning about sex online. Meanwhile, Ms. McNaught’s girls’ sessions were tackling body image, social media, navigating relationships, and how to support your peers.  

Our 14s pupils (Year 10) joined a forum led by Amy Forbes-Robertson on navigating relationships, identifying so-called ‘red and green flags’, and making informed choices on that basis. And Lower Sixth students joined a talk by Everyone’s Invited that addressed sexual violence and well-being. 

The breadth and scope of the week’s relationships-focused discussions and talks, reflect Harrodian’s ambition to create a structured, all-year-round PSHE journey for Harrodian children that spans their whole career from Pre-Prep to Sixth Form. Mr. Guy Holder, who was appointed Head of PSHE in September 2023 believes achieving that ambition needs commitment and collaboration from everyone involved. ‘Having dedicated PSHE Co-ordinators and Form Tutors as well as external specialists as we do, makes a huge difference,’ he argues. ‘Many staff, double as PSHE coordinators and deliver sessions, as Mr Woodward and Ms McNaught did this week.’ 

Mr Woodward has been a major contributor to PSHE at Harrodian for many years.  He continues to manage and oversee the Senior School programme, also providing valuable resources for parents through his Pastorally Speaking blog, which includes two articles on sex education that you can read HERE and HERE

The support of parents and the wider Harrodian community is also vital to our plans. Parents regularly contribute via surveys and attend after-school sessions that complement what pupils are learning. PSHE is also a topic of discussion at parent briefings, where input and questions are welcomed. 

So how is Harrodian doing on the PSHE front? Increasingly vital though it is in our digitally-driven world, this is, of course, not a subject that’s measured in exam success. But if the opinions of experts in the field are anything to go by, the school is making steady progress: ‘We are always thrilled to return to Harrodian, says Amy Forbes Robertson of It Happens. ‘It’s exciting to see how the PSHE programme is continuing to grow and respond to the changing needs of the school community.’