At Thomas Mills High School our Personal Development curriculum is designed to comply with the latest statutory requirements as well as enable young people to develop into kind, knowledgeable and considerate contributors to society. This is done through working towards the goals outlined below:
For further details about Personal Development at Key Stage 3 or 4, or to discuss your child’s progress, please contact the school office.
Disciplinary knowledge (taught):
Foundational knowledge regarding emotional wellbeing and social dynamics as students settle into Thomas Mills High School. Students gain an understanding of personal development concepts, including the importance of goal setting, the nature of emotions, and the impact of positive thinking habits. Furthermore, they acquire knowledge about interpersonal relationships, specifically exploring the role of empathy, the complexities of peer influence, and the differences between healthy and coercive friendships. This module also covers critical awareness of social challenges, such as identifying bullying behaviours and the responsibilities of bystanders in various social contexts.
Skills:
Students develop practical strategies for self- management and social navigation during their transition. Students learn to manage distractions and regulate their emotions effectively to support their wellbeing. In the social sphere, they cultivate skills in building friendships rooted in empathy, while also learning how to identify and address friendship challenges. Additionally, they develop the ability to navigate group dynamics by understanding similarities, differences, and peer influence, and they acquire the assertiveness required to recognise and respond to coercive friendships and bullying scenarios.
Useful Links
Moving Up! The transition to secondary school
Managing your emotions – BBC Bitesize Key Stage 3 Learning for Life and Work
Healthy and Unhealthy Teenage Relationships
Assessments:
Each main topic area is assessed using an online quiz/assessment. This not only provides an opportunity to gain accurate quantitative data to demonstrate progress but also captures pupil voice and informs future teaching.
Disciplinary knowledge (taught):
This term focusses on knowledge regarding family structures, physical health, and interpersonal dynamics. Students learn about the nature of changing relationships and the various roles within a family unit, while also gaining an understanding of significant life events, such as managing change, loss, and the functions of family courts. Furthermore, the curriculum covers puberty-related emotional and physical health, including topics such as menstrual and testicular wellbeing, and introduces critical safety information regarding disclosures and protection from harmful practices like FGM. Finally, students build knowledge on the influences on relationships, distinguishing between healthy and unhealthy dynamics, understanding conflict, the fundamentals of consent, and the impact of media.
Skills:
Here students work on skills including emotional resilience and navigating complex social and health- related scenarios. Students develop the capacity to cope with grief and familial transitions, equipping them with strategies to manage difficult emotions. In terms of personal health, they cultivate skills for maintaining bodily wellbeing and the confidence required to seek help or make disclosures when necessary. Additionally, the curriculum fosters interpersonal skills such as conflict resolution, the application of consent in real-world contexts, and the critical ability to analyse how media influences their perception of relationships. These competencies enable students to navigate their personal growth and social interactions with greater awareness and safety.
Useful Links
5 Crazy Ways Social Media Is Changing Your Brain Right Now
Assessments:
Each main topic area is assessed using an online quiz/assessment. This not only provides an opportunity to gain accurate quantitative data to demonstrate progress but also captures pupil voice and informs future teaching.
Disciplinary knowledge (taught):
The final term of Year 7 PD provides students with essential knowledge regarding personal finance, societal belonging, and the digital landscape. Students gain knowledge on foundational economic concepts, including the mechanics of spending decisions, budgeting, and the impact of inflation. In the area of community and identity, they explore the nature of stereotypes, bias, and discrimination, alongside an understanding of protected characteristics and the importance of values in facilitating constructive disagreement. Furthermore, the curriculum introduces knowledge about the online world, specifically focusing on financial risks associated with digital payments, the role of algorithms in social media and gaming, and the business strategies behind digital influence.
Skills:
This term focuses on equipping students with the tools to make informed decisions in both their financial and social lives. Students develop financial literacy by learning how to budget and evaluate spending choices. They cultivate essential interpersonal skills by learning to navigate diverse community environments, identify biases, and practice constructive disagreement when values differ. Additionally, students develop critical digital awareness, enabling them to recognise financial risks, understand how they interact with algorithms and social media, and critically evaluate the influence exerted upon them in the digital sphere. These competencies foster independence, ethical awareness, and resilience in a complex, tech-integrated society.
Useful Links
Financial literacy 101 – Needs vs Wants
What Are Gender Stereotypes and Roles?
PSHE | Computing | GCSE | Digital Footprint | BBC Teach
Social media algorithms explained | CBC Kids News
Assessments:
Each main topic area is assessed using an online quiz/assessment. This not only provides an opportunity to gain accurate quantitative data to demonstrate progress but also captures pupil voice and informs future teaching.
In Year 8, pupils will have two taught terms of Personal Development and one term of Accelerated Reader (AR). Accelerated Reader is a literacy skills improvement programme that has benefits in all areas of the curriculum and also aims to foster a love of reading and learning through reading.
Disciplinary knowledge (taught):
This term of work provides students with comprehensive knowledge regarding physical health, lifestyle choices, and personal safety. Students learn the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices, maintaining dental health, and the benefits of keeping active, while also understanding the impact of environmental factors like climate change on their personal wellbeing. Furthermore, the curriculum covers vital safety knowledge, including protocols for fireworks, road safety, water safety, and the fundamentals of CPR. It also addresses the risks associated with substance use, providing essential information about drugs, tobacco, nicotine, and alcohol.
Skills:
This term of work focuses on equipping students with the tools to manage their physical health and respond effectively to potential risks. Students develop skills in self-regulation by learning to manage distractions that affect their wellbeing. In terms of safety, they cultivate actionable competencies such as performing CPR and implementing safety strategies for road, water, and fire- related scenarios. Additionally, the curriculum fosters the critical thinking and decision-making skills necessary to evaluate the risks associated with substance use and lifestyle habits, empowering students to make informed, safe, and health-conscious choices as they navigate their environment.
Useful Links
Oral Health Awareness – Cleaning
How playing sports benefits your body… and your brain – Leah Lagos and Jaspal Ricky Singh
How does climate change affect our mental health? – YouTube
Assessments:
Each main topic area is assessed using an online quiz/assessment. This not only provides an opportunity to gain accurate quantitative data to demonstrate progress but also captures pupil voice and informs future teaching.
Disciplinary knowledge (taught):
Students will acquire knowledge regarding relationship dynamics and financial management.
In the area of relationships, students explore the characteristics of healthy connections and the implications of sexualised media. They gain knowledge regarding safer online interactions, the definition and importance of consent, and the serious nature of sexual harassment, harmful sexual behaviour, and the risks associated with sharing nudes. Additionally, the curriculum addresses the societal goal of preventing gender-based violence. Regarding financial knowledge, students learn the practicalities of managing money, including how to open and understand bank accounts, interpret bank statements, the mechanics of bank cards, strategies for saving money, and the nature of debt.
Skills:
This section of the PD curriculum focuses on equipping students with essential competencies for navigating interpersonal and financial challenges. Students develop the ability to foster healthy relationships and employ safety strategies in online environments. They cultivate critical awareness to recognise and actively avoid harmful behaviours, such as sexual harassment or non-consensual sharing of images, while internalising the importance of consent in all interactions. In terms of financial skills, students gain the practical ability to manage personal finances, including opening and monitoring bank accounts, budgeting through saving, and making informed decisions to avoid or manage debt. These skills aim to foster autonomy, ethical decision-making, and long-term financial stability.
Useful Links
Building Healthy Relationships (For Teens)
Harmful Sexual Behaviour: What is Harmful?
SWGfL | Harmful Sexual Behaviour Support
Gender Based Violence Campaign: It’s not a game, boy #IsThisOk
Financial Literacy—Needs and Wants | Learn about needs, wants, and opportunity costs
6 Types of Bank Accounts Explained
Assessments:
Each main topic area is assessed using an online quiz/assessment. This not only provides an opportunity to gain accurate quantitative data to demonstrate progress but also captures pupil voice and informs future teaching.
In Year 9, pupils are taught core RS and Personal Development (PD) on a 50:50 rotational basis, switching subjects every half-term. As such, timings below are approximate and reflect the information covered in PD lessons only.
Disciplinary knowledge (taught):
Year 9 begins with fundamental knowledge concerning mental health and individual wellbeing. Students gain knowledge about the importance of managing emotions, dealing with setbacks, and reducing the impact of distractions. Furthermore, the curriculum introduces students to the concept of healthy coping strategies to support their mental wellbeing. It also explores the nuanced topic of body modification, specifically examining its role in self-expression and the various influences that shape these personal choices.
Skills:
Regarding skills, this section helps students cultivate practical tools to maintain their mental health in daily life. Students develop self-management skills to effectively regulate their emotions and remain focused by successfully managing distractions. They learn resilience by building the capacity to manage and overcome setbacks. Additionally, the curriculum fosters the ability to identify and implement healthy coping mechanisms, and it encourages critical thinking skills to evaluate personal motivations and societal influences related to body modification and self-expression.
Useful Links
‘Mental toughness is the secret to success’ | BBC Ideas
Stay focused & avoid distraction | Kids story | A FOCUS quest | actionable strategies explained
Wellbeing For Children: Resilience
Why do humans love body modification?
Assessments:
Each main topic area is assessed using an online quiz/assessment. This not only provides an opportunity to gain accurate quantitative data to demonstrate progress but also captures pupil voice and informs future teaching.
Disciplinary knowledge (taught):
This curriculum section focuses on critical knowledge regarding drug education and managing legal risks. Students acquire knowledge about the realities of vaping, the legal status and associated risks of substances like alcohol and cannabis, and the importance of examining personal attitudes toward these issues. Furthermore, the curriculum introduces knowledge regarding the dangers of serious and organised crime, the causes and effects of cybercrime, and established safety protocols like “Run, Hide, Tell”.
Skills:
This unit equips students with strategies to navigate high-risk environments and social pressures. Students cultivate the ability to manage external influence, empowering them to make safer, independent choices. In terms of legal and physical safety, they develop actionable skills to identify and respond to the risks of criminal activities, including digital threats and emergency situations requiring the “Run, Hide, Tell” approach. These competencies are designed to foster personal safety, resilience, and awareness of the legal consequences related to substance use and involvement in criminal contexts.
Useful Links
DRUGS…Classifications, Risks & Consequences | EC PSHE
What are the effects of alcohol on the body? 🍺 | Easy Science lesson
Young People and Vaping – YouTube
Assessments:
Each main topic area is assessed using an online quiz/assessment. This not only provides an opportunity to gain accurate quantitative data to demonstrate progress but also captures pupil voice and informs future teaching.
Disciplinary knowledge (taught):
This curriculum section provides essential knowledge regarding intimate sexual relationships and the complexities of navigating online harms. Regarding sexual relationships, students acquire knowledge about the importance of avoiding assumptions, understanding the freedom and capacity required for consent, and defining personal relationship values. Additionally, the curriculum covers health-related topics, including contraception and sexual health, as well as the emotional processes involved in managing the end of relationships. Regarding online safety, students gain awareness of modern risks, specifically addressing the feelings associated with sharing nudes, the technological threats posed by deepfakes, and the specific harms related to misogyny in digital spaces.
Skills:
For skill development, this section focuses on fostering healthy, responsible behaviours and critical digital literacy. Students develop the interpersonal capacity to communicate clearly about consent and respect boundaries within intimate relationships. They cultivate practical skills for managing their sexual health and navigating the emotional challenges of relationship transitions. In the digital sphere, students refine their critical thinking skills to recognise and protect themselves from online harms, such as identifying deepfakes and understanding the negative impacts of misogyny. These competencies are designed to empower students to make informed, safe, and ethical decisions in their personal and online lives.
Useful Links
Relationships and Boundaries – Social Emotional Lesson – Special Education Students
STAY SAFE ONLINE | Don’t share intimate images on the internet – YouTube
Teaching Sexting Awareness | Mimi on a Mission | BBC Teach
What is a deepfake? | How does it work, and what can it be used for? | Newsround
Why AI deepfakes are worrying the UK’s election watchdog
Assessments:
Each main topic area is assessed using an online quiz/assessment. This not only provides an opportunity to gain accurate quantitative data to demonstrate progress but also captures pupil voice and informs future teaching.
Disciplinary knowledge (taught):
This curriculum section provides students with critical knowledge regarding personal independence, health awareness, and the complexities of the digital world. Regarding independence and health, students gain knowledge on essential study skills and the importance of making informed choices for their wellbeing, including the benefits of staying active and managing distractions. Additionally, the curriculum addresses specific health topics, such as blood and organ donation, as well as awareness and self-examination for testicular and breast health. Regarding the online world, students learn about the pervasive role of AI in their lives, its limitations, how it shapes their understanding of the world, and the implications of using chatbots in relationships, alongside the harms of deepfakes and sending nudes.
Skills:
This section focuses on equipping students with the tools to manage their personal growth and navigate digital risks effectively. Students cultivate study skills and the ability to make informed decisions to support their physical and mental health. They also develop proactive health management skills, such as performing self-examinations.
In the digital sphere, students refine their critical thinking skills to evaluate the impact of artificial intelligence, manage their interactions with generative tools, and recognise the significant dangers associated with digital content like deepfakes and the sharing of sensitive images. These competencies empower students to maintain their health and navigate digital challenges with awareness and resilience.
Useful Links
The 9 BEST Scientific Study Tips
Quick facts about organ donation | NHS Organ Donation
Doctor explains HOW TO EXAMINE YOUR OWN TESTICLES
Self-Check For Breast Cancer | #DetectItYourself | Fortis Healthcare
Five things you really need to know about AI – BBC
Assessments:
Each main topic area is assessed using an online quiz/assessment. This not only provides an opportunity to gain accurate quantitative data to demonstrate progress but also captures pupil voice and informs future teaching.
Disciplinary knowledge (taught):
This part of the PD curriculum provides critical knowledge regarding social dynamics, extremism, and the nature of influence. Regarding friendship and diversity, students acquire knowledge about recognising and challenging bullying, identifying unhealthy attitudes toward bullying, and the importance of valuing diversity. Additionally, they gain understanding of extremism, including how to prevent it and how individuals may be drawn into such groups. Regarding the theme of managing influence, students learn about financial aspects, assessing trustworthiness, understanding and challenging misogynistic narratives, and the risks associated with gambling.
Skills:
This section helps develop skills that focus on equipping students with the tools to navigate social pressures and make informed, ethical choices. Students develop the capacity to actively recognise and challenge bullying behaviours and champion diversity within their communities. They cultivate critical thinking skills to evaluate sources of information, question trust, and resist harmful narratives, such as misogyny. Furthermore, students build resilience against negative influences by developing the ability to critically assess financial decisions and identify the risks related to gambling. These competencies aim to foster responsible, safe, and socially aware behaviour in diverse and potentially challenging contexts.
Useful Links
Will Learns About The Issue Of Diversity In The Workplace In The UK | will.i.am: The Blackprint
Ariana’s story: Being a bully | BBC Teach
The young man who was radicalised until Prevent prised him away from the far-right extremists
One Thing Every Man Can Do to Help End Misogyny
Assessments:
Each main topic area is assessed using an online quiz/assessment. This not only provides an opportunity to gain accurate quantitative data to demonstrate progress but also captures pupil voice and informs future teaching.
Disciplinary knowledge (taught):
This curriculum section provides students with critical knowledge focused on navigating consent, recognising abuse, and maintaining safe relationships. Regarding consent and abuse, students acquire knowledge about intimacy and pleasure, the impact of pornography, and the dynamics of pressure, persuasion, and coercion. Furthermore, they gain vital awareness concerning serious abuses such as FGM and forced marriage, alongside the procedures for reporting relationship abuse.
Concerning safe relationships and sexual health, students learn to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy relationships, understand power and control dynamics, navigate relationship behaviours, and gain knowledge about sex, contraception choices, and overall sexual health.
Skills:
Regarding the development of practical skills, this part of the curriculum focuses on equipping students with the tools to establish healthy interpersonal standards. Students develop the capacity to set personal boundaries, recognise signs of abuse, and effectively access help when needed. They cultivate critical thinking to evaluate the influences of pornography and media on their perceptions of intimacy. Additionally, students foster the assertiveness required to manage power dynamics in their relationships and the practical competency to make informed decisions regarding their sexual health and contraception. These skills aim to empower students to build respectful, safe, and autonomous relationships throughout their lives.
Useful Links
Rise Above Let’s talk Consent In Relationships
PSHE | Citizenship | Computing | GCSE | Sensitive Pictures | BBC Teach
Methods of Contraception Made Easy (Contraceptive Methods Explained)
Female Genital Mutilation: Student Explainer [FGM + RSHE] – YouTube
Assessments:
Each main topic area is assessed using an online quiz/assessment. This not only provides an opportunity to gain accurate quantitative data to demonstrate progress but also captures pupil voice and informs future teaching.
In Year 11, pupils are taught core RS and Personal Development (PD) on a 50:50 rotational basis, switching subjects every half-term. As such, timings below are approximate and reflect the information covered in PD lessons only.
Disciplinary knowledge (taught):
This first section of the PD curriculum focuses on the foundational knowledge required for maintaining mental health and wellbeing throughout one’s life. Students gain knowledge about the importance of mental health as a lifelong journey, recognising factors that influence it. The curriculum covers techniques for managing daily challenges, such as dealing with distractions, addressing stress and tension, and managing the profound impacts of loss and grief. Furthermore, students acquire knowledge about cognitive processes, specifically how to identify and change thinking habits, and understand the critical biological importance of sleep for maintaining overall wellbeing.
Skills:
Regarding skills, this section aims to equip students with actionable strategies for self-regulation and emotional resilience. Students develop the capacity to manage their focus by effectively handling distractions. They cultivate essential skills for emotional navigation, including techniques to alleviate stress and tension, and practical approaches for coping with the challenges of loss and grief. Additionally, the curriculum fosters the ability to practice self-reflection to change unhelpful thinking habits and encourages the development of healthy routines that prioritise the importance of sleep to sustain long-term physical and mental health.
Useful Links
Top 10 tips to maintain your mental health
Five ways to stop getting distracted | BBC Ideas
How to Deal With Loss or Grief of Love Ones
Why is sleep important? – Wellbeing video
How to deal with unhelpful thoughts | NHS
Assessments:
Each main topic area is assessed using an online quiz/assessment. This not only provides an opportunity to gain accurate quantitative data to demonstrate progress but also captures pupil voice and informs future teaching.
Disciplinary knowledge (taught):
This topic provides students with essential knowledge regarding drugs, personal safety, and the risks associated with gang involvement. Regarding personal safety, students acquire knowledge on how to assess risks, manage negative influences, and the critical importance of knowing how to seek help and support. The curriculum also covers the complex realities of gang culture, including how involvement might begin, the inherent risks and severe consequences, and the challenging processes involved in getting out. Furthermore, it introduces students to the concept of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), emphasising the importance of looking out for one another within the community.
Skills:
This area focuses on empowering students to make safe, informed decisions in high-stakes environments. Students develop the capacity to critically assess risk in diverse social settings and build the assertiveness required to manage negative influences. They cultivate essential interpersonal skills for seeking help when faced with danger and learn actionable strategies to recognise and avoid gang-related threats. Additionally, the curriculum fosters a sense of collective responsibility, equipping students with the skills to look out for each other and actively contribute to preventing violence against women and girls.
Useful Links
Nicole’s story: the child victims of UK drug gangs – BBC News
Children forced into drug gang crime in Scotland
Exploring county lines drug trafficking in the UK through three young Londoners’ experiences
Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)
Assessments:
Each main topic area is assessed using an online quiz/assessment. This not only provides an opportunity to gain accurate quantitative data to demonstrate progress but also captures pupil voice and informs future teaching.
Disciplinary knowledge (taught):
This section of the curriculum provides students with critical knowledge regarding family structures, reproductive health, and online financial safety. Regarding families, fertility, and pregnancy, students acquire knowledge about the significance of long-term commitment and the legal status of marriage, alongside the responsibilities inherent in parenting. The curriculum also covers biological and decision-based aspects of fertility, pregnancy outcomes, and the range of pregnancy choices available. Concerning online financial harms, students gain knowledge about the risks associated with attempts to make money online, the nature of betting, the serious dangers of financial exploitation, and the implications of money laundering.
Skills:
Regarding the development of practical skills, this area focuses on equipping students with the tools to make informed decisions about their future and protect themselves from digital financial threats. Students cultivate the ability to critically assess the implications of long-term commitments and understand the responsibilities of family life. They develop the capacity to navigate sensitive health decisions regarding fertility and pregnancy with awareness and autonomy. Additionally, students foster essential digital literacy skills to recognise and avoid financial exploitation, identify the risks of online betting, and understand the illegal nature of activities like money laundering, thereby empowering them to safeguard their financial wellbeing online.
Useful Links
Sex, STIs, contraception and more – Sexual Health Q&A | NHS
What is marriage and civil partnership discrimination? | Equality law: discrimination explained
I Was Addicted To Gambling At 16 Years Old | The Other Side | Channel 4 Documentaries – YouTube
The debt spiral | Maths – Made of Money – YouTube
Assessments:
Each main topic area is assessed using an online quiz/assessment. This not only provides an opportunity to gain accurate quantitative data to demonstrate progress but also captures pupil voice and informs future teaching.
Building confidence, developing life skills, exploring wellbeing, or understanding how to make informed and responsible choices?
Any pathway – skills gained support personal growth, resilience, communication, and decision-making for future education and employment.
Mr M D Wheeler
