LIFE LESSONS
A new fully funded pilot being undertaken with 30 secondary provisions across Kent & Medway to test a different delivery of PHSE.
Life Lessons is an enhanced trauma-informed PHSE approach to aid a trauma-responsive whole-school culture, building resilience in young people which also supports positive messages around being an active bystander both inside and outside of the school gates.
Schools from all sectors, Grammar, SEN, Faith and mainstream, are included and have shown to be keen to develop and enhance their existing PHSE, with an understanding that robust education in SEMH and contextual issues is valued as a key prevention strategy to risks of harm.
"Evidence based PHSE leads to 20% reduction in violence" (Youth Endowment Fund, 2022)
(latest results published below - July 2024)
Life Lessons is an award-winning video-based platform with full spiral curriculum of lessons for year 7-13 which covers all statutory requirements plus bespoke creation of content which is editable to suit your setting. Teacher CPD is included with live training and bitesize videos to support best practice.
Life Lessons offers relatable age-appropriate materials, lesson plans, additional resources and support to help staff facilitate meaningful discussions and education around relevant and topical issues. A consultant is also available to provide a bespoke element of advice to each school taking into account their existing PHSE landscape and needs.
The premise of the pilot is to ensure schools are confident in the PHSE delivery throughout the next academic year which can then support the transition of pupils from year 6 into their existing formal transition programmes for secondary life, enabling robust inputs at an earlier stage in a CYP’s schooling which also supports the beginnings of the adolescent brain development. The program includes resources on:
Critical thinking to make good decisions
Skills to conduct healthy relationships
Knowledge of how to support personal safety, mental and physical health
Understanding Inclusion and Diversion
For more details, visit www.lifelessons.co.uk
A whole school approach that supports a healthy school culture
Life Lessons works on a “Watch” “Discuss” and “Do” model which allows teachers to facilitate the discussion
Young people are put at the heart of RSHE with learners encouraged to interact with the material and relate it back to their own lives and experiences
The Life Lessons video library models openness to pupils and provides positive role models to reflect the diversity of young people
Sept 2023 - June 2024 results
Life Lessons conducted baseline data surveys with all the schools involved in the project in September 2023. They re-surveyed all schools after each of the progress review calls throughout the year (3 in total) and completed the final baseline data survey in June 2024. This data has shown that many schools involved have experienced improvements in key areas linking to the project aims and intentions. A summary is included below.
- 50% of schools note an improvement in staff seeing the value and importance of RSHE/PSHE.
- 75% of schools note an improvement in how engaged and involved pupils are in RSHE/PSHE lessons
- 83% of schools note an improvement in how confident pupils are at talking about potentially sensitive RSHE topics such as consent, healthy relationships and sexuality.
- 66% of schools note an improvement in how confident their RSHE / PSHE teachers are with teaching RSHE: specifically topics such as consent, healthy relationships and sexuality.
- 50% of schools note an improvement in how respectful pupils are of those that are different from themselves with regards to the protected characteristics.
- 66% of schools note an improvement in how equipped new students feel during their year 6-7 transition, in terms of their emotional resilience, approach to relationships and boundaries, readiness for secondary?
- 58% of schools note an improvement in how likely students are to report a safeguarding concern to an adult in the school.
- 75% of schools note an improvement in how likely students are to be an active bystander, standing up to or reporting something they see if they think it's wrong
