The Power of PSHE with Nicole Campbell | In This Together Ep 9

Senior PSHE Subject Lead Nicole Campbell joins Becky Dawson and Laiba Sheikh on In This Together to discuss "How can we make PSHE matter?" Nicole emphasizes a whole-school approach, student agency, and open communication for effective PSHE/RSE delivery. The episode addresses challenges like age-appropriate topics, sensitive subjects (consent, FGM), and the necessity of confident, supported teachers who value honesty and parent consultation. Nicole highlights the need to acknowledge external learning via technology for PSHE to have a transformational impact.

Takeaways

• Parental involvement and shared responsibility are vital for RSE/PSHE, requiring informed consultation.
• Teaching consent must begin much earlier (nursery age) for effective prevention.
• Balancing age-appropriateness is challenging; sensitive topics (like FGM) need careful pitching, while others (like pornography's dangers) demand early intervention due to accessibility.
• Specialist PSHE/RSE teachers with passion and knowledge are crucial for better student outcomes.
• A whole-school approach is necessary; PSHE must be prioritized and embedded interdisciplinary, not an "add-on."
• Teachers uncomfortable with a topic should communicate this or, if they must teach it, be honest and adopt a learner seat approach with students.

Sharing is Caring

Nicole recommends embracing child-led social media campaigns and collaborative group projects as a teaching method. This gives young people agency and voice while reducing the pressure on teachers to lecture, especially on sensitive topics.

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Chapters

00:00 - Introduction - Nicole Campbell, PSHE Subject Lead

00:49 - Age Restrictions - Discussing age restrictions on teaching RSE/PSHE topics and the role of parents.

01:04 - Parent Communication - The need to work with parents and listen to their concerns.

02:30 - Student Agency - Understanding where young people are at and giving them more agency over their learning.

03:02 - Foundation of Knowledge - Why we need to understand students' existing knowledge in PSHE.

04:10 - Trauma-Informed Delivery - The importance of teaching PSHE in a trauma-informed way.

04:47 - Teaching Consent - Arguing that consent should be taught from a much earlier age.

06:51 - Prevention vs. Cure - Is there more harm in teaching things later than earlier?.

09:28 - Relevance Challenge - Adapting the curriculum and tackling relevance when teaching life lessons.

11:23 - The Specialist Teacher - The importance and impact of having specialist PSHE/RSE teachers.

13:18 - Interdisciplinary Approach - Embedding PSHE throughout the whole school curriculum.

15:02 - Team Teaching - School and parents working together as a team to teach PSHE.

17:13 - Personal Motivation - What motivates Nicole to teach PSHE and RSE.

18:33 - Student-Led Curriculum - Making education more pupil-led and relevant to life.

23:22 - Teacher Confidence - Advice for non-specialist teachers who feel uncomfortable or lack confidence in delivering PSHE.

23:51 - The Learner Seat - Putting yourself in the learner seat and valuing honesty with students.

26:47 - Primary vs. Secondary Impact - Comparing the time constraints and impact of teaching PSHE in primary versus secondary school.

29:25 - Sharing is Caring - Recommending student-led social media campaigns.