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6 December 2023
Northampton High School was delighted to host their inaugural annual PSHE day for their Senior School pupils last month. Taking place on Friday 24th November, pupils from Year 7 upwards were excused from their normal timetables to attend valuable, expert-led sessions, exploring topics that aren’t always covered in other areas of the curriculum.
Staff at the Hardingstone-based school believe that creating a safe space for learning and discussion is vital for the holistic development of their students. Miss Rebecca Kneen, Deputy Head Pastoral, explains “PSHE offers [pupils] the chance to experiment with concepts and allow themselves the thinking time to consider their own thoughts and feelings towards them without pressuring them to reach a solid conclusion.” She highlights the potential harm and unknown validity of various online sources where students may receive information, hence reinforcing the need for safe and non-judgemental Personal, Social, Heath and Economic education in schools.
Over the course of their PSHE day, Northampton High School welcomed a number of professionals from varied backgrounds to share their expertise with students. Their guests delivered speeches and bespoke workshops on mental health, social media, finance and careers – to name just a few of the important topics discussed. Lucienne Shakir delivered a session on busting the confidence myth, where she spoke about how girls evaluate their successes and explored techniques on how they can appreciate their efforts. Karen Kiruma, GDST’s Careers Coordinator, hosted a talk about career choices, whilst parent speakers, with expert knowledge, held fabulous sessions on a range of topics.
Mental health was a key theme throughout the day, with multiple sessions centred around teaching pupils the key tools for maintaining a positive mind. The Northamptonshire school boasts an outstanding wellbeing provision and were delighted to welcome Satveer Nijjar to speak to pupils about recognising the signs of depression and ways of working through it. Dr Praveen and Catherine West explored ways to improve mental health through breathing techniques and invited staff and students to practise these methods during their workshop.
Louise Pentland, vlogger, columnist and writer, also visited the school on this dedicated day to deliver a session on how pupils can use social media safely. The Northampton-based influencer is an alumna of the school and staff were delighted to welcome her back for the occasion. Deana Puccio Ferraro followed, with a talk on navigating social media, the dangers of pornography and the aftermath of Everyone’s Invited.
Mr Romain Pietropaoli, Northampton High’s PSHE Coordinator, was pleased to see this important subject featured in a dedicated day of learning. Emphasising the importance of PSHE, he commented “The PSHE curriculum plays a vital role in the holistic development of children and teenagers. It goes beyond traditional academic subjects to address the crucial life skills, values and knowledge of which our students need to thrive in today’s complex world.[…] Research has consistently shown that a robust PSHE program can have a profound impact on the well-being and future success of our students.”
With pupils at the heart of the school, he proudly shares how PSHE lessons at Northampton High School prepare girls for the wider world and their future. He also takes time to praise and thank the professionals who made the day a success, and expresses enthusiasm on behalf of the school for next year’s event.
