Penrice Academy/CLASS: Culture, Life and Society Studies

CLASS: Culture, Life and Society Studies

What is CLASS?

CLASS is a fusion of PSHE and RS-related subjects, the study of which will help prepare our students for a life beyond Penrice. CLASS helps encourage active participation as members of local, national and international communities.

Steps for Success:

  • Challenge your learning
  • Create opportunities to reflect and act on your learning
  • Make real decisions and take responsibility for your decisions
  • Use Initiative to create opportunities where you can question and justify a given subject
  • Create opportunities to develop your subject knowledge

Issues and topics for discussion will pose moral and social dilemmas for you as students and young adults. The topic might be about relationships, illegal substances, healthy lifestyles, self-esteem, the media and will frequently include religious attitudes to these issues.

The use of outside agencies and speakers is a key element of CLASS and will provide input from a specialist.

There is no external exam accreditation but progress is still assessed through pre-set internal projects.

Year 7
  • YZUP – Drugs workshop
  • Personal Shield – Express who I am
  • Commitments – ‘commitment’ in life, learning and faith
  • Puberty – Girls and Boys: what happens during puberty and the changes that will take place in our bodies
  • Three Behaviours – Assertive, Aggressive and Passive
  • Smoking and Alcohol – Risks, Costs the Health Implications
  • Digital awareness – online grooming, E safety and the use of social media
  • Islam – Mosques, Salah and the Five Pillars
Year 8
  • BROOK – Healthy Relationships workshop
  • CLEAR – Healthy relationships; understanding of sexual relationships; the “freedom and capacity to consent”; and the impact of abuse and ways to cope.
  • Buddhism – Key ideas, Gautama, Meditation and Karma
  • 5 Precepts – How the Five Precepts can give guidance
  • Alcohol – Long term effects of alcohol on the body
  • Gender – Know about gender stereotyping and that gender is not binary
  • Sexuality – The different types of sexuality; how stereotypes can be linked and understand how they are unhelpful
  • Mental Health – Causes and symptoms of mental and emotional ill health. Identify strategies for recognising, preventing and addressing these in yourself and others
  • Sexting – What is ‘sexting’ and why should I be bothered about it?
  • Cyber Bullying – Identify which actions cross the line, who to speak to, advice and how using the term ‘gay’ can be offensive
Year 9
  • Human Rights – What should the state provide its citizen as a basic entitlement and what protection should the law provide for us?
  • General Med Ethics – 3 parent babies
  • Dove Project – Media messages, Confront comparisons, Banish Body Talk and Be the Change
  • Philosophy –What is the purpose of life? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why is there evil in the world?
  • BROOK – Sexual Health and Healthy Relationships workshop offered as one session with the focus on widening and developing knowledge
  • CLEAR –  One session CSE workshop (Child Sexual Exploitation)
Year 10
  • BROOK – Healthy behaviour, offered as two sessions; the focus is on how to stay safe and healthy. Session one provides an introduction to contraception and highlights the importance of contraceptive use when deciding to become sexually active. Session two is an introduction to sexually transmitted infections. It aims to raise awareness of the risks of unprotected sex and to develop skills for negotiating condom use.
  • Act Now – Radicalisation and Terrorism
  • Diversity in the UK – Culture, Immigration, Multi-Cultural Britain, Prejudice and Discrimination
  • Eating Disorders – Anorexia, Bulimia and Eating Disorders coping strategies
  • MEDIA – Media Issues, Cinema Controversy, Islam in the Media and Muslim, Extremism in the Media
  • Human Relationships – Sexual relationships and Contraception (Religious views)
Year 11
  • BROOK – Sexual Health Workshop, Healthy Relationships. This session looks at sexual health within a broader context of relationships, attitudes, stereotypes and media. It includes discussion about the qualities that make a healthy relationship and the importance of healthy behaviour.
  • Mental Health – Issues surrounding mental health and illness and raising awareness of a mental illness and how others can help
  • Sikhism – 5Ks; Modern Sikhs and Sikh practices in the media; Sikh beliefs and values; Challenges for a Sikh child of immigrant parents in Britain; and is it ever right to lie to your parents?
  • Islam and the Modern World – Religion Culture and Immigration; UK Muslims; Islam & Expectations; Islam and World Events; ISIS; Divisions within Islam; Jihad & Sharia Law; My Jihad and Post Paris

Links

Resources to download

CLASS Leaflet Helpful Websites