What is PHSE?

PHSE – Personal Social & Health Education – has taken many forms and gone under several different names over the last 30 or so years in our schools.

At various points over that time, it has been pushed to the fore of the curriculum. However, at times it has also been left for schools to ‘fit in somewhere’ – almost as an afterthought – onto the curriculum.

However, one thing has remained constant: its genuine importance.

Of course, exams and results matter. But they don’t guarantee your personal, social, emotional, and economic wellbeing – or your happiness.

Life is a little bit more complicated than that!

And that’s why PHSE is, was, and always will be a really important part of the school curriculum.

PHSE might not be a compulsory exam subject, but you could argue that there is nothing more vital than supporting a young person’s personal, social, and emotional wellbeing.

At the end of the day, is there anything more important than happiness and good health?

Exactly. That’s why PHSE really matters.

Why PHSE is important

Although the fact can get lost sometimes under the relentless focus on exams, exams, and more exams, there has always been much more to schools than just results.

Schools play a crucial role in young people’s personal, social, and emotional development. Not only that, but schools can also support children’s mental health. To find out more about supporting kids’ mental health in schools, check out our blog post on the matter.

Emotional well-being and self-esteem should not be underestimated, not just during your school days but also in later life.

A carefully planned PHSE curriculum delivered well in schools can go a long way in breaking down a young person’s self-limiting beliefs and perceptions. Such a mindset can seriously stifle aspirations and make it much harder to achieve.

Happiness is the key

Happiness in life trumps everything else.

When you are happy, it is much easier to cope with the challenges of GCSEs. When you are happy, you are best placed to thrive in your chosen career. You are also far more likely to be able to build and maintain friendships and relationships.

What brings you happiness is a complex question, and a lot will depend on the individual. However, a common denominator is confidence.

Having confidence in yourself and who you are and the confidence to cope with anything that life throws at you will go a long way in bringing you happiness.

And that’s another reason why PHSE is so important.

No other element of the curriculum has such a focus on the developing ‘the whole person’.

No other subject has the potential to future proof a young person for later life.

Nothing else at school can help young people to develop the resilience, confidence, and emotional intelligence needed to lead a happy and successful life.

The Talk is a new video learning platform aimed at providing teachers with all the information, tools and resources needed to deliver an engaging and modern PHSE syllabus.

The Talk’s vision is to revolutionise the way PHSE education is delivered in schools. The platform is designed to teach young people essential skills for life through dynamic content.