💚 Year 7 PSHE

Mental Health & Wellbeing

What Is Mental Health?

• Mental health = your emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing — how you feel, think, and cope with daily life
• Everyone has mental health, just as everyone has physical health — it exists on a spectrum and can change over time
• Good mental health: feeling positive, managing emotions, maintaining relationships, coping with challenges
• Poor mental health: not a weakness; can affect anyone; professional help is available and effective

The Five Ways to Wellbeing

• Connect: build and maintain relationships with family, friends, and colleagues
• Be active: regular physical activity boosts mood and reduces anxiety; even a short walk helps
• Take notice: be aware of the present moment (mindfulness); appreciate what you have
• Learn: try something new; developing skills builds confidence and sense of purpose
• Give: helping others improves your own wellbeing; volunteering, small acts of kindness

Common Mental Health Issues

• Anxiety: excessive worry and fear; normal in small doses (protects us from danger) but can become overwhelming. Physical symptoms: racing heart, shortness of breath, nausea.
• Depression: persistent low mood, lack of energy, loss of interest in things usually enjoyed. More than just "feeling sad."
• Stress: the feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with demands. Short-term stress is normal; long-term stress can harm health.
• Approximately 1 in 6 young people will experience a mental health problem at some point

Getting Help

• Talk to a trusted adult — a parent, carer, teacher, or school counsellor
• Your GP can refer you to specialist support
• Helplines: Childline (0800 1111, free, 24/7); Samaritans (116 123)
• Young Minds website has resources specifically for young people
• Seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness

Physical Health

Healthy Lifestyle Choices

• Balanced diet: following the Eatwell Guide; limiting sugar, salt, and saturated fat
• Regular exercise: at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity every day for young people
• Sleep: teenagers need 8–10 hours per night. Poor sleep affects mood, concentration, and immune system. Regular sleep/wake times help regulate your body clock.
• Hydration: drink 6–8 glasses of water per day; mild dehydration causes headaches and poor concentration
• Oral hygiene: brush teeth twice a day for 2 minutes; regular dental check-ups prevent tooth decay and gum disease
• Screen time: excessive screen time, especially before bed, can disrupt sleep and reduce physical activity

Substance Misuse

• Drugs, alcohol, and tobacco all carry serious health risks, especially for young people whose brains and bodies are still developing
• Tobacco: smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease, stroke; highly addictive (nicotine). There is no safe level of smoking.
• Alcohol: a depressant that affects judgement, coordination, and decision-making. Alcohol is harmful to the developing brain. Legal limit for buying alcohol in the UK is 18.
• Cannabis: can cause anxiety, paranoia, and memory problems. Regular use in adolescence is linked to increased risk of psychosis and mental health disorders.
• Peer pressure: feeling pressured to try substances. Strategies to resist: be clear about your reasons, suggest an alternative, leave the situation, have a code word with parents/carers.

Puberty & Body Changes

What Is Puberty?

• Puberty is the process of physical and emotional change that leads to sexual maturity
• Triggered by hormones (oestrogen and progesterone in females; testosterone in males)
• Typically begins: girls 8–13 years; boys 9–14 years. The timing is normal and individual.
• It is normal to develop earlier or later than peers — everyone is different

Physical Changes

• Changes experienced by all: growth spurt, body hair, underarm and pubic hair, skin changes (spots/acne), body odour (importance of regular washing and deodorant)
• Changes in females: breast development, widening hips, start of menstrual cycle (periods). Periods are a normal part of puberty — occur roughly every 28 days.
• Changes in males: voice breaks (deepens), penis and testicles grow, muscle development, erections and ejaculation, nocturnal emissions ("wet dreams")

Emotional Changes

• Hormones cause heightened emotions: mood swings, intense feelings, self-consciousness
• Growing sense of identity: questioning who you are, your values, your interests
• Changing relationships: peer relationships become increasingly important; may begin to have romantic feelings
• These changes are completely normal — talk to a trusted adult if you are worried about anything

Healthy Relationships

What Makes a Healthy Relationship?

• Respect: valuing each other's opinions, choices, and boundaries
• Trust: feeling safe and secure; being honest with each other
• Equality: neither person controlling or dominating the other
• Communication: talking openly about feelings, needs, and concerns
• Support: being there for each other in good times and bad
• Space and independence: maintaining friendships and interests outside the relationship

Signs of an Unhealthy Relationship

• Jealousy or possessiveness — checking your phone, controlling who you see
• Pressure or coercion — being pushed to do things you do not want to do
• Put-downs, criticism, or humiliation — especially in front of others
• Isolation — being cut off from friends and family
• Any form of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse

Consent

• Consent means freely and actively agreeing to something
• For consent to be valid, it must be: freely given (not pressured), reversible (you can change your mind), informed (you know what you are agreeing to), enthusiastic, and specific
• Consent can be withdrawn at any time
• Silence or not saying no does NOT mean yes
• No one is ever "to blame" for being a victim of abuse

Friendship

• Healthy friendships are built on mutual respect, trust, and enjoyment of each other's company
• It is normal to have different groups of friends, and for friendships to change over time
• Being a good friend: listen without judging, be reliable, celebrate successes, be honest but kind
• Falling out with friends: try to address issues directly and calmly; if you are upset, wait until you have calmed down before talking

Bullying & Online Safety

What Is Bullying?

• Bullying is repeated, intentional behaviour that causes hurt or distress to another person
• Types: physical (hitting, pushing), verbal (name-calling, threats), social/relational (excluding, spreading rumours), cyberbullying
• An argument or a one-off incident is not bullying — it becomes bullying when it is repeated and deliberate
• Bullying is never the victim's fault

Cyberbullying

• Bullying using technology: social media, messages, gaming, email
• Can feel unavoidable (follows you home); has a wide potential audience; evidence can be permanent
• If you experience cyberbullying: screenshot and save evidence; block the person; tell a trusted adult; report to the platform

If You Are Being Bullied

• Tell a trusted adult: a teacher, parent/carer, or school counsellor
• Your school has a legal duty to address bullying; you have the right to be safe
• Do not retaliate — this can escalate the situation
• Talk to a friend for support
• Keep a record of what happened (dates, times, what was said or done)

Online Safety

• Never share personal information (full name, address, school, phone number) with strangers online
• Privacy settings: review who can see your posts and personal information on social media
• If you receive unwanted or inappropriate contact online, tell a trusted adult immediately
• CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection): you can report online abuse to CEOP at ceop.police.uk
• Think before you post: once something is online, you may not be able to delete it
• Age ratings exist on social media (usually 13+) and games for good reasons — respect them

Citizenship & Rights

Rights and Responsibilities

• A right is something you are entitled to simply because you are a human being
• The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) sets out children's rights: to education, to be protected from harm, to a name and nationality, to freedom of expression
• Rights come with responsibilities: your rights end where another person's rights begin
• The Human Rights Act (1998) incorporates the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law

British Values

• Democracy: the right of citizens to vote and have a say in how they are governed. The UK is a parliamentary democracy.
• Rule of law: everyone, including those in power, must follow the law. Laws protect rights and maintain order.
• Individual liberty: freedom to make your own choices within the law
• Mutual respect: treating others with dignity, even when you disagree
• Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs: respecting those with different religions, cultures, and backgrounds

How Democracy Works in the UK

• Parliament is made up of the House of Commons (elected MPs) and the House of Lords (appointed members)
• The Prime Minister is the head of government; the Monarch is the head of state (constitutional monarchy)
• General elections: UK citizens aged 18+ can vote for their Member of Parliament (MP) representing their constituency
• Local government: councils run local services (bins, parks, roads) and are elected locally

Equality and Diversity

• The Equality Act (2010) protects people from discrimination based on nine "protected characteristics": age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion/belief, sex, sexual orientation
• Discrimination: treating someone less favourably because of a protected characteristic. Direct and indirect discrimination are both illegal.
• Celebrating diversity: different cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives enrich society and lead to greater creativity and understanding

Personal Safety

Knife Crime Awareness

• Carrying a knife in public in the UK is illegal for most people under 18 and is a criminal offence for adults too
• Having a knife does not protect you — it significantly increases your risk of being harmed
• If someone pressures you to carry a knife, this is manipulation. You have the right to say no.
• Report concerns: if you know someone is carrying a knife, you can report it anonymously via Crimestoppers (0800 555 111)

Staying Safe in Public

• Tell a trusted adult where you are going and when you will be back
• Charge your phone before going out; have emergency contacts saved
• Go out in groups, especially at night; stick to well-lit routes
• Trust your instincts — if something doesn't feel right, leave the situation
• If you feel unsafe, go to a public place (a shop, a café) or ask someone for help

First Aid Basics

• Call 999 for life-threatening emergencies or 111 for urgent but not life-threatening medical advice
• The primary survey — DRS ABC: Danger, Response, Shout (for help), Airway, Breathing, Circulation
• CPR: 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths. Push hard and fast in the centre of the chest (at least 5–6 cm deep, 100–120 compressions per minute)
• Recovery position: if someone is unconscious but breathing, place them on their side to keep the airway open
• Bleeding: apply firm, direct pressure with a clean cloth; raise the injured limb above heart level if possible
• Burns: cool with cool running water for at least 20 minutes; do not apply butter, toothpaste, or ice