Social Personal and Health Education
S.P.H.E. aims to nurture students who are physically healthy, have good social skills and good mental health.
This is achieved through a structured, cyclical programme in accordance with the D.E.S. guidelines and the characteristic spirit of the school.
Subject Objectives:
- To enable students to develop skills for self-fulfilment and the living in communities.
- To promote self-esteem and self-confidence.
- To enable students to develop a framework for responsible decision making.
- To provide opportunities for reflection and discussion.
- To promote physical, mental and emotional health and well-being.
SPHE is allocated one class period per week for all Junior Cycle students.
An SPHE programme takes place as part of Religious Education in Transition Year, Fifth and Sixth Year, and also through the Young Social Innovators Programme in Transition Year which reaches all students in the school.
In organising the learning environment, the teacher will be careful to create an atmosphere which respects the privacy of each individual student and treats each student with sensitivity and care.
Active learning methods are used to ensure that students actively participate in their own learning.
Contemporary topics and issues which emerge in this class are dealt with at a level appropriate to the age of the student and within a moral framework, in keeping with the school ethos.
Content and teaching methods: SPHE comprises ten modules. These are re-visited each year as the students mature and their needs and abilities change. The emphasis is on building life skills and developing attitudes and values in relation to the areas explored. The ten modules of SPHE are:
- Belonging and Integrating
- Self-management
- Communication Skills
- Physical Health
- Friendship
- Relationships and Sexuality (RSE)
- Emotional Health
- Influences and Decisions
- Substance Use
- Personal Safety