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Systemic Inequality and Allyship
Empathy & Social Awareness
Move beyond 'treating everyone the same' to understand that structural advantages and disadvantages exist regardless of individual effort or intention; explore concrete examples of systemic inequality (educational attainment gaps, gender pay gap, representation in leadership); distinguish between individual prejudice and structural discrimination; understand intersectionality — how multiple aspects of identity interact; develop informed compassion rooted in evidence rather than pity; explore what being a genuine ally means in practice
Habits and Motivation
Self-Regulation & Resilience
Understand habit formation through the cue-routine-reward loop and how to design new habits intentionally; distinguish intrinsic motivation (doing something for its own value) from extrinsic motivation (rewards/punishments) and understand when each is more effective; understand procrastination as primarily an emotion regulation problem (avoiding discomfort) rather than a time management failure; apply self-determination theory (autonomy, competence, relatedness) to boost intrinsic motivation; design environments that reduce friction for desired behaviours
Honest Conversations and Conflict Repair
Friendship & Cooperation
Understand how to have honest, direct conversations that address problems without attacking the person; apply the principles of non-violent communication (observation, feeling, need, request); understand the repair process after significant conflicts: taking responsibility without defensiveness, offering a genuine apology (without blame-shifting), and rebuilding trust through consistent behaviour over time; distinguish between a real apology and a face-saving 'sorry'; understand how friendships survive and deepen through navigated conflict rather than avoidance
Identity and Belonging in Adolescence
Emotional Literacy
Understand that adolescence involves active construction of identity, leading to emotional complexity around questions of 'who am I?'; explore the emotional dynamics of belonging to multiple groups simultaneously (family, peer group, cultural or religious identity); understand social comparison and its intensification through social media; recognise that identity is not fixed and that uncertainty about identity is normal, not a sign of failure; develop language for navigating emotions tied to group membership and personal values
Online Identity and Misinformation
Responsible Decision-Making
Understand the ethics of online identity and the importance of consistency between who you are online and offline; explain how recommendation algorithms and filter bubbles narrow information exposure; evaluate the psychology of misinformation: why it spreads, why smart people believe it, and how to apply source evaluation (lateral reading, checking evidence, recognising emotional manipulation); understand digital consent around sharing images or personal information; explore the ethics of AI, surveillance, and data privacy as they affect everyday life; reflect on responsible content creation and online influence
Sympathy Versus Empathy
Empathy & Social Awareness
Distinguish sympathy ('I feel sorry for you') from empathy ('I understand what you're experiencing'); develop active listening skills: reflecting, paraphrasing, asking open questions, resisting the urge to problem-solve too quickly; understand empathic curiosity as genuine interest in another person's inner world; practise being present for someone in distress without trying to fix or minimise their experience; understand vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue, and how empathetic people can protect their own wellbeing while staying present for others
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Literacy
Introduce Goleman's emotional intelligence model (self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, social skills); develop vocabulary for complex emotional states (ambivalence, ennui, schadenfreude, awe, nostalgia, cognitive dissonance); understand the evidence linking emotional intelligence to wellbeing, relationship quality, and long-term life outcomes; reflect on personal emotional growth over the secondary school years; explore the relationship between emotional literacy and mental health, and know when to seek professional support
Ethical Frameworks and Moral Reasoning
Responsible Decision-Making
Introduce the three main ethical frameworks: consequentialism (judge actions by outcomes and overall welfare), deontology (judge actions by adherence to rules and duties regardless of consequences), and virtue ethics (judge actions by the character they reflect); apply each framework to real-world moral dilemmas: climate responsibility, AI ethics, civil disobedience, wealth inequality, healthcare rationing; understand the strengths and limitations of each framework; develop the capacity for careful moral reasoning — the ability to think through ethical questions systematically rather than relying only on intuition or group opinion
Global Citizenship
Empathy & Social Awareness
Understand what it means to be a citizen in an interconnected world where decisions in one place affect people elsewhere; explore global issues (climate justice, forced migration, global health, poverty) through an empathy lens, distinguishing facts from value judgements; engage with the ethical tension between obligations to those close to us and obligations to distant strangers; introduce evidence-based giving and effective altruism as one framework for thinking about global responsibility; develop a personal, reasoned stance on global citizenship that acknowledges complexity
Growth Through Adversity
Self-Regulation & Resilience
Understand that facing serious challenges can lead to genuine growth in three domains: new perspectives on life, improved relationships, and a strengthened sense of personal capability (post-traumatic growth); distinguish genuine growth from toxic positivity ('everything happens for a reason') and from denial; understand that resilience does not mean being unaffected by adversity but recovering and growing through it; develop a personal philosophy for handling setbacks based on meaning-making; explore how to support others going through serious difficulty without minimising their experience
Leadership Styles and Influence
Friendship & Cooperation
Distinguish different leadership styles (directive, democratic, servant, transformational) and understand when each is appropriate; understand that influence in a group comes with responsibility, and explore the difference between leading through inspiration versus coercion; practise inclusive leadership: actively creating space for quieter voices and diverse perspectives; understand the ethics of influence and the boundary between persuasion and manipulation; explore concepts of consent and coercion in peer relationships; reflect on what kind of influence they want to have in their communities
Animal Body Groups
Organisms & Life Processes
Describe and compare the external body structure of common animals across groups (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals)
Animal Camouflage
Animals of the World
Know that many animals use camouflage — colours and patterns that help them blend into their surroundings — to hide from predators or to sneak up on prey, like a leaf insect that looks like a leaf or an Arctic hare that turns white in winter
Animal Homes
Animals of the World
Know that animals make or find many different kinds of homes — birds build nests, rabbits dig burrows, bees live in hives, hermit crabs use empty shells, spiders spin webs — and that these shelters protect them and their young
Animal Record-Holders
Animals of the World
Know some of the world's animal record-holders — the blue whale is the largest animal ever, the cheetah is the fastest land animal, the bee hummingbird is the smallest bird, the giraffe is the tallest — and compare their sizes to familiar objects
Animals Everywhere
Animals of the World
Know that animals live all over the world — on land, in water, and in the air — and that every continent, even icy Antarctica, is home to animals, each suited to the conditions where they live
Arctic vs Antarctic
Polar Regions
Know that the Arctic (North Pole) and Antarctic (South Pole) are very different — the Arctic is a frozen ocean surrounded by land where people and polar bears live, while the Antarctic is a huge ice-covered continent surrounded by ocean where penguins live but no people live permanently
Asking scientific questions
Scientific Inquiry
Ask simple scientific questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways including observation, testing, and research
Basic Body Needs
The Human Body
Know that the body needs food for energy, water to stay hydrated, sleep to rest and grow, and exercise to keep muscles and the heart strong — and that these are basic needs every human body has
Body Parts & Senses
Organisms & Life Processes
Identify, name, and locate basic parts of the human body and associate each body part with its sense
Bones & Muscles
The Human Body
Know that the body has a skeleton made of bones inside it that gives the body its shape and protects important organs like the brain (skull) and heart (ribcage), and that muscles attached to bones allow the body to move
Brave Polar Explorers
Polar Regions
Know simple stories of brave polar explorers — Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen who raced to the South Pole, and Ernest Shackleton whose ship Endurance was crushed by ice but who brought all his men home safely — and understand that polar exploration required incredible courage and endurance
Building shade from the sun
Energy
Use tools and materials to design and build a structure that will reduce the warming effect of sunlight on an area, such as a shade or shelter
Caring for minibeasts
Insects & Minibeasts
Caring for minibeasts: observing minibeasts gently, handling them carefully, putting them back where you found them. Why minibeasts matter — they help gardens grow, break down dead leaves, and feed other animals.