SRE0213

Written evidence from Mentor

Background on Mentor

1. Mentor is only national alcohol and drug prevention charity. We hold the DfE contract to run its national advice and information service for schools in England ADEPIS (Alcohol & Drug Education & Prevention Advice Service). We run prevention projects throughout England and campaign for evidence based drug education for young people. We have recently been awarded three-years funding from the Education Endowment Foundation to conduct a random controlled trial of an intervention for six-eight year olds, The Good Behaviour Game in the north east of England.

Executive summary

2. We believe this inquiry to be appropriate and crucial for the future of our pupils. As an alcohol and drug prevention charity, we recognise and stress the role of PSHE education in preparing pupils for the challenges and opportunities they will face throughout their lives. We believe in an holistic approach to education, where PSHE is regarded as an overarching theme, which comprises different developmental components, all of those equally important for pupils’ development. We believe that improved PSHE teaching will result in many long term positive impacts; on alcohol or drug use, sexual behaviour, and mental health. Hence, our decision not to focus our response specifically on the provision of SRE.

3. The inquiry has identified what we believe are two core issues: the need for a statutory status for PSHE and the need for a more effective accountability system to ensure all schools focus on PSHE. The government recognises the importance of PSHE, as a necessary part of pupils’ education[1], however the current non-statutory status of PSHE leaves its potential unachieved. The non-statutory status of PSHE and the consequent lack of emphasis from Ofsted on this subject, results in the teaching of PSHE being neglected. At present, most schools do not give sufficient priority to the subject, which is often squeezed out of the curriculum, due to lack of time or expertise. It is a fact that most teachers responsible for PSHE education lack adequate training on the subject, which in turn compromises the quality of PSHE currently taught to our pupils.

4. We therefore strongly recommend the following:

• PSHE to be a statutory entitlement for all school children and young people;
• The implementation of a core judgement of PSHE within Ofsted framework of inspection under section 78 of the Education Act 2002[2];
• The provision of consistent training to PSHE teachers.

PSHE: a brighter future for our children and young people

5. A consistent and well-planned PSHE programme will support schools in meeting their statutory obligation to promote children’s wellbeing (Children Act 2004) and develop a healthy learning environment. Not only does PSHE help improve the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, it also – where part of a whole school approach – reinforces schools’ safeguarding capacity and procedures.[3]

6. The statutory provision of PSHE education is a unique opportunity to ensure our pupils acquire essential skills needed to better navigate life opportunities, challenges or responsibilities. A well structured and well monitored programme of PSHE:

• Improves educational attainment and skills that promote employability;
• Reduces antisocial behaviour in the school, improving staff retention and life in the local communities;
• Reduces social and health inequalities, being most effective with disadvantaged children and young people;
• Reduces costs to government around social and public health issues.

7. According to guidance provided by the PSHE Association, a good PSHE programme of study should cover three core themes:

• Health and Wellbeing
• Relationships
• Living in the Wider World[4]

Learning outcomes from these key themes - coupled with confident teaching methodologies strengthened through consistent teacher training - ensure pupils’ social development, providing children and young people with knowledge, confidence and transferrable soft and social skills needed to attain a successful life and career.

PSHE Improves educational attainment and skills that promote employability; and

Reduces antisocial behaviour in the school, improving staff retention and life in the local communities;

8. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in response to the DfE review on PSHE education proved that social development programmes help to increase attachment to school, improve academic performance, improve social skills, and reduce aggressive and disruptive behaviour in and outside the classroom. NICE also emphasised that the success of these programmes is particularly effective when introduced to children of primary school age.[5]

9. A 2012 DfE commissioned report on the impact of pupil behaviour and wellbeing on educational outcomes highlighted that children with higher levels of emotional wellbeing have higher levels of school achievement. PSHE education, across its different components, has proved to be essential to strengthening pupils’ health and emotional wellbeing, risk awareness, empathy, resilience, assertiveness, communication skills, positive social behaviours and social norms[6].

10. Other recent reports have emphasised the importance of soft and social skills – alongside academic skills and knowledge – in ensuring personal growth and success in the job market and society. A Demos report, The Forgotten Half (2011) emphasised that soft skills and ‘character’ should be offered in the curriculum. Research also noted that better character capabilities - including application, self-regulation, self-direction, self-understanding, social skills and empathy (all achievable through PSHE) - at the age of 10 were associated with significant higher earnings at the age of 30.

11. The provision of PSHE and the related learning of transferrable social and life skills improve resilience, strengthen protective factors and teach how to manage risks that may be shaping pupils’ lives. Research suggests that the absence of protective factors and combination of risk factors increase the chances of an individual’s involvement in different types of risky behaviours[7] (including substance misuse, engaging in unsafe sexual activities, risky or adrenaline-producing activities, disengagement from school, bullying or unhealthy relationships). Different risk factors and risky behaviours are interconnected and multiple risk behaviour can lead to poor educational attainment, poor life-style choices and ultimately impact on individuals’ employability. Research has emphasised:

• Strong association between drinking in young people (binge drinking) and increased risk of forced sex;[8]
• Increased probability of not using condoms when under the influence of substances and subsequent higher risks of teenage pregnancies;[9]

In a study following young people from 14 to 16 it was found that drinking alcohol, especially if frequently, was a strong predictor of an increase in truancy the following year. Drinking was also an indicator of variances in GCSE grades achieved by pupils: drinking once or twice a week was associated with scores around 20 points lower (equivalent to 3 grades, or the difference between an A and a D in one subject), and drinking on most days was associated with scores around 80 points lower (equivalent to 13 grades).[10]

Risk management and resilience, learnt through PSHE education, can play a leading role in ensuring pupils’ safeguarding, educational attainment and employability.

PSHE reduces social and health inequalities, being most effective with disadvantaged children and young people; and

Reduces costs to government around social and public health issues.

12. The National Children’s Bureau emphasised back in 2005 how PSHE most effectively supports inclusion, tackling social and health inequalities.[11] PSHE education and related life skills provide pupils with the right tools to understand and address difference and diversity within a variety of socio-cultural or health settings, consequently narrowing potential or existing gaps around pupils’ self-belief and cultural understanding.

13. International evidence suggests that early intervention programmes focused on developing pupils’ life skills, increasing school engagement and providing pupils with the right tools necessary to resist negative social influences, are effective preventative approaches with good social return on investment. Some examples are:

• Unplugged: A universal programme for 12-14 year-olds, trialled in seven European countries, focusing on core ‘life skills’ (critical thinking, decision-making, creative thinking, effective communication, relationship skills, self-awareness, empathy, and coping with emotions) to tackle substance misuse. Evaluation showed significant impact on pupils’ attitudes: 15 months after programme completion, reductions of 20% for any drunkenness in past 30 days; 38% for frequent drunkenness; and 26% for frequent cannabis use.
• The Good Behaviour Game: school-focused, based on a comprehensive social influence approach to manage class behaviour during lessons. Pupils (6-8 years-old) are divided into teams and may earn prizes and praise by keeping simple rules for good behaviour. Evaluation showed significant reduction in disruptive and aggressive behaviour and improvement in children’s ability to focus and work independently. In the longterm, the programme halves probability of young men engaging in risky behaviours (eg drug abuse or dependence); increases the likelihood of high school graduation by 21% and of college attendance by 62%. The programme also proved to be effective in reducing stress levels among teachers, consequently increasing staff retention. The Social Research Unit shows a cost:benefit radio of 1:26.
• PreVenture: A targeted programme for 13-16 year-olds aimed at reducing risk taking behaviour by providing students with coping skills to better manage anxiety, depression and risk-taking behaviours. Developed in Canada, London schools trials showed high levels of effectiveness in: i) halving binge drinking rates, ii) reducing shoplifting, iii) significantly reducing truancy rates, iv) reducing reckless behaviour, v) reducing depression and panic attacks rates.

Programmes like Unplugged could be delivered within PSHE education, sharing common spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmental components and values. 

14. We believe that the provision of PSHE education, functioning in line with preventative educational programmes promoting health and wellbeing, could significantly reduce costs related to correcting social or public health issues (e.g. A&E services related to substance use, mental health, teenage pregnancies, unhealthy diets, etc.) by encouraging the development of responsible individuals, prepared to make informed choices.

15. The 2012 Chief Medical Officer’s annual report emphasised that PSHE is a ‘bridge between health and education’[12].  High-quality PSHE education can in fact lead to major improvements in Public Health Outcome Framework Indicators, including reductions in: a) under 18 conceptions, b) excess weight in 4-5 and 10-11 year olds, c) smoking prevalence in 15 year olds, d) hospital admissions as a result of self-harm, e) alcohol related admissions to hospital, and f) Chlamydia diagnosis in 15-24 year olds.[13]

16. We know that the estimate costs of child obesity to society are £588-£686 per annum.[14] The average life cost of a male problem drug user is £827,000[15] whilst the estimated cost to the NHS caused by alcohol misuse is approximately £3.5 billion per year (about £120 for every taxpayer).[16] In this respect, modelling for NICE (2009)[17] concluded that a universal alcohol misuse prevention programme in schools costing £75 million with only a 1.4% reduction in alcohol consumption amongst young people would still be a cost-effective public health intervention. We believe that prevention is a cost-effective option and that a well-structured programme of PSHE education, focusing on core life skills, health and well-being, would clearly prove this.

Why PSHE should be statutory

17. The Department for Education states that: “Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is an important and necessary part of all pupils’ education. All schools should teach PSHE, drawing on good practice, and this expectation is outlined in the introduction to the proposed new national curriculum”.

18. Our Mentor Youth Advisors, who surveyed more than 1,000 peers in London as part of the London Youth Involvement Project (2010-2013), highlighted the importance of PSHE education – however one person names it ‘Pretty Stupid Holes in Education’. Repeatedly, we heard from these young people that their experience of PSHE was that it was dull, age-inappropriate or simply non-existent – an irrelevance to their school.[18]

19. The 2013 Ofsted report shows a clear correlation between schools which achieved a high grade for PSHE provision and schools which have achieved outstanding grades for overall effectiveness. However, Ofsted’s review of PSHE ‘Not yet good enough’ also highlighted that PSHE provision currently requires improvement or is inadequate in 40% of schools inspected.

20. The report also makes clear that the lack of ITE (Initial Teacher Education) training in this subject has a significant impact on the quality of teaching. PSHE education is currently taught by teachers who are specialists in other subjects, but have no specialism or training to deal with the sensitive and complex topics and components of this subject. A recent mapping research (2013) delivered as part of Mentor’s Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention Information Service (ADEPIS) with respondents from over 280 schools across England highlighted that the lack of specialism in PSHE is normally reflected into varying levels of confidence among teachers and a lack of continuous learning for pupils.

21. Although PSHE education-related issues are implicitly assessed during Ofsted inspections[19], the lack of explicit status of PSHE in the Ofsted framework translates into overall lack of awareness among head teachers and subsequent neglect of the subject. The non-statutory status of PSHE and the lack of emphasis in the Ofsted framework give a relatively low priority to the subject in schools. It is widely acknowledged that schools tend to prioritise statutory subjects in preparation to Ofsted inspections, to the detriment of PSHE education.

22. The lack of training for PSHE and the low priority attributed to it by at least 40% of schools (this figure could in reality be higher, as the Ofsted report excluded schools in special measures or with notice to improve) jeopardise both the quality and quantity of PSHE education in our schools. The ADEPIS mapping research also emphasised the lack of curriculum time as a key deterrent to ensure provision of effective PSHE education. The 2013 NASUWT survey of subject provision confirms the decreasing amount of time dedicated to PSHE, suggesting a 14% reduction in the level of PSHE planned provision.

23. The ADEPIS mapping research also highlighted a general lack of financial capacity and resources for both staff training and structured pupils’ assessment (e.g. needs assessment, or pupil behaviour surveys). According to data collected, only 8% of primary schools and 24% of secondary schools use surveys to inform their provision of PSHE. The lack of appropriate needs assessment has a major impact on the quality and effectiveness of PSHE provision.

24. For the above reasons we recommend that PSHE education is made a statutory entitlement and that a greater emphasis in the Ofsted framework is in place for this subject. The statutory status of PSHE will ensure guaranteed quality and quantity of PSHE provision, securing it a well-deserved place in the curriculum timetable. The statutory status of PSHE should also be translated into subject specific Ofsted inspections, meaning that PSHE provision will be consistently monitored and quality standards will be higher and equal at national level.

Mentor recommendations

25. We recommend that PSHE education is made a statutory entitlement for every child.

26. We recommend that the Ofsted framework of inspection places a greater emphasis on PSHE Education, by making SMSC a core judgement, highlighting schools’ mandatory requirements to provide a balanced and broadly-based curriculum that

-          ‘promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society;

-          prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life’

(Section 78 of the Education Act 2002 and Academies Act 2010)

27. We recommend that ITE training on PSHE becomes an essential requirement for teachers responsible for the provision of this subject.

Concluding comments

28. We believe that the statutory entitlement to PSHE education is a huge opportunity to ensure a brighter future for our children and young people. Statutory entitlement to PSHE education is one of the key steps which will promote equal opportunities for all children at a national level, regardless of socio-cultural status or geographical location. Our children and young people are growing up in a fast changing society, where future challenges and opportunities are yet unknown. To quote Janet Palmer HMI, National Lead for PSHE Education at Ofsted:

“A good Personal, Social, Health and Education programme helps build and improve the knowledge and skills that pupils will need to cope and contribute to an unknown and ever changing future”.

29.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Every child is entitled to receive equal educational and developmental opportunities within formal education, and if this is effectual for other subjects, it should also be so for PSHE education. As previously shown, PSHE education not only benefits our pupils, but also our society and economy. We therefore call on the Education Committee to support us, and other organisations responding to the inquiry at issue, in making the case for a statutory entitlement and an improved monitoring of PSHE Education in our schools.

            June 2014