Health
At ASL, we believe that health education is about more than providing information: It’s about helping young people develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to navigate an increasingly complex world while caring for themselves and others.
Adolescence is a time of significant physical, emotional, and social change. Our middle school health program provides students with a safe and supportive environment in which to explore who they are, understand the world around them, and develop the tools they need to make healthy, informed, and responsible decisions.
Rooted in the UK’s PSHE framework and informed by current research and best practices, our curriculum is designed to support the whole child. Through discussion, reflection, collaboration, and real-life application, students develop self-awareness, critical thinking, empathy, and resilience while building the confidence to advocate for themselves and others.
Our program is underpinned by five interconnected strands that support students’ development as healthy, informed, and engaged members of their communities. Together, these strands provide a framework through which students explore the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to thrive during adolescence and beyond.
Purpose and learning
Students are encouraged to develop a deeper understanding of themselves as learners and members of a wider community. Through reflection, goal-setting, and critical thinking, they explore personal values, strengths, identity, and purpose. Learning focuses on developing the confidence, agency, and decision-making skills needed to navigate adolescence and contribute positively to the world around them.
Social skills and safety
Healthy relationships and personal safety are central to well-being. Students develop communication, collaboration, and conflict-resolution skills while learning how to build and maintain respectful relationships. Topics include friendships, peer influence, belonging, consent, personal boundaries, advocacy, help-seeking, and strategies for responding safely to challenging situations both online and offline.
Health and well-being
Students explore the interconnected nature of physical, emotional, social, and mental health. Through learning about emotional literacy, resilience, self-care, stress management, nutrition, sleep, movement, and healthy lifestyle choices, students develop practical strategies to support their own well-being and that of others.
Ecology of health and community engagement
Health does not exist in isolation. Students explore how families, schools, communities, culture, media, and wider social systems influence health and well-being. Through discussions on diversity, inclusion, equity, social responsibility, and community engagement, students develop empathy, consider multiple perspectives, and understand how they can contribute to creating healthier, safer, and more inclusive communities.
Relationships and sexual health education
Students receive age-appropriate, evidence-based education about human growth and development, puberty, reproduction, healthy relationships, consent, and personal boundaries. As students progress through middle school, they explore increasingly complex topics related to communication, decision-making, relationships, and personal responsibility. Learning is grounded in respect, inclusivity, scientific accuracy, and the understanding that healthy relationships are built on trust, communication, and mutual respect.
Learning for life
Our curriculum is designed to help students navigate real-life situations in the present and future. Whether learning how to support a friend, manage conflict, recognize unhealthy influences, challenge stereotypes, respond to online pressures, or make informed choices about their health and relationships, students are encouraged to apply their learning in meaningful and practical ways.
Our approach
We recognize that every student brings unique experiences, perspectives, and questions into the classroom. Our health teachers create a safe, inclusive and respectful environment where students feel seen, heard, and valued. We encourage open dialogue, thoughtful reflection, and respectful discussion while recognizing that our students hold a variety of different beliefs, values, and perspectives.
Our goal is not simply to teach students what to think, but to help them develop the skills to think critically, make informed decisions, build healthy relationships, and contribute positively to their communities.
Assessment
Assessments in middle school health classes are designed to support learning, reflection, and growth. Students demonstrate their understanding through a variety of formative and summative assessments, including:
- Discussions and questioning
- Scenario-based learning and problem-solving
- Brainstorming, mind maps, and storyboards
- Reflection journals and personal goal-setting
- Quizzes and knowledge checks
- Role-play and collaborative activities
- Responding to real-life situations and case studies
- End-of-semester assessments
Assessment focuses on students’ ability to apply knowledge, demonstrate skills, reflect on their learning, and make informed decisions that support their well-being and that of others.
ASL’s health curriculum aligns with the statutory guidance published by the UK Department for Education for Health Education, Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE).
Above all, we want our students to leave middle school knowing how to care for themselves, care for others and seek support when they need it. Our aim is that every student leaves ASL with the resilience, empathy, knowledge, and confidence to thrive in adolescence and beyond.