5.3.10 Social, Personal and Health Education

5.3.10 Social, Personal and Health Education

Teaching and learning in Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) was generally of a good standard; student enjoyment, motivation and engagement were key features of SPHE lessons

SPHE in Junior Cycle is one of the pillar subjects of Wellbeing. It aims to provide students with key skills to develop a positive sense of themselves and their physical, social, emotional and spiritual health and wellbeing. It also aims to build their capacity to develop and maintain healthy relationships through Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE). While SPHE is currently an optional subject in Senior Cycle, the RSE component is mandatory for all students for all year groups. SPHE inspections evaluate provision and delivery of both SPHE and RSE programmes in schools.

SPHE inspectors found that the quality of teaching and learning in SPHE and RSE was generally good. Inspectors found that the quality of students’ learning in SPHE was good or very good in 72% of the inspections carried out, while the overall quality of teaching was good or very good in 75% of these inspections.

Experiential learning should be used more effectively in SPHE to develop students’ attitudes, values and behaviours and the skills to apply their learning to new situations

Noteworthy practice observed by inspectors during SPHE inspections included very good opportunities for students to work collaboratively with their peers and to be active in their learning. The lessons observed were, overall, student-centred with a positive class atmosphere, and students engaged well and were motivated to learn. A key recommendation in SPHE inspections was to introduce, or further exploit, experiential learning opportunities for students in order to maximise the benefits of this learning cycle to develop students’ attitudes, values and behaviours, as well as the skills to apply their learning in new contexts.

Assessment in SPHE should be developed further and should include agreed approaches to monitoring and reporting on students’ learning

Assessment was good or very good in 47% of lessons observed. It was an area for significant improvement in 11% of lessons observed, where the quality of assessment was evaluated as less than satisfactory. While some informal assessment practices, questioning and student self-reflection were observed in the majority of lessons, there were generally limited opportunities for students to maintain relevant activity records and to reflect formally on their learning. Consequently, it was difficult to assess overall student progress and achievement in SPHE. In order to bring about improvement, inspectors recommended the use of formative assessment strategies including the development and implementation of agreed approaches to monitoring and reporting on student learning.

Areas for improvement in SPHE included the deployment of appropriately-trained teachers, and the consistent implementation of a high-quality, targeted relationships and sexuality education programme in Senior Cycle

The quality of planning for the implementation of SPHE and RSE was generally good in Junior Cycle. Key factors that supported high-quality planning were the establishment of a core team of SPHE teachers with the requisite training and expertise in the subject, the appointment of a subject co-ordinator, and the facilitation of adequate collaborative planning time. In Senior Cycle, planning for RSE varied significantly. High-quality planning was recommended frequently for Senior Cycle RSE, supported by the ratification of a strong RSE policy, appropriately trained teachers and the development of a discrete, time-bound programme for RSE.