What is the intent of health and social care at RHA?
The intent of health and social care at Royal Harbour Academy is to equip every student who opts for the subject with the knowledge they need, not only to pass our courses here at RHA, but to inspire them to progress to sixth form, college, university and eventually the career of their choice, whether here locally or further afield and to be a part of the global community.
We intend for students to be happy and enthusiastic when studying health and social care, to give them the desire to take an interest in the subject outside of school. They will be resilient learners who will always be encouraged to aim high and not give up and as a result they will go on to change the world and lead brilliant lives.

Why is this our intent?
This is our intent because we genuinely value each and every student and believe they can go on to achieve great things, despite currently living and studying in a deprived area of the country. We have a strong moral purpose in health and social care and believe our students can be the ones to change what may be a history of underachieving and lack of ambition in their society. Many of our students lack confidence, but it is our intent to make each and every student feel valued and have the belief in themselves that they can go on to achieve great things.

How does health and social care deliver the intent?
As subject specialists, we deliver this intent by initially selecting the most suitable KS4 and KS5 qualifications for our students. These courses are then set up in such a way that students will not only be challenged, but will gain a true passion for the subject so that they take an interest in them in their own time. They will ultimately continue learning without necessarily realising it. They will take it upon themselves to read about the subject or watch related documentaries - some of which we may have suggested, many of which the students will find for themselves and come to tell us about. This is an ideal opportunity for the students to add to their academic and cultural knowledge. Many of the ‘real life case studies’ the students learn about will challenge them academically with the scientific reality of the situation, as well as introducing them to the various behaviours that may occur in different cultures.
In health and social care we teach about the effects that numerous different factors have on our growth and development, including the effects of poverty. When this topic is delivered, it is done in such a way that although students may be able to identify with living in a deprived area, they also learn that they can break free of this cycle and become successful individuals who can move out of the area.
We make sure that our passion for, not only our subject, but also for our chosen careers as teachers, comes through to our students. All of my students know that I genuinely love being a teacher and this highlights to them the importance of aiming for a career that they will enjoy.
As a team, we regularly evaluate the relevance of our teaching by making sure we use the most up-to-date information and cases in our lessons.
We regularly assess our students to ensure they are building on their knowledge and progressing in a way that enables them to achieve their potential. This enables us to evaluate the impact of our teaching so that we can adapt future lessons as necessary. We also spend time talking to each and every student on a 1:1 basis to ensure that they are happy and there are no barriers to their learning. If we do identify any barriers, we work as a team, with the student, to remove them. This, alongside the fact our curriculum builds on prior knowledge and understanding enables each and every student to progress in such a way that they can achieve their full potential.