Shift Health Education

Specialist Classes & Workshops for Health,
Relationships and Life Skills

Curriculum Overview

Programme at a Glance

12 Modules · 2 Levels
Middle School · 7 Modules
Secondary School · 5 Modules
01
Level
Programme Middle School Foundational health and relationships education for early adolescence
7 Modules
Module 01
Puberty
Navigating puberty: a mind & body guide
Ages 9–1360–90 min

Puberty is one of the first major transitions children experience, and for many it can feel confusing or overwhelming. This session provides a clear, reassuring, age-appropriate introduction to the physical, emotional, and social changes that come with puberty, combining medically accurate information with practical self-care strategies in a warm, respectful environment where questions are welcomed.

Key topics
Why we cover this

Children today enter puberty earlier and navigate it alongside social media and peer comparison. Early, accurate information reduces anxiety, supports healthier self-esteem, and opens stronger communication with trusted adults.

Module 02
Reproduction
How life begins: reproduction & the pregnancy journey
Ages 10–1160–90 min

This session introduces students to human reproduction in a clear and age-appropriate way, from fertilisation through pregnancy and birth, normalising curiosity and building confidence in using accurate biological language. The goal is to demystify the process and lay a strong foundation for future learning.

Key topics
Why we cover this

Children at this age are naturally curious about where babies come from. Without clear guidance, questions are often answered through myths, peers, or online content. Demystifying the process lays a strong foundation for future learning about health and relationships.

Module 03
Self-esteem & Body Image
Seeing myself clearly: identity, media & resilience
Ages 11–1360–90 min

Students learn to identify their personal strengths, critically assess the pressures that shape body image, and build a resilient sense of self, rooted in internal validation rather than external comparison. The session equips students with awareness, language, and practical tools to strengthen self-esteem at a critical stage of identity development.

Key topics
Why we cover this

Early adolescence intensifies self-consciousness and social comparison. Building protective factors now supports academic confidence, friendship quality, and long-term emotional wellbeing, well before higher-risk years.

Module 04
Healthy Relationships & Boundaries
Beyond likes: building real, respectful relationships
Ages 13–1460–90 min

At a formative stage of adolescence, students are navigating more complex friendships, early romantic interests, peer pressure, and digital interactions. This workshop provides a clear framework for recognising healthy dynamics, understanding personal boundaries, and applying consent in everyday life, moving beyond abstract ideas to concrete, confident decision-making.

Key topics
Why we cover this

Without guidance, the messages students absorb about relationships, from peers, social media, family, and entertainment, can shape expectations in unsafe ways. Early education in boundaries and consent strengthens self-worth and reduces vulnerability to manipulation.

Module 05
The Unfair Game & Q&A
Critical media literacy & student Q&A

An interactive game-based module that builds critical media literacy alongside age-appropriate exploration of health, growth, and development. Students gain tools to thoughtfully evaluate the social media and sexualised content they may encounter online, and lead the learning through live anonymous questions.

Key topics
Why we cover this

Young people are navigating a complex digital landscape. Giving them tools to critically assess what they see online, particularly sexualised content, is an essential part of modern health education.

Module 06
Endocrine System & Endocrine Disruptors
Hormones & environmental health
New 2026–27

Students are introduced to the endocrine system, the network of glands that produce and regulate hormones essential to growth and development. The course also explores endocrine disruptors: chemicals found in everyday products that can interfere with hormonal health, and how to make informed choices to reduce unnecessary exposure.

Key topics
Why we cover this

Understanding how hormones work, and how they can be disrupted, gives students the knowledge to make informed choices that support healthy development.

Module 07
The Impact of Sleep
Adolescent health & performance
New 2026–27

Sleep is one of the most powerful and most underestimated factors in adolescent health. This session focuses on how screens and digital habits disrupt sleep, and what that disruption actually does to the developing brain and body.

Key topics
Why we cover this

Adolescents are biologically wired to need more sleep yet consistently get less. Screen use is the single biggest factor. In 45 minutes, this session gives students a clear understanding of what is happening in their bodies and the practical tools to do something about it.

02
Level
Programme Secondary School In-depth health, relationships, and RSE education for older students
5 Modules
Module 01
Unplanned Pregnancy & Contraception
Reproductive health & informed decision-making
Ages 13–1460–90 min

This session equips students with clear, age-appropriate knowledge to make informed decisions about contraception and reproductive health. Rather than starting with methods, it begins by exploring the real-life impact of unplanned pregnancy, emotionally, socially, and practically, so students understand why planning matters before learning how to prevent it.

Key topics
Why we cover this

Young people are exposed to sexual information long before they are ready to navigate its consequences. Framing contraception as a tool for protecting one's future moves students from passive exposure to proactive, responsible decision-making.

Module 02
Porn Literacy, Sexting & Consent
Media literacy: a critical guide to pornography, sexting & consent
Ages 15–1790 min

This course equips students with the ability to critically assess the sexual images they view in mainstream media and pornography, enabling them to make values-based decisions about how they choose to interact with this content.

Key topics
Why we cover this

For many young people, pornography has become an unspoken source of information about sex and relationships, despite being highly unrealistic and often harmful. Critical media literacy is now essential to modern health education.

Module 03
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Protecting your health: STIs, prevention & testing
Ages 16–1890 min

This course gives students clear, evidence-based knowledge about sexually transmitted infections: what they are, how they spread, how they are prevented, and how to access testing and support. The aim is not to alarm, but to equip students to take genuine ownership of their sexual health as they move into young adulthood.

Key topics
Why we cover this

STIs are common, often symptom-free, and frequently misunderstood. Framing sexual health as an act of self-respect, not a source of shame, equips students to make informed decisions and seek care when they need it.

Module 04
Consent & Healthy Relationships
A guide to respectful relationships: the FRIES framework
Ages 15–1860–90 min

As older adolescents move toward the increased autonomy of adulthood, a sophisticated understanding of consent becomes a critical life skill. This course transcends foundational definitions to explore the practical challenges, legal parameters, and interpersonal nuances of relationships grounded in genuine mutual respect.

Key topics
Why we cover this

Consent is the cornerstone of every healthy relationship, universal across friendships, family, and romantic partnerships. Deepening this understanding throughout secondary school builds the confidence and safety students need in their own lives.

Module 05
Year 13: University Readiness & Sexual Violence Prevention
Independence, safety and bystander skills for life beyond school
Ages 17–1890 min · 2 parts

This session applies everything students have built across the Shift curriculum to what they will actually face when they leave home. Part one focuses on navigating health systems independently. Part two addresses sexual violence, trauma and bystander responsibility.

Key topics
Why we cover this

The transition to university brings new freedom alongside a sudden loss of the support networks students have always had around them. This session gives them the practical tools, situational awareness and confidence to access help when they need it, and to look out for the people around them.