nhs.uk/riseabove/schools | Page 1 of 2© Rise Above 2019

School contextNightingale Academy in Enfield, England, is a mixed

secondary school and sixth form. More than 80% of the

Academy’s 700 students learn English as an additional

language, and for three years running, it has been ranked

as one of the best schools for modern and foreign

languages. Just under half of the pupils are supported by

the pupil premium.

PSHE at Nightingale Academy

The range of topics covered by the Rise Above for Schools lesson plans are in line with Nightingale

Academy’s Personal, Social, Health and Economic

(PSHE) programme of study as well as other

curriculum areas including Citizenship, Humanities

and international projects.

From Mr Aliaj’s experience, the students have

responded well to the video presentations and quizzes,

and the open-ended questions are particularly useful for

prompting discussions. The students feel less pressured

to provide the ‘correct’ answers, as there is no such

thing in this case. The questions encourage students to

freely express their points of view and challenge others’

opinions, whilst learning how to still respect them.

An added advantage is that the Rise Above activities

develop oracy skills, a priority learning strategy at

the Academy.

Case StudyPublic Health England Rise Above for Schools

What I like most about the Rise Above resources

is their authenticity and relevance. They help

me further develop my skills and knowledge

in this area of the curriculum, explore other

areas of PSHE and Citizenship, and they can be

incorporated into our school’s projects.

Mr Avni Aliaj, Head of Modern Foreign and Community Languages at Nightingale Academy

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nhs.uk/riseabove/schools | Page 2 of 2© Rise Above 2019

Linking Rise Above to other curriculum areas

Using Rise Above for Schools to engage families and the wider community

The outcomes from the lesson have been disseminated

across the Humanities team and shared with the

Academy’s PSHE Lead and both key stage co-

ordinators. All have shown a great deal of interest

and are now in the process of implementing many

of the Rise Above resources in future PSHE lessons,

assemblies and tutor time.

An important part of the future implementation of

Rise Above resources is parental engagement. The

Academy will do this by giving students assignments

and homework tasks and carrying out discussions and

research involving their parents and immediate family

members and relatives. They will then share their

findings with their peers.

Students at Nightingale Academy

Bisma, a Year 9 student, feels young people are not

taught enough about how to cope with everyday

problems like stress, career guidance or personal

relationships. She would like to learn more about things

that worry her and feels PSHE lessons are where this

should happen.

Being a school from a disadvantaged socio-

economic background brings a number

of challenges, including social inequality,

student welfare and wellbeing. Through our

participation in global citizenship projects

like Erasmus+, we empower our students

by developing their knowledge, skills and

values to take ownership of their lifestyle

choices and confidently engage with the

world. The Rise Above teaching resources

are also designed for this purpose, therefore

we will be using them in tandem with our

existing citizenship projects.

Mr Avni Aliaj, Head of Modern Foreign and Community Languages at Nightingale Academy

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I enjoyed the lesson about managing

changes which occur in young people’s

everyday life. I liked sharing my thoughts

with my friends and classmates. It has

given me a new perspective on managing

changes and how to be better prepared for

the changes I can expect in the future. The

lesson has been an eye-opening experience.

Bisma, Year 9 student at Nightingale Academy

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