Created in response to school closures during the Covid 19 pandemic, ‘The Message Today’ is our free online PSHE resource for schools and youth groups.
Each 30-minute episode uses creative arts, personal stories, facts and statistics to explore a different hot topic relating to life for teens today. These sessions can support non-specialist staff in delivering PSHE and are an excellent resource for remote learning.
Questions to accompany each session can be found here. These provide opportunity for further discussion and can extend the material to fill a standard 60 minute lesson.
‘The Message Today’ episodes are suitable for students in KS3-5 and are helpfully organised into the following curriculum categories. All episodes can be accessed via our Youtube link.
Mental health & emotional wellbeing
- Wellbeing & resilience
- Self-esteem
- Grief & bereavement
- Disappointment
- Depression
- Patience, endurance & perseverance
- Hope
- Healthy lifestyles & eating disorders
- Abusive behaviour
- Purpose
- Suicide
- Self-harm
- Mental health
- Goals & aspirations
Relationships & sex
Social & ethical issues
- Prejudice & discrimination
- Human trafficking
- Respect
- Gambling & gaming
- No more knives
- Choice & consequence
Faith in practice
- Forgiveness
- Easter special
- Christmas special (Only Available between Nov-Jan)
Endorsement
‘At St Thomas More, PSHE has a long-standing place in our curriculum with great feedback from pupils and their parents/carers. We ensure that the DfE criteria for PSHE is followed but also ensure that the curriculum is flexible enough to accommodate vital topical issues and the needs of our community.
Though the pandemic was often a time of uncertainty and anxiety, the PSHE department stepped up to ensure remote tasks and resources were in-place from the start of the very first lockdown. Initially with a focus on “100 days of well-being”, discovering The Message Trust’s YouTube channel and series of The Message Today videos ensured that we could further support pupils through the pandemic with access to impactful and engaging resources delivered by passionate people with experience and knowledge to share with our pupils.
The very first episode, of what would become the first series, on Wellbeing and Resilience provided great stimulus for remote learning which promoted good discussion via our online learning platform. With pupils and classes having to isolate over the coming months, the series’ development tackling a range of themes and issues such as ‘Grief & Bereavement’, ‘Self-Esteem’, ‘Bullying’, ‘Relationships’ and more definitely supported our curriculum through the tumultuous time.
Pupils found the videos relatable, and interesting. Pupils enjoyed hearing of the lived experiences of those who shared their stories. Thank you for creating such a valuable resource for learners everywhere!’
– Mr L Wright, Curriculum Leader, St Thomas More RC College