Personal Development
Why teach Personal Development?
Our Personal Development provision runs like a golden thread throughout our curriculum.
A well-planned, sequenced personal development curriculum is at the heart of a whole school outstanding curriculum and provides our children with a nurturing environment in which they can comfortably explore what it means to grow up in today’s society and develop the skills and attitudes that will ultimately help them lead a happy and successful adult life.
Personal development plays a vital role in supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing and gives all children the opportunity to freely express themselves in a safe and caring environment, where all opinions and values are celebrated and welcomed. We ensure they know how and when to ask for help and to know where to access support.
Our Personal Development curriculum equips children with the skills to be able to succeed in many different areas of the curriculum, as well as throughout life. It encourages children to develop a growth mindset and the resilience they need to meet any challenges. It gives children opportunities to learn about rights and responsibilities and what it means to be a member of a diverse society. Through this curriculum children are encouraged to develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community.
How we teach Personal Development
We teach Personal Development through eight distinct elements that build on prior knowledge. We have a statutory duty to teach Relationship, Health and Sex Education and this forms the basis of our teaching.
This is supplemented with safety themed learning such as water and railway safety as well as a sensitive treatment of gang and county line culture as we know some of our children could be vulnerable to such influences. Our digital media and economic wellbeing curriculum ensures that our children are aware of the risks of the online world and that they are introduced to the rudiments of good financial management.
Children’s character is developed through the direct teaching of school values of honesty, humility, responsibility and resilience, while our careers curriculum explores their career aspirations through experiences with local employers.
Encouraging good citizenship and a deeper understanding of living in modern Britain is a key part of our approach to Personal Development. Key British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs, are promoted within Personal Development lessons as well as assemblies and collective worship.
What your child will learn
- Values that support and develop their character
- How to have successful relationships and live within communities
- Being a British citizen and what that means
- How to keep themselves safe and how to ask for help
- How to help themselves be healthy both physically and mentally
Year A
Year B
Wider Enrichment Opportunities
Research shows that extra-curricular enrichment activities have a big impact on children’s social development, engagement with learning and academic success.
With this in mind we have created a programme of enrichment opportunities designed to encourage our children to always ‘aspire to be more’.
The ambitious and inclusive programme of pre, lunchtime and after-school activities includes arts, sport, gardening, music, theatre and cooking and was developed following feedback from our children.
In addition to the enrichment activities, we also offer a wide range of extra-curricular after school clubs. Our programme of extra curricular clubs changes termly because we aim to provide a variety of activities throughout the year to cater for the needs of all our children. For more information, click link below.