Our school values ‘Aspiration, Compassion, Love, Perseverance, Reconciliation and Trust’ describe the key aspects of personal development that are central to our school life.

Our personal development curriculum enables pupils to develop into confident learners who are able to work with others. It helps them to develop resilience, respect and responsibility. It provides them with the knowledge and cultural capital to become well-informed citizens, able to appreciate human creativity and achievement. Our pupils develop an understanding of the community to which they belong.

Our Personal Social Health and Education curriculum is age-appropriate and tailored to meet the needs of our pupils. It includes mental health and wellbeing, physical health (including healthy lifestyles), learning about staying safe and economic understanding. A key element is Relationships Education which includes healthy relationships and an understanding of consent and safety online.

We develop pupils’ understanding of the fundamental British values of democracy, individual liberty, the rule of law and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. Our pupils know and understand these values.

From Reception through to Year 6 we effectively promote equality of opportunity and diversity so that all pupils can thrive together, understanding that difference is a positive, not a negative, and that individual characteristics make people unique. This is taught through our curriculum, assemblies, and whole school events. 

To develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, children are taught and encouraged to: understand and appreciate the range of different cultures in the school and further afield; show respect for different faiths and cultural diversity; show respect for the different protected characteristics; use of a range of social skills in different contexts; participate in a variety of communities and social settings; recognise the difference between right and wrong and understand consequence; investigate and offer reasoned views about moral and ethical issues.

Our pupils have access to a wide and rich set of experiences (including cultural experiences) providing a meaningful and memorable context to learning. Trips, visitors and enrichment activities are integral to learning and enhance pupils’ engagement. These opportunities enrich learning for our pupils, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

We ensure that the curriculum allows for pupils’ wider development. This includes enterprise projects to support charities, opportunities to sing in a choir, learning to play a range of musical instruments and representing the school in a wide range of sporting activities. Pupils take on a wide range of responsibilities; they represent peers as digital leaders, eco team, team leaders, buddies, school council and sports leaders.

We provide a programme of opportunities to all year groups helping pupils develop high aspiration and a knowledge of higher education and the wide range of careers to which they can aspire.

Character development is a key element of our personal development programme and school life. We are a school with a strong ethos for everyone to fulfil their potential. Character development is threaded through our expectations of behaviour towards each other, our ambitious curriculum developing resilience and confidence and our programme of wider development opportunities including volunteering and service to the community. We ensure that all our pupils benefit equally from what we offer by reducing barriers to participation.

We support children to acquire knowledge, now and in the future. As part of a whole-school approach, PD education develops the qualities and attributes children need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society. The benefits to pupils of such an approach are numerous as they are prepared to manage the opportunities, challenges and responsibilities they will face in life.

Our whole school approach promotes effective relationships between all members of the school community. The promotion of pupils’ personal and social development underpins all other learning. It helps pupils to build their character, confidence and self-esteem and to understand what influences their decisions. Developing self-understanding, empathy and the ability to work with others helps our pupils to enjoy healthy and productive relationships in all aspects of their lives.