Personal Development Time

The main aims of Personal Development are to encourage each student to reflect on and make informed decisions about many of the challenging ethical and personal issues that they will face in the modern world. We endeavour to equip students with knowledge of the world around them and to provide a forum in which they can develop insight and good decision making skills. Personal Development involves a variety of teaching and learning styles, including independent research, small group and whole class discussions, role-play, demonstrations, DVD clips, practical activities and outside speakers. This enables the students to explore relevant issues in a way that suits all learning styles and enhances the students' learning experience.

Personal Development is when the school combines PSHE (Personal, Social, Health Education), Citizenship, Careers and Learning to make sure we achieve our aim of promoting the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of all students.

Our programme of study for Personal Development can be seen below: 

Personal Development Time Overview       
 Year  Being Me in My World  Celebrating Difference  Dreams and Goals  Healthy Me  Relationships  Changing Me
 7  Unique me, differences & conflict, my influences, peer pressure, online safety, sexting, consequences, online legislation  Bullying, prejudice & discrimination, Equality Act, bystanders, stereotyping, challenging negative behaviour and attitudes  Celebrating success, identifying goals, employment, learning from mistakes, overcoming challenges, planning skills, safe & unsafe choices, substances, gangs, exploitation, emergency first aid  Stress and anxiety, managing mental health, physical activity and mental health, effects of substances, nutrition, sleep, vaccination and immunisation, importance of information on making health choices  Characteristics of healthy relationships, healthy romantic relationships, consent, relationships and change, emotions within friendships, being discerning, assertiveness, sexting  Puberty changes, FGM, breast flattening/ironing, responsibilities of parenthood, types of committed relationships, happiness and intimate relationships, media and self-esteem, self-image, brain changes in puberty, sources of help and support
 8  Self-identity, family and identity, stereotypes, personal beliefs and judgements, managing expectations, first impressions, respect for the beliefs of others. Active listening  Positive change made by others, how positive behaviour affects feelings of wellbeing, social injustice, inequality, community cohesion and support, multiculturalism, race and religion, prejudice, LGBT+ bullying  Long-term goals, skills, qualifications, careers, money and happiness, ethics and mental wellbeing, budgeting, variation in income, positive and negative impact of money, online legal responsibilities, gambling issues  Long-term physical health, responsibility for own health, dental health, stress triggers, substances and mood, legislation associated with substances, exploitation and substances, medicine, vaccinations, immunisation Blood donation  Positive relationship with self, social media and relationship with self, negative self-talk, managing a range of relationships, personal space, online etiquette, online privacy and personal safety, coercion, unhealthy balance of power in relationships, sources of suppor  Types of close intimate relationships, physical attraction, legal status of relationships, behaviours in healthy and unhealthy romantic relationships, pornography, sexuality, alcohol and risky behaviour
 9  Perceptions about intimate relationships, consent, sexual exploitation, peer approval, grooming, radicalization, county lines, risky experimentation, positive and negative selfidentity, abuse and coercion, coercive control  Protected characteristics, Equality Act, phobic and racist language, legal consequences of bullying and hate crime, sexism, ageism, positive and negative language, banter, bullying in the workplace, direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, victimisation. Prejudice, discrimination and stereotyping  Personal strengths, health goals, SMART planning, links between body image and mental health, nonfinancial dreams and goals, mental health and ill health, media manipulation, self-harm, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, depression.  Misperceptions about young peoples’ health choices, physical and psychological effects of alcohol, alcohol and the law, alcohol dependency, drug classification, supply and possession legislation, emergency situations, first aid, CPR, substances and safety, sources of advice and support  Power and control in intimate relationships, risk in intimate relationships, importance of sexual consent, assertiveness skills, sex and the law, pornography and stereotypes, contraception choices, family planning, STIs, support and advice services  Mental health stigma, triggers, support strategies, managing emotional changes, resilience and how to improve it, reflection on importance of sleep in relation to mental health, reflection on body and brain changes, stereotypes
 10  Human rights, societal freedom, understanding safety in UK and beyond, ending relationships safely, stages of grief, loss and bereavement, social media and culture, use of online data, threats to online safety, online identity, assessing and managing risk  Equality including in the workplace, in society, in relationships. Equality and vulnerable groups. Power and contro  Impact of physical health in reaching goals, relationships and reaching goals, work/life balance, connections and impact on mental health, benefits of helping others, online profile and impact on future goals  Improving health, sexual health, blood-borne infections, selfexamination, diet and long-term health, misuse of prescription drugs, common mental health disorders, positive impact of volunteering, common threats to health including chronic disease, epidemics, misuse of antibiotics Organ donation Stem cells  Sustaining long-term relationships, relationship choices, ending relationships safely, consequences of relationships ending e.g. bullying, revenge porn, grief-cycle. Divorce and separation, impact of family breakup on children, understanding love, fake news and rumourmongering, abuse in teenage relationships. Legislation, support and advice  Impact of societal change on young people, role of media on societal change, reflection on change so far and how to manage it successfully, decision making, sexual identity gender, spectrum of sexuality, stereotypes in romantic relationships, sexual identity and risk, family change, sources of support.
 11  Equality in relation to disability including hidden, consequences of not adhering to Equality Act, employers’ responsibilities, benefits of multicultural societies, impact of unfair treatment on mental health, misuse of power, campaigning for equality    Aspiration on; career, finances, relationships, health. Skills identification, realistic goals, gambling, financial pressure, debt, dream jobs, skill set, education and training options, longterm relationship dreams and goals, parenting skills and challenges, resilience, what to do when things go wrong.  Managing anxiety and stress, exam pressure, concentration strategies, worklife balance, sexual health, hygiene, selfexamination, STIs, sexual pressure, fertility, contraception, pregnancy facts and myths, identifying a range of health risks and strategies for staying safe  Stages of intimate relationships, positive and negative connotations of sex, protecting sexual and reproductive health, safely ending relationships, spectrum of gender and sexuality, LGBT+ rights and protection under the Equality Act, “coming out” challenges, LGBT+ media stereotypes, power, control and sexual experimentation, forced marriage, honour-based violence, FGM and other abuses, hate crime, sources of support  

The detailed programmes of study per year group can be seen by clicking the link.

Personal Development is delivered every week to the whole school but it is also delivered in a number of other ways which can be seen below:

  • The Duke of Edinburgh Award
  • Combined Cadet Force
  • Young Enterprise
  • Wimbledon Tennis Championships
  • Transition (PGL/summer school)
  • Prince’s Trust 
  • Extensive Extra-curricular programme 
  • Aspiration week
  • PSHCE days
  • Rewards (golden time/merit shop) 
  • Curriculum & extra-curricular trips            
  • ACE awards 
  • Jack Petchey Award
  • Sports partnerships 
  • University partnerships 
  • Local charity partnerships

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