St John Fisher Catholic Primary School

Personal Development: Curriculum Statement  

Intent:

In line with the National Curriculum 2014, all schools must provide a curriculum that is broadly based, balanced and meets the needs of all pupils. Under section 78 of the Education Act 2002 and the Academies Act 2010, a PSHcE curriculum:

• Promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, and
• Prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

The National Curriculum advises schools to make provision for personal, social, health, citizenship and economic education (PSHcE), drawing on good practice. At St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, PSHcE is called Personal Development is reflected across the curriculum and is a central part of the children’s school experience.

 Personal Development is taught explicitly as part of a whole school approach. We believe that successful Personal Development supports children’s learning capacity, and this aspect of the school’s work is held in high regard, as we believe that it promotes wellbeing and underpins children’s development as people.

At St John Fisher, we believe that our curriculum provides children with rich experiences that enable children to be: spiritually enlightened, mentally and emotionally happy, culturally literate individuals with social competence, and masters of core skills, thus supporting their success in school and in to their adult lives. We encourage children to become well-rounded characters building on a complete set of values, skills, attitudes and behaviours that support the children to succeed. These include respect, leadership, motivation, resilience, self-control, self-confidence, social and emotional skills and communication skills.

To support our aims, we follow Ten Ten’s PSHE+ programme of study, supplemented with TWINKL PSHE, that offers a comprehensive Scheme of Work bringing consistency and progression to our children’s learning in this vital curriculum area. Our approach also supports the “Personal Development” and “Behaviour and Attitude” aspects required under the Ofsted Inspection Framework. It significantly contributes to the school’s Safeguarding and Equality Duties, the Government’s British Values agenda and the SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural) development opportunities provided for our children.

We aim to ensure that all children:

• Develop confidence and responsibility
• Are able to articulate their emotional well-being
• Prepare to play an active role as citizens in Britain
• Develop a healthy, safer lifestyle
• Are mentally and emotionally happy
• Develop good relationships and become culturally literate individuals with social competence

Implementation:

The TenTen PSHE+ and TWINKL scheme covers all areas of Personal Development for the primary phase. In order for us to fulfil the statutory Relationships and Health Education, all year groups follow the diocesan approved resource from ‘TenTen Theatre’ called ‘Live Life to the Full.’

 At St John Fisher, Personal Development lessons are taught weekly. This ensures that we are able to teach the Personal Development knowledge and skills in a developmental and age-appropriate way. These explicit lessons are reinforced and enhanced with rich experiences which include:

• Assemblies, which explore the aspects of each term’s specific themes in greater depth, supporting children to make links to their own lives within and beyond school
• Praise and reward systems,
• Positive relationships - child to child, adult to child and adult to adult across the school. 
• Pupil Voice 

We aim to ‘live’ what is learnt and apply it to everyday situations in the school community. Class teachers deliver the weekly lessons to their own classes which allows for a personal approach to each cohort of children. The school’s ethos, curriculum design and Personal Development lesson coverage promote the following:

• Empathy and compassion (including impact on decision-making and behaviour)
• Respect for others’ right to their own beliefs, values and opinions (supported by our Rights Respecting Schools Award)
• Sensitivity in evaluating the arguments and opinions of others
• Skills for employability, including  active listening and communication (including assertiveness skills)
• Team working
• Negotiation (including flexibility, self-advocacy and compromise within an awareness of personal boundaries)
• Leadership skills
• Presentation skills
• Enterprise skills and attributes (e.g. aspiration, creativity, goal setting, identifying opportunities, taking positive risks)
• Recognising, evaluating and utilising strategies for managing influence
• Valuing and respecting diversity
• Using these skills and attributes to build and maintain healthy relationships of all kinds

In each curriculum area, consideration is given to the school’s and classes own context to ensure that learning experiences are meaningful and relevant. Learning experiences themselves are also varied and opportunities for learning outside the classroom are also valued, considered and specifically planned for. Children are provided with opportunities to take pride in and ownership of the school grounds and their own learning. 

Through the involvement of visitors with specialist skills and backgrounds and the careful consideration and planning of trips and real-life experiences, the children are able to build on their knowledge of community and develop the skills they will require for life after education. 

Impact:

The school has established and maintained an engaging learning environment where the children have positive relationships with their peers and teachers.

Children are encouraged to develop the vocabulary and confidence needed to clearly articulate their thoughts and feelings in a climate of openness, trust and respect, and know when and how they can seek the support of others. They will apply their understanding of society to their interactions within communities, from the classroom to the wider community of which they are a part. Our scheme of work supports the active development of a school culture that prioritises physical and mental health and wellbeing, providing children with skills to evaluate and understand their own wellbeing needs, practise self-care and contribute positively to the wellbeing of those around them.

Successful Personal Development education can have a positive impact on the whole child, including their academic development and progress, by mitigating any social and emotional barriers to learning and building confidence and self-esteem. Evidence suggests that successful Personal Development education also helps disadvantaged and vulnerable children achieve to a greater extent by raising aspirations and empowering them with skills to overcome barriers they face. Our whole-school approach to Personal Development positively impacts wellbeing, safeguarding and SMSC outcomes. This ensures that all children can develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to be lifelong learners in school and the wider world.

The Leader for PSHcE is Danielle Montgomerie.