Personal Development

The Personal Development curriculum is designed to be diverse, modern and engaging. It is a curriculum that supports all students to become successful global citizens with the skills, knowledge and confidence to have a positive impact on our community. Inclusion is at the heart of our curriculum, which has been specifically designed for our vibrant, culturally rich and diverse cohort. We want our students to embrace and challenge different aspects of society through understanding, reflection upon previous experiences and making the most of the numerous opportunities provided to explore the skills, concepts and experiences required for the next stage of their educational journey.

Welcome To Personal Development – Subject Leader: Mrs L Campbell

Intent of the curriculum:

The Personal Development curriculum is designed to be diverse, modern and engaging. It is a curriculum that supports all students to become successful global citizens with the skills, knowledge and confidence to have a positive impact on our community. Inclusion is at the heart of our curriculum, which has been specifically designed for our vibrant, culturally rich and diverse cohort. We want our students to embrace and challenge different aspects of society through understanding, reflection upon previous experiences and making the most of the numerous opportunities provided to explore the skills, concepts and experiences required for the next stage of their educational journey.

Our curriculum promotes spiritual, moral and cultural development and incorporates good quality relationships and sex education, as well as focusing on the physical, mental and social well-being of staff and students. Our curriculum reinforces the need to be tolerant, recognises the power of democracy and celebrates success. The Personal Development curriculum actively promotes the school’s values of respect, resilience, relentlessness, creativity, compassion and aspiration.

Our curriculum takes a thematic approach, which covers six spiral core themes that progressively run through each year group:

Health and Wellbeing
Living in the Wider world
Rights, Responsibilities and British Values
Careers Education
Staying Safe Online and Offline
RSE

The themes are built upon each year and lessons within these themes cover the statutory requirements for RSE and Health and Wellbeing, Citizenship and British Values. Personal Development lessons also meet the requirements of the Gatsby benchmarks.

Implementation:

All lessons are fully planned and resourced, with built in differentiation, retrieval and a workbook per unit
Built in self-assessment by confidence checkers at the start and end of each lesson
Personal Development lessons are taught by form tutors wherever possible, which ensures Personal Development is taught in a supportive environment where students will feel comfortable discussing sensitive issues
Drop down days and assemblies supplement the curriculum to ensure all statutory content is covered appropriately
External agencies are used for some elements of the curriculum
Our curriculum has the flexibility to be reactive to pastoral issues that our students encounter or issues raised by the Student Council
CPD is provided regularly for all staff

Impact:

Students demonstrate respectful relationships around school and in the community
Ridgeway Values are evident in students’ behaviour around school, their relationships with peers and staff, and their attitude to learning
Students are equipped to be responsible, respectful, active citizens who contribute positively to society
Students demonstrate an understanding of fundamental British values and appreciation of diversity
Students can celebrate what we have in common and promote respect for the different protected characteristics as defined in the Equalities Act
Students will have a broad understanding of the opportunities available to them at the next stage of their journey in education, training or work and will feel confident that they can made informed decisions that are right for them