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Personal Development and Well-Being
Here at St George’s we see Personal Development as the central part of our children’s learning journey – it underpins everything we do. Through every interaction; every lesson; every event; every assembly. We are proud to support all children to develop social awareness; strength of character; acceptance of others; and academic success and achievement. Our primary aim is to prepare children for the wider world so that they can have a strong sense of purpose and belonging, and so that they have the confidence to make their voices heard.
At St George’s, we are committed to providing a purposeful and empowering curriculum that fully prepares learners for the next steps in their school career and the wider world. We want our children to aspire to achieve and believe that it is essential that they understand the world in which they live. Broadening our children’s horizons and giving them the belief that they are capable of achieving great things drives our curriculum. Our Personal Development Curriculum offer gives the children the knowledge and understanding they need make informed choices and to be a positive influence in the communities that they belong to.
Today’s children and young people are growing up in an increasingly complex world and living their lives seamlessly on and offline. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also includes challenges and risks. In this environment, children and young people need to know how to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way. Our aim is to develop skills and attributes such as resilience, self-esteem, risk-management, team-working and critical thinking.
If children understand their feelings; have an excellent sense of self-worth; have the ability to make decisions; have a deep-rooted sense of respect for all; and act with kindness and integrity then they develop in confidence and character as they grow.
We love to see children flourish both socially and emotionally and know that what we teach during their primary years can shape the person that they become in the future.
A child is like a butterfly in the wind,
Some can fly higher than others,
But each one can fly the best it can.
Why compare one against the other?
Each one is different.
Each one is special.
Each one is beautiful.
What is Personal Development?
'Encouraging each child to become personally, emotionally, socially and physically effective, to lead healthy, safe and fulfilled lives; To become confident, independent and responsible citizens, making informed and responsible choices and decisions throughout their lives’
Taking this definition, it means more than the continuum of life skills. It is a process that involves the entire world of the young person, of which school can play a significant part. Personal development involves knowledge, attitudes, skills, relationships and behaviour that can be utilised in and outside the classroom. This involves thinking processes, managing emotions, values and relationships along with a range of life skills that assist young people is coping with the challenges of every day living. This is inclusive of their present needs and helping them in their development toward adulthood.
Our Statement of Intent
“The wider the range of possibilities we offer children, the more intense will be their motivations and the richer their experiences.” Loris Malaguzzi
Our intent is to nurture happy, healthy young people who have the knowledge, academic achievement and strength of character to lead safe and successful lives in modern Britain, preparing them for their next steps in education or employment with a thirst for lifelong learning.
We ensure that every member of our school community knows that we are committed to supporting their physical health, safety, and emotional wellbeing throughout their journey with us. At St George’s we promote personal wellbeing and development through a comprehensive programme of Character Education and PSHE/RSHE. PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) education is the curriculum subject that gives young people the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and practical skills to live safe, healthy, productive lives and meet their full potential. Character Education is a wider umbrella term which helps students build Character, the knowledge here is underpinned by our core Christian and school values of love, faith, courage and honour. “Stand firm in faith, do everything in love.” Through weekly dedicated PSHE lessons, and curriculum enhancement days our children take part in a well-planned and sequenced programme to ensure they are committing age appropriate knowledge to memory. Children at St George’s are encouraged to develop their individual character, learn how to stay safe and healthy and develop knowledge to ensure they are well equipped for the future.
At St George’s Church of England Academy, we promote Personal Development as a whole-school approach to underpin children’s holistic development and self-growth. There are many avenues throughout the school which drive our personal development forward:
- Relationship education, Health education, Sex education
- British Values
- SMSC(Spiritual, Moral, Social, Cultural)
- Our Christian Ethos and Values
- Religious Education & Physical Education
- Interactions with our pastoral team.
- Character Education
- Health Education
- Celebratory Days and Events
- Extended Learning Curriculum
- Promotion of Mental Health and Well-being for all the school community
- Cultural Capital
Implementation of Personal Development
Personal development is at the heart of our whole school ethos. We ensure each area of the personal development curriculum delivers all aspects of the statutory guidance and reflects our specific needs of our children and the wider school community. We have dedicated leaders for each of the key areas of the personal development curriculum; SMSC and British Values, School Leadership, PSHE and RSE, Emotional Health and Wellbeing, and Living in the Wider World which includes our work around Kindness Crusaders. The curriculum leads ensure that planning is engaging and well sequenced as part of the holistic personal development curriculum and provide training for non-specialist members of staff to ensure that all our children get the very best we have to offer.
The curriculum is delivered through every aspect of school life; every interaction with another child or an adult in school is a learning experience. It includes activities and experiences that improve awareness and identity, develop talents and potential, build character and cultural capital, enhance children’s quality of life and encourage aspiration.
Curriculum breadth shaped by our curriculum drivers – Creativity, Equity, Possibilities and Sustainability, derived from an exploration of the backgrounds of our children, our Christian values (including the British Values) and our commitment to delivering high quality education.
All aspects of the curriculum are mapped out in the overview of our whole school approach to personal development. Some are taught, some delivered through PSHE Curriculum and Character Education other experiences may happen less frequently e.g. visits and visitors.
It includes activities and experiences that improve awareness and identity, develop talents and potential, build character and cultural capital, enhance children’s quality of life and encourage aspiration.
How do we teach Personal Development at St George's?
St George's teaches personal development in a wide range of ways throughout the children’s school lives.
For example:
- It is taught in discrete lessons.
- It is taught with cross-curricular links in other lessons, such as English, physical education and religious education
- Staff members consistently model how to be a good citizen who uphold the school values.
- Assemblies (whole school and special visitors.
- Learning basic first aid.
- Specialist staff working with individuals and groups
- E-Safety lessons in computing and assembly
- Celebrating positive learning attributes.
- A wide range of after school clubs
- Well thought through transitions throughout the school and beyond
- Focusing on mental and physical health
- Eco-warriors’ group
- Opportunities for children to develop leadership skills through the Faith Team and Well-Being Council and Pupil Council.
- Celebrating different languages, cultures and religions
- Outdoor activity trips
Children’s Well-being at St George
Social and emotional skills are the skills that help children and young people develop their resilience and manage their thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
They are important life skills that support pupils’ ability to cope with and negotiate their way through difficult situations, as well as build positive relationships with their peers and adults.
These skills can improve academic attainment and enhance pupils’ motivation, as well as promote wellbeing and help prevent mental health difficulties from developing.
Schools can play a pivotal role in building the strong emotional foundations that all of us need in order to thrive and be mentally healthy.
What are social and emotional skills?
Social and emotional skills help children and young people to:
- identify and manage their feelings and their behaviour, and reach out for help where necessary
- build and manage healthy relationships
- have self-control
- resolve conflict
- be self-aware
- handle and overcome difficulties
- make good decisions
- build resilience, self-esteem and confidence
- think positively about themselves and how they perceive the world around them
- recognise and prevent poor mental health
- grow into well-rounded and healthy adults.
Healthy Mind - Mental Health
We all have mental health. Your mental health affects how you feel, think and act. It refers to your emotional, psychological and social wellbeing. Your mental health can change on a daily basis and over time, and can be affected by a range of factors. It’s important to look after your mental health, as you would look after your physical health. Your state of wellbeing affects how you cope with stress, relate to others and make choices. It also plays a part in your relationships with your family, community, colleagues and friends.
Good mental health among children and young people
When children and young people have good levels of wellbeing it helps them to:
- learn and explore the world
- feel, express and manage positive and negative emotions
- to have a sense of belonging and feel connected with people around them
- form and maintain good relationships with others
- cope with, and manage, change, setbacks and uncertainty
- develop and thrive
When children and young people look after their mental health and develop their coping skills it can help them to boost their resilience, self-esteem and confidence. It can also help them learn to manage their emotions, feel calm, and engage positively with their education - which can, in turn, improve their academic attainment.
What affects children and young people’s mental health?
A child or young person’s mental health will be influenced by many things over time and, because they all have different personalities, they will react and cope with challenging situations in different ways.
How we can support children and young people’s mental health?
Schools are the ideal environment to promote and support pupils’ mental health and wellbeing.
Most children and young people spend a significant amount of time in school and with their teachers, which means that school staff are in a good position to identify a child who may be struggling, and help refer them to get the support they need.
At St George’s, we strive to help children develop social and emotional skills, providing them with the coping skills and tools they need to understand and manage their thoughts, feelings, behaviour, goals and relationships.
We do this through teaching health and wellbeing education (PSHE / RSE) and weaving these topics and skills throughout the broader curriculum and school life. Health and wellbeing shouldn’t be taught in isolation but reinforced throughout the curriculum and the time that the child or young person is in school.
For further information on emotional Health and Well-being please check out our dedicated page.
