Personal Development
Aim
Here at Southmoor Academy, we aim to securely equip all of our students for life beyond school as successful, confident, responsible and respectful citizens. We believe that education provides the key to social mobility and our curriculum is designed to build strong foundations in the knowledge, understanding and skills which lead to academic and personal success. We want our students to enjoy the challenges that learning offers.
Our aims are underpinned by a culture of high aspirations. Through developing positive relationships, we work towards every individual having a strong belief in their own abilities so that they work hard, build resilience and achieve their very best.
Intent
The curriculum includes formal teaching through subject areas, assemblies and extracurricular activities. We regularly review content to ensure we continue to meet our curriculum aims. The Personal Development and Careers curriculum is planned to enable all students to develop skills in the following areas:
- Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE)
- Living in the Wider World
- Careers and Aspirations
Throughout our programmes of study, every attempt is made to make explicit links to careers and the world of work. In addition to subject specific links, we aim to explicitly reinforce the skills and aptitudes which employers say are important in the workplace;
- Aiming high, staying positive and resilience
- Communication skills (listening, speaking, presenting)
- Teamwork and problem solving
- Creativity and thinking skills
- Self-management and leadership
The British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect of those with different faiths and beliefs are taught explicitly and reinforced in the way in which the school operates.
Sequence and structure
Our curriculum is split in to Key Stage 3 (years 7, 8 and 9), Key Stage 4 (years 10 and 11) and Key Stage 5 (years 12 and 13). All students have one formal lesson of Personal Development on their timetable which is led by a team of specialist teachers. In addition, there are a number of extra opportunities to engage in the subject throughout the year, including presentations from external providers.
Key Stage 3 Curriculum
Our Key Stage 3 Personal Development Curriculum includes the following areas of study:
Click here to view the Year 7 Personal Development curriculum intent for 2022-2023.
Click here to view the Year 8 Personal Development curriculum intent for 2022-2023.
Click here to view the Year 9 Personal Development curriculum intent for 2022-2023.
September to February February to July Year 7 RSHE: Healthy lifestyle LWW: Managing Money & Money Matters CA: Self-Awareness & Skill Attributes RSHE: All about people LWW: British Values & Modern Britain CA: Introduction to Higher Education Year 8 RSHE: Growing Up LWW: Safety in the Virtual World & Personal Finance CA: The World of Work & Employment RSHE: Exploring Sexuality LWW: Understanding Modern Britain CA: What is Enterprise? Year 9 RSHE: Pressures Facing Young People Today LWW: Finance in the World of Work CA: Developing My Future Pathway RSHE: Staying Healthy LWW: Rights & Responsibilities CA: Exploring Higher Education We know that students who read well achieve well. As such all staff are committed to providing regular opportunities to read extensively.
Key Stage 4 Curriculum
Our Key Stage 4 Curriculum
Click here to view the Year 10 Personal Development curriculum intent for 2022-2023.
Click here to view the Year 11 Personal Development curriculum intent for 2022-2023.
KS4 Half Term 1 Half Term 2 Half Term 3 Half Term 4 Half Term 5 Half Term 6 Year 10 RSHE: Social Behaviours CA: Preparing for the Workplace LWW: Online Security and Fraud RSHE: Managing Change CA: Making an Application LWW: Risk & Reward Year 11 RSHE: Mental Health CA: Applying for Post 16 Pathways LWW: Communities in Britain RSHE: Safe sex & safer bodies LWW: Lifelong learning & independence Key Stage 5 Curriculum
Our Key Stage 5 Curriculum
KS5 Half Term 1 Half Term 2 Half Term 3 Half Term 4 Half Term 5 Half Term 6 Year 12 RSHE: Health & Wellbeing
LWW: Life Beyond School CA: Next Steps RSHE: Staying Safe Online and Offline LWW: Celebrating Diversity and Equality CA: Making an Application Year 13 RSHE: Intimate Relations and Sexual Health LWW: Personal Finance CA: Online Reputation RSHE: Mental Wellbeing LWW: Drugs, Tobacco, and Alcohol RSHE: Relationships and Sex Education & Health
LWW: Living in the Wider World
CA: Careers & Aspirations
We know that students who read well achieve well. As such all subject areas are committed to providing regular opportunities to read extensively. We provide regular opportunities for students to read for pleasure and to receive small group interventions if their reading skills are lower than we would expect.
How does our Curriculum cater for students with SEND?
Southmoor Academy is an inclusive academy where every child is valued and respected. We are committed to the inclusion, progress and independence of all of our students, including those with SEN. We work to support our students to make progress in their learning, their emotional and social development and their independence. We actively work to support the learning and needs of all members of our community.
A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made that is additional to or different from that made generally for other children or young people of the same age. (CoP 2015, p16)
Teachers are responsible for the progress of ALL students in their class and high-quality teaching is carefully planned; this is the first step in supporting students who may have SEND. All students are challenged to do their very best and all students at the Academy are expected to make at least good progress.
Specific approaches which are used within the curriculum areas include:
- Seating to allow inclusion
- Differentiation activities and objectives to stretch and support in all lessons
- Resources are accessible
- Where appropriate support from additional adults is planned to scaffold students learning
- Group work and discussion
- Clear teacher/student communication
- Feedback that allows students to make progress, whether written or verbal
- Personalised mediums of communication to allow oracy development of all
- Assessments based on skills covered and self-reflection of topics content
- Think, pair, share activities supported by seating and partnering due to verbal ability
- Advanced information for parents and students based on upcoming topics to allow preparation and support to be put in place for foreseen issues surrounding sensitive topics
- Rules reinforced regularly to ensure expectations are explicit and that lessons remain safe and supportive
- Use of SEND ranges and pupil passports to apply appropriate methods in lessons for particular student needs
- Developing emotional recognition and regulation skills to enhance the ability of SEND students to engage with lesson content, encouraging reflection and providing opportunities to practice and embed these skills within and beyond the curriculum
- SEND students are targeted more frequently for live marking to ensure sufficient progress is made
- Teachers aim to create a supportive environment in Personal Development classes where students with SEND are encouraged to share their ideas to content where there is ‘no wrong answer’
- Personal Development includes teaching of specific SEND and discrimination faced by those with SEND to expand and deepen the awareness of SEND within all students, for example we cover Disability Awareness, The Equality Act and the protected characteristics, Neurodiversity and learning difficulties
How does our curriculum cater for disadvantaged students and those from minority groups?
As a school serving areas with high levels of deprivation, we work tirelessly to raise the attainment for all students and to close any gaps that exist due to social contexts. The deliberate allocation of funding and resources has ensured that attainment gaps are closing in our drive to ensure that all pupils are equally successful when they leave the Academy. More specifically within the teaching of Preparing for Life, we:
- Work to identify barriers, interests and what might help each pupil make the next steps in learning
- Provide targeted support for pupils who are not making the expected progress during lesson time, in addition to intervention outside school hours
- Use strategies best suited to addressing individual needs
- Ensure there are opportunities for students to make use of resources and gain support outside of lesson time
- The content covered in the curriculum is specifically linked to address misconceptions, stigma and discrimination encountered by such groups, using legislation to support teaching
- Students are trained in resiliency skills throughout the curriculum to encourage students to persevere and work through barriers they may face in their academic and personal journeys
- Careers education is introduced earlier than required, in year 7, to raise aspirations of all
- Wider opportunities are provided to students through a range of external speakers and workshops where they can interact with services and individuals from a range of backgrounds and allow them to understand the link between the curriculum and the world around them
- Students are taught about the regeneration of their local area and their role in enhancing it through enterprise and charitable opportunities
- Strong links are established with primary schools to discover the content of Personal Development students have previously received so that during secondary school, their Personal Development learning can be tailored to ensure all students are given the same learning opportunities in the curriculum
- Students classed as disadvantaged are targeted more regularly for live marking, to ensure progress is being made and to close the attainment gap
- A culture of high expectations is created and shared amongst Personal Development, ensuring all students, regardless of their background are aware of the possibilities in the future and that they aim high
- Support networks are shared at the end of each topic to ensure students facing the difficulties discussed in the subject know where to go for help
- Specific topics are covered in Personal Development that cover various forms of disadvantage that may be encountered in life to raise awareness and understanding, for example: poverty, immigration, healthy relationships
How do we make sure that our curriculum is implemented effectively?
The Personal Development Curriculum Coordinator: is responsible for designing the Personal Development curriculum and monitoring implementation.
Staff have regular access to professional development/training to ensure that curriculum requirements are met.
Effective assessment informs staff about areas in which interventions are required. These interventions are delivered during curriculum time to enhance pupils’ capacity to access the full curriculum.
Curriculum resources are selected carefully and reviewed regularly.
The Personal Development curriculum contributes to whole school events and activities to promote the transferable skills developed through learning and their application to the work of work.
How do we make sure our curriculum is having the desired impact?
- Lesson observations
- Learning walks
- Work scrutiny
- Regular feedback from Teaching Staff during department meetings
- Regular feedback from Middle Leaders during curriculum meetings
- Pupil Surveys
- Parental feedback
- Evaluation of staff CPD and student events
