The aim of the Personal Development (PD) curriculum reflects the whole school curriculum vision and through our Contemporary Aspirations provides our young people with the knowledge and skills to embrace the exciting opportunities this modern world brings. We deliver this in line with the schools Traditional Values of an ambitious curriculum, and to deal effectively with the challenges and risks they may encounter. We want our pupils to clearly understand how to keep themselves (and others) safe and healthy (online and offline), to be accepting of diversity, to show empathy and kindness, demonstrating Creative Curiosity to make a positive contribution using their breadth and depth of knowledge to probe inquisitively inside and outside the curriculum along with the wider society they live in.
Our personal development curriculum also plays a key role in the safeguarding of our pupils; adopting a preventative approach and signposting to people/organisations to offer support, advice and guidance. Our curriculum is also flexible and responsive to dealing efficiently with school, local and wider issues as they arise – providing a safe and supportive environment to discuss complex, sensitive and current topics, whilst being sufficiently stable and sequenced to allow the key concepts to be retained by pupils and embedded in their long term memory.
We pride ourselves in providing an inclusive approach to personal development. For example:
Supporting the social, moral, spiritual, and cultural (SMSC) development of our students is at the core of our school culture, vision, and ethos, and is embedded across our curricular and extra-curricular provision.
Our personal development curriculum also plays a key role in supporting SMSC. For example:
All pupils in Key Stage 3 have lessons in ‘Religious Studies’ where they reflect on their own beliefs and develop understanding and respect for different faiths/religions. This is reinforced in PSHE lessons where they are taught directly about religious tolerance and explore the multicultural nature of the UK. They are provided with ample opportunity to reflect upon what makes them who they are (e.g in lessons on ‘personal identity’ and ‘mindfulness’) and explore how others are different.
Our pupils learn about ‘the rule of law’ and the legal position in relation to topics surrounding sex, relationships, and broader safeguarding issues (e.g., substance misuse, criminal exploitation, radicalisation/extremism etc). Pupils engage in regular, thoughtful discussions to explore the far-reaching consequences associated with their behaviour and choices (e.g.when teaching topics such as drugs education and bullying) and they learn about the role of the legal system in the UK.
Pupils frequently engage in paired and group work to actively encourage interaction with others from different backgrounds. They are expected to construct their own informed opinions and listen respectfully to the views of others. As a school we encourage active citizenship (e.g. UK citizens program, through supporting charities- food banks, the Tigers Trust NCS programme, Youth Parliament and climate changemakers) to support the school, local and wider community, and pupils are provided with many extracurricular opportunities (e.g. sporting, drama and music), allowing them to develop skills in cooperation, conflict resolution, teamwork, and an appreciation of difference.
At the heart of our personal development curriculum is promoting acceptance and respect for diversity; actively living the shared values that promote community cohesion, and preparing our students for life in modern Britain. Each school within the trust has an equality, inclusion and diversity champion to share, reflect and develop our inclusive practices. Malet Lambert is a flagship school for the Inclusion Quality Mark.
We adopt a spiral curriculum approach to the teaching of personal development, whereby topics are re-visited frequently in increasing depth, in an age and developmentally appropriate manner. Allowing the prominent elements to be embedded in the long term memory of pupils.
All pupils in years 7 – 11 have one discrete PSHE lesson each fortnight. Please see our PSHE Overview for further information. This is also complemented with registration sessions, assemblies and occasional ‘off-timetable’ sessions where pupils receive specialist input from trained professionals (e.g., the school nurse) and other organisations/groups (e.g.Prison Me, No Way). This PSHE curriculum is planned/monitored/evaluated by the Head of PSHE and is delivered by an experienced team of staff.
Our structured personal development curriculum described above is complimented by input in assemblies (e.g., mental health awareness, anti-bullying, Pride month etc) and from specialist speakers and organisations, for example, ‘St Johns’’ are delivering training on first aid and CPR to all our year 10 pupils. All pupils in Year 7 take part in the Arts Mark Award.
We are also currently collaboratively working across the trust to develop our whole school approach to tackling sexual harassment and abuse. This includes the direct teaching about this topic in PSHE curriculum time, registration periods as well as stakeholder surveys, and communicating regularly with parents and carers about the topic. Pupils have led on their own campaign and currently actively promoting “Challenge It”
The local area has been selected as one of the 18 anti violence “police” hubs in the country, throughout the Summer Term 2023, the school will take part in the training in preparation to expand the training to give the pupils the skills and training known as “bystander intervention” teaching pupils the potential warning signs.
Miss Genter runs a LGBTQ group. This group provides our young people with a safe and supportive environment for discussions with peers and members of staff. We are also beginning to work on projects to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ across the school and further develop positive attitudes towards inclusion, diversity, and equality.
Teaching around LGBTQ+ is embedded across our Personal Development curriculum and many other curriculum areas in our school.
Our personal development curriculum addresses all the DfE statutory outcomes for PSHE Education and Citizenship Education. This includes Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education Our RSE Policy can be found on our Policies and Agreements page.
Promoting the fundamental British values and supporting the social, moral, spiritual and cultural (SMSC) development of our pupils is fundamental to our whole school culture, vision and ethos. This is also embedded across our curricular and extra-curricular provision and a key element of our personal development curriculum.
Parents and carers are fully informed of the content their children learn about in personal development via a weekly ‘Personal Development Update’ that features in the parental newsletter. We also adapt our curriculum to respond promptly to parental suggestions regarding content.
The table below provides an overview of the personal development curriculum at Malet Lambert.
Registration activities - guided discussion |
Assemblies and “one off events” |
Autumn Term (discrete lessons) |
Spring Term (discrete lessons) |
Summer Term (discrete lessons) |
|
Year 7 |
Identity and diversity Careers Relationships and Sex Education Staying safe offline and online British Values - supporting the identity and diversity topics Health and wellbeing Politics LGBT History Month |
Termly PSHE overview Odd Balls House Ethos Remembrance Day Attendance Anti Bullying Literacy Earth Day Sustainability National Careers Week Holocaust Project Holocaust Memorial Day Celebration Assemblies Arts Mark Award |
Identity & Diversity What does it mean to be a British Citizen? Identity, stereotypes, British Values Finance & Careers What do I need to achieve my goals? Personal skills, social and moral responsibilities, business basics |
Relationships & Sex Education What is a healthy relationship? Healthy and unhealthy platonic relationships online and in person, consent, trust, communication Risk & Safety How can I stay safe online and in person? Sharing, risks, trolling, scams Includes FGM* |
Healthy Lifestyles How do I keep my mind and body healthy? Puberty, hygiene, healthy eating, mental health, pressure, upset Government and Politics How does our political system work? Democracy, voting, parties, advocacy |
Year 8 |
Identity and diversity Careers Relationships and Sex Education Staying safe offline and online British Values - supporting the identity and diversity topics Health and wellbeing Politics LGBT History Month |
Termly PSHE overview House Ethos Remembrance Day Attendance Anti Bullying Literacy Earth Day Sustainability National Careers Week Holocaust Memorial Day Celebration Assemblies RAF Cadets |
Identity & Diversity How do we challenge discrimination in society? Prejudice, discrimination, hate crimes Finance & Careers How am I responsible in the financial world? Professionalism, financial responsibilities, tax and debt, employment rights |
Relationships & Sex Education What is attraction? Chemicals, sexuality, consent, choices, the law, stigma Risk & Safety What are the dangers of online and personal safety? Gambling, knife crime, County Lines, abuse and exploitation, substance abuse |
Healthy Lifestyles What might threaten a healthy lifestyle? Self-esteem, peer pressure, self-regulation, stress, grief from broken relationships (divorce) Government and Politics How can I get involved in politics? Elections, local councils, lobbying, grass-roots politics, advocacy |
Year 9 |
Identity and diversity Careers Relationships and Sex Education Staying safe offline and online British Values - supporting the identity and diversity topics Health and wellbeing Politics LGBT History Month |
Termly PSHE overview House Ethos Remembrance Day Attendance Anti Bullying Literacy Earth Day Sustainability National Careers Week Holocaust Memorial Day Celebration Assemblies One Punch Prison Me No Way Guided Choices |
Identity & Diversity How can I be a positive local, national and global citizen? Successful local, national and global communities, contributing Finance & Careers What choices do I have next? GCSE, post-16 and FE options, financial risk and loan options |
Relationships & Sex Education What are safe relationships? Healthy and unhealthy sexual relationships online and in person, STIs and contraception, stigma, sexting Risk & Safety How do I manage a dangerous situation? Exploitation, extremism, trafficking, suicide |
Healthy Lifestyles How do we stay resilient in difficult situations? Body image, anxiety and depression, eating addictions, stress and pressure, grief from bereavement Government and Politics How can I get involved in global politics? Global political systems, ideologies, campaigns, accountability, advocacy |
Year 10 |
Further and Higher Education Effective revision strategies Exam Stress and Mental Health Finance Discrimination and stereotyping Staying safe online and offline First Aid LGBT History Month |
Termly PSHE overview House Ethos Remembrance Day Attendance Anti Bullying Literacy Earth Day Sustainability National Careers Week Holocaust Memorial Day Celebration Assemblies One Punch |
How do I take care of my own health and well-being? Risk and safety*: Online safety, fake news, digital footprint, grooming Health and wellbeing: alcohol/drug misuse; mental health and self-harm |
RS Units |
What is acceptable and unacceptable in a relationship? RSE: Consent, contraception, stalking, sexual violence |
Year 11 |
Further and Higher Education Effective revision strategies Exam Stress and Mental Health Finance Discrimination and stereotyping Staying safe online and offline Independent revision |
Termly PSHE overview House Ethos Remembrance Day Attendance Anti Bullying Literacy Earth Day Sustainability National Careers Week Holocaust Memorial Day Celebration Assemblies College Providers presentations |
How do I take care of my own health and well-being? Risk and safety: Gambling, addiction, County Lines Health and wellbeing: Body image, SEED, health checks |
RS Units |
What is acceptable and unacceptable in a relationship? RSE: Pregnant, parental responsibilities, fertility, abortion |
We are currently reviewing our program based on stakeholder feedback. Further updates will appear in the Summer term 2023.