Personal Development

Introduction:

Personal Development helps pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to keep themselves healthy and safe, and prepared for life and work with an impact on academic and non-academic outcomes. Our Programmes of Study aim to develop skills and attributes such as resilience, self-esteem, risk management, teamwork and critical thinking in the context of three core themes: health and wellbeing, relationships and living in the wider world (including economic wellbeing and aspects of careers education)

How it benefits our students:

Personal Development can tackle barriers to learning, raise aspiration and improve life chances for all students. There is evidence to show that it can also address substance misuse, unhealthy eating, lack of physical activity, emotional health and wellbeing.

The Personal Development curriculum:

The Personal Development curriculum has been designed to reflect the needs of our community and is based on the statutory guidance for RSE 2025 – see the curriculum map for further details. Teaching under the new framwork will begin in September 2026.

How Personal Development is delivered:

Personal Development is delivered as a discrete subject fortnightly to provide continuity and progression with opportunities to learn through other curriculum subjects and events. We have the same high expectations in Personal Development lessons as other subjects and students are issued with a workbook to log their work. In addition students receive a weekly assembly based on the school’s monthly theme. A weekly Personal Development PowerPoint is shown to all students at the start of each week which covers a number of elements of the RSE 2026 curriculum. Three items of current ‘In The News’ items are shared to generate discussion.  During morning registration there are also opportunities to develop our PD work further with 'Workshop Wednesday' Wellbeing topics and tutors are able ot discuss current affairs and develop knowledge of national focused areas such as 'Anti Bullying week', Mental Health awareness month and Black History month. 

Who delivers the Personal Development programme:

Your child’s form tutor delivers the majority of the content but external agencies such as Essex Fire and Rescue, Colchester United and ‘Restart A Heart’ are invited in to support the learning. Members of the Leadership team in conjunction with the Head of Year lead assemblies. Time is allocated to researching the theme and considering creative ways to deliver the material.

Assessment of Personal Development:

To be successful independent learners, children and young people need regular opportunities to reflect on and identify what they have learned, what needs to be learned and what they need to continue their learning. The personal nature of a Personal Development curriculum means that it cannot be assessed in the same ways as most other subjects. It is however possible to recognise and evidence progress and attainment in the knowledge, understanding, skills and attributes Personal Development strives to enhance.  The model of assessment we utilise is that at the start of every new unit an initial activity is carried out to gauge the students starting point. It is used to inform the teachers planning for that module. At the end of the unit an activity is carried out to allow students to demonstrate the progress they have made. For example an initial mind-map which is then revisited with a coloured pen adding to it, correcting previous misconceptions and answering initial questions.

Promoting British Values at Boswells School:

Teaching British values at our school is an important way to enable students to embrace the key values that they need to be equipped for life in modern British society.  Students at our shool develop self-knowledge, are better able to make the right choices and make contributions to the wider school and their community by studying and promoting the British values of: Demoracy; the rule of law; individual liberty; mutual respect; and acceptance for those with different faiths and beliefs. 

The Personal Development Curriculum:

British values are taught explicitly as part of the Personal Development and Citizenship curriculum.  Topics studied include: Why have rules; a community of individuals; and shared values in school and society.

Democracy:

Twice a year students complete questionnaires on a full range of school issues.  Their opinions are then used to feed into future planning.  A result of this feedback have been:

• New items of uniform;
• Improvements of food choices at break and lunchtime;
• Feeback to the Teaching & Learning working party.

The rule of law:

The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, is consistently reinforced, and consequently our students possess a strong sense of equality and understanding of what is right and wrong. 

Students are taugh the 'rules' of the school along with the value and reasons behind rules and laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involes and the consequences when rules and the law are broken.  An integral part of our Behaviour and Rewards Policy is the use of restorative justice.  It aims to increase student awareness of how their actions affect others in the community and ensure students are better able to make the right choices.

Individual Liberty:

Students are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment.  As a school, we educate and provide boundaries so that students can make informed choices and respectfully express their views and beliefs.

Students are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms, and are advised how to exercise these safely and respectfully, for example through our assemblies, PD curriculum, current affairs and tutorial activities. 

Stereotypes are regularly challenged and we are working hard to raise the aspirations of all of our students with regular discussions about potential career possibilities and providing opportunities to experience different career and further education opportunities.  All students have equally high aspirations for their futures.

In PD students learn about individual liberty by learning about how they can express their rights and personal freedoms safely.

Mutual Respect:

Mutual respect is at the heart of our values.  Staff and students treat each other with the utmost respect and courtesy.  Students learn that their behaviours affect their rights and those of others.  All members of the school community are required to treat each other with respect; this is a high profile message that is communicated to students frequently.

Anti-bullying has a high profile within the school and is addressed through the tutorial programme, assemblies, surveys and our Anti-bullying Policy.  We celebrate Anti-bullying Week with a series of tutor activities and whole school events to promote difference and equality in our school.  Students are also taught about respect and bullying in the online world through our curriculum and e-safety lessons.

Acceptance of those of different faiths and beliefs:

We are proud to promote and celebrate our different backgrounds and beliefs.  Students learn that all members of the school community deserve to be treated with respect and that differences are to be accepted.

Assemblies and tutorial activities actively challenge sterotypes and reinfore messages of tolerance and respect for others no matter their ethnicity, beliefs, gender or disability.  Assemblies cover a variety of topics. 

Further reading:

• RSE Policy
• LGBT policy
• Mental Wellbeing policy
• Suicide Awareness policy
• Harmful Sexual Behaviour / Peer on Peer Abuse policy

Personal Development Plan 2025-26

Sixth Form Personal Development Plan 2025-26

Assembly Rota 2025-26

Sixth Form Assembly Rota 2025-26

Scheme Of Work Years 7-11