New Personal Development Programme

Dear Parent / Carer,

We are writing to you to introduce our new Personal Development programme. Given our current climate, it is vital that we continue to focus on our students’ mental health alongside physical and emotional wellbeing.

Throughout the Personal Development programme, students will develop the knowledge, skills and qualities required to manage the choices they make both now and in the future. These decisions and skills will help ensure pupils stay healthy, safe and prepare them for life in and out of school.

The Personal Development programme intends to remove barriers to learning and significantly improve students’ ability to succeed. The programme contributes to students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, their behaviour and safety as well as promoting their physical and mental well-being through Relationships and Sex Education. The programme will also develop students’ citizenship and emphasise the importance of community whilst providing further education on careers.

Evidence shows that well delivered PSHE intervention such as the Personal Development programme has an impact on both academic and non-academic outcomes for pupils in developing skills that are identified as key attitudes for future employment.

The Personal Development programme will be delivered through the following steps:

Students will have their own exercise book which will be used to reflect on their overall performance and progress they are making.
Tutors will deliver one Personal Development lesson a cycle
Students will have regular assemblies which may be linked to our Personal Development curriculum; students will complete tasks based on this assembly theme.
At various points throughout the year, we will welcome outside companies in to deliver key topics.

We strongly encourage all parents / carers to access the Personal Development overview to further understand the content covered which at times will be complex and sensitive for our students. Please access the curriculum map here: https://www.purbeck.dorset.sch.uk/information/curriculum/pshe/

Finally, we look forward to watching the students develop throughout the Personal Development programme and if you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact either Mrs C Watson or our head of Personal Development, Mrs A. Humphreys.