Personal Development
Personal Development and Wellbeing at Beeston Primary School
At Beeston Primary School, we believe that education is about much more than academic achievement. We want every child to develop the knowledge, skills, confidence and understanding they need to thrive, both now and in the future.
Our Personal Development programme supports pupils to become confident, respectful, resilient and responsible members of our school and wider community. We provide pupils with opportunities to develop their understanding of themselves and others, make positive choices, develop healthy relationships and discover their interests and talents.
Our Enrichment and Personal Development Journey
Wellbeing
The wellbeing of our pupils is at the heart of our school community. We want every child to feel safe, valued, listened to and that they belong.
Through our curriculum and wider school provision, pupils learn how to:
- recognise and talk about their feelings and emotions
- look after their physical and mental wellbeing
- develop positive relationships with others
- understand how to keep themselves safe
- manage challenges and develop resilience
- make healthy and informed choices
- recognise when they or someone else may need help
- know who they can talk to when they have a worry or concern.
We create opportunities for pupils to talk, reflect and develop strategies that support their wellbeing. Our pastoral support is available to all pupils who need additional help, and we work closely with families and external agencies where appropriate.
PSHE and Relationships and Health Education
Our PSHE curriculum supports pupils to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to lead healthy, safe and fulfilling lives. We recognise that pupils’ personal development needs change as they grow, so our curriculum is responsive to the needs of our pupils and the context of our school community.
Core PSHE Curriculum
Our core PSHE curriculum follows the Pol-Ed curriculum, which covers all of the statutory content for Relationships Education and Health Education.
The curriculum is organised around four key areas:
- Relationships – developing healthy and respectful relationships with family, friends and others.
- Keeping Safe – understanding how to keep ourselves and others safe in different situations, including online.
- Understanding the Law – developing an age-appropriate understanding of laws, responsibilities and the choices we make.
- Wellbeing – understanding our physical and emotional health and developing strategies to support our wellbeing.
Year groups have flexibility over the order in which lessons are taught so that learning can respond to the needs of individual pupils and each cohort. Teachers use their knowledge of pupils and assessment of their understanding to revisit key topics or draw on lessons from previous year groups where appropriate. Coverage and pupils’ understanding are tracked within each year group and monitored by the PSHE lead.
Our Bespoke PSHE Curriculum - A curriculum that responds to our pupils
Alongside the core curriculum, teachers develop a bespoke PSHE curriculum which responds to safeguarding needs, the context of our pupils and the wider community.
This includes dedicated learning about young carers, with at least two lessons for each year group, as well as additional opportunities to explore grief and loss. This enables our PSHE provision to respond to issues and experiences that may be particularly relevant to pupils in our school community.
Supporting Pupils' Mental Health and Wellbeing
We are proud to continue to be a Mindmate Friendly school. We also MindMate resources across Years 1–6 to support pupils' emotional wellbeing and mental health. The topics covered are:
- Feeling Good and Being Me
- Strong Emotions
- Being the Same, Being Different
- Solving Problems
- Friends and Family
- Life Changes
These lessons help pupils develop an understanding of their emotions, build positive relationships, manage challenges and develop strategies that support their wellbeing.
Relationships Education
Relationships Education is an important part of our PSHE curriculum. Pupils learn about friendships, family relationships, respectful relationships, recognising and responding to inappropriate behaviour, and how to seek help when they need it.
Additional Relationships Education is incorporated into our curriculum, with further provision in Years 4 and 5. In Year 6, pupils receive Relationships Education alongside optional Sex Education, in line with the school's policy and approach.
Our PSHE provision is designed to give pupils the knowledge and confidence to make safe and informed choices, develop positive relationships and understand themselves and others as they grow.
Equality, Inclusion, and Belonging
We are committed to ensuring that every child feels that they belong at Beeston.
Our approach to equality is centred on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB). We celebrate the diversity of our school community and help pupils to understand and respect differences between people.
Through our curriculum, assemblies, books, discussions and wider experiences, pupils learn about diversity and the importance of treating everyone with dignity and respect. We want pupils to recognise that everyone is unique and that our differences help to make our school and community stronger.
Pupil Voice and Leadership
We believe pupils should have an active role in shaping their school.
All pupils in Years 1 – 6 take an active role in our Smart School Council. Giving every child a voice, opportunities to take on leadership roles and contribute to school improvement. Our school council is managed by our annually elected Junior Leadership Team who meet regularly with SLT to discuss things such as their fundraising opportunities and share their ideas to make our school even better.
Across school there are other opportunities for pupils to take on leadership roles such as our OPAL Wombles, Anti-bullying ambassadors, MindMate ambassadors and Eco-warriors.
Pupils are encouraged to listen to others, express their opinions respectfully, take responsibility and understand that their ideas can make a difference.
British Values
We promote the fundamental British values of:
- democracy
- the rule of law
- individual liberty
- mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.
These values are woven throughout school life rather than being taught as isolated concepts. Classes have regular Picture News assemblies covering topical issues and linking these with British Values and protected characteristics. Pupils experience democracy through pupil voice and decision-making, develop an understanding of rules and responsibilities, and learn to respect the rights, beliefs and views of others.
Developing Healthy and Active Lifestyles
We encourage pupils to make positive choices about their physical health and wellbeing.
Our wider provision includes opportunities for pupils to participate in sport, physical activity, outdoor learning and play. Through OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning), pupils have increased opportunities to explore, create, imagine and work together during outdoor play.
We also promote healthy eating, physical activity, sleep, personal hygiene and other aspects of healthy living through our PSHE and wider curriculum.
Enrichment and Wider Opportunities
We believe that experiences beyond the classroom make an important contribution to pupils' personal development.
Throughout their time at Beeston, pupils have opportunities to take part in a wide range of experiences, including:
- educational visits and residential experiences
- sporting competitions and activities
- music, arts and performance
- workshops and visiting speakers
- environmental and sustainability projects
- cultural experiences
- community activities
- careers and aspirations activities
- enterprise and financial education
- leadership opportunities
- charitable and fundraising activities.
We monitor participation in enrichment opportunities to help us identify and reduce barriers so that all pupils have opportunities to benefit from our wider curriculum.
Our Enrichment and Personal Development Journey
Celebrating Achievement and Personal Growth
We recognise that pupils demonstrate success in many different ways. Alongside academic achievement, we celebrate pupils' characteristics of learning.
Our aim is for every child to leave Beeston Primary School with a strong sense of who they are, what they can achieve and how they can contribute positively to the world around them.
