We are proud of our commitment to offer every child in our care the support that they need to become a positive contributor to their community 

Our personal development offer encourages, enables and inspires our pupils to be happy, healthy, safe and confident young people. Through their engagement with our  programme, our pupils will contribute to the world we live in now and in the future as employable, active and responsible citizens.

Woldgate School Personal Development: Core intentions: 

Goal 1: To know how to be safe and stay safe. To know how to be healthy, and to have the knowledge needed to manage their lives in a positive way. To understand the
increasingly complex world, and the positive and exciting opportunities it offers, but also the challenges and the risks

Goal 2: To be confident, resilient, independent, and to develop great character

Goal 3: To support and accept others and bring great value to their community. To be respectful and active citizens, advocating diversity and inclusion, whilst
upholding British Values

Rationale for approaches in School: Personal Development curriculum

 Our curriculum is carefully sequenced and delivered with the following principles in mind:

• Developmental Appropriateness: Different age groups have varying levels of cognitive and emotional maturity. Clear sequencing ensures that topics are introduced when pupils are ready to understand and engage with them
• Building Foundations: Starting with foundational topics and concepts (like respect, consent, and communication) establishes a solid base. This knowledge is essential before tackling more complex issues related to relationships and sexual
• Gradual Complexity: As pupils and students progress, they can understand more complex concepts. Our sequenced programme allows for a gradual build- up of knowledge, helping pupils connect earlier lessons to more advanced topics, such as healthy relationships and sexual decision-making.
• Reinforcement of Concepts: Repeated exposure to key concepts at different levels helps reinforce learning. Each stage revisits and deepens understanding, helping to consolidate knowledge over time.
• Promoting Healthy Attitudes: The Sequencing of our programme helps to promote positive attitudes toward relationships and sexuality by addressing values, diversity, and respect before discussing more sensitive topics.
• Encouraging Critical Thinking: The structured approach that we have developed encourages pupils and Pupils to think critically about their own beliefs and This can lead to more informed and responsible choices in their relationships (and wider life).
• Safety and Well-Being: The effective sequencing of our programme prioritises safety, emphasising consent and healthy boundaries. This will help pupils navigate relationships more safely and confidently.

Our Personal Development curriculum is taught once per week. Pupils are taught in their form group, and by their form tutors. Form tutors are trained in the delivery of sensitive content such as Relationships and Sex Education. The curriculum is a spiral with four key strands/ which are:  

• Living in the Outside World 

• Relationship and Sex Education,  

• Health and Wellbeing  

• Careers/IAG.  

Our lessons, planned centrally, equip pupils with the skills and knowledge to explore political and social issues critically, to weigh evidence, debate and make reasoned arguments. The curriculum also prepares pupils to take their place in society as responsible citizens and help them be better equipped to make decisions about their health and well-being. All resources are accessible to pupils and parents through the pupil sharepoint page. 

Personal Development days cover a range of core information that is appropriate for your child at their stage of development. These themes and content during are designed to secure, re-enforce and re-emphasise content from their Personal Development lessons. We use a range of experienced external providers to deliver talks to our pupils (such as the police, the NHS and Fire Service), including well established and recognisable charitable organizations such as HEY MIND. All of these organisations have a successful track record of delivering talks in schools.

Designated assemblies are aligned with the Personal Development curriculum. These assemblies are used to remind  year groups of what they have been learning throughout the curriculum. In addition to this, we have also organised assemblies on topics such as: the environment, careers and pupil leadership 

We make available a fantastic range of trips and visits, and we will continue to keep our offer broad and diverse and open to as many pupils as possible. This includes a planned re-introduction of year-group trips, to ensure every child has an experience that they can remember each year. Trips are an excellent way for pupils to spend time with their peers, make friends, and to be inspired; to learn about new cultures, outlooks on life, and see new places for themselves. Last year pupils took part in a range of trips including Helmsley Castle and Rievaulx Abbey, Beamish Living History Museum, a visit to the WW1 battlefields, international trips to Paris, Iceland, Andalasia and New York, as well as a range of rewards trips. Information will always be sent to parents via classcharts.

Our Enrichment programme sees a large number of pupils take part in activities throughout the week. Enrichment is an essential part of school life; it gives our pupils the opportunity to learn new skills; make new friends, extend their learning beyond the classroom and help to organise activities and events.

School Councillors and  Form Representatives.  

 These are important roles in school. Our Form Representatives meet regularly with Care & Achievement Coordinators and Heads of School, representing their year groups in discussing suggestions and ideas. Our School Councillors meet with the Senior Leadership Team to lead on whole school projects and initiatives. Our previous School Councillors and Form Representatives have made a big impact across School, including: 

•  Creating a pupil and student suggestion system • Reviewing the food items available in the School Café
• A wider range of enrichment clubs at lunchtime and afterschool
• An increase in the trips and visits available • Affordability review of footwear
• Improvement to the School Library and reading books
• Reviewing aspects of the behaviour policy in school

We would continue to encourage all pupils to speak to their Form Representatives, who can be found proudly wearing their lapel badges around school. The Senior Leadership Team regularly reviews pupil voice and use this information to enhance the provision of pupils in school. 

Subject ambassadors  

 These roles are important departmental positions held by pupils. Meeting regularly with curriculum leaders, subject ambassadors are key in shaping the direction of departments as well as playing an important tole in open evenings and parent events 

SSAT – Student Leadership 

 The Student Leaders award gives pupils in Year 10 the opportunity to develop leadership skills both within school and within the local community. Pupils are mentored by a member of staff and encouraged to work independently.  

Archbishop of York’s  Young Leaders Award 

All pupils take part in the Archbishop of York’s award during Year 9 The Young Leaders Award is a fully resourced leadership and character education programme designed to be delivered by teaching staff within the classroom. This award  has strong links to SMSC, British Values, PSHE, Character Education, Citizenship, RE and SIAMS.  

 Sport Leaders Award 

This award and qualification equips young people with employability skills for life improving motivation, self-esteem, communication, team work and confidence. 

The Crest Award 

CREST is a nationally recognised scheme for pupil-led project work in the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths). Pupils in Year 9 are given the chance to participate in this important leadership opportunity.  

Pupil working parties 

Pupil working parties such as our Equalities Club allow pupils to set the agenda of the school in important ways through regular meetings and contact with the Senior Leadership team.  

Prefects

Sixth Form students paly an important part in the life of the school by undertaking duties around school during breaktime and lunchtime. This is an important leadership position which ensures the smooth running of the school site.

Level 2 Further Maths This qualification is for high achieving maths pupils and assesses higher order mathematical skills, particularly in algebraic reasoning, in greater depth without infringing upon A Level Mathematics. It offers the opportunity to stretch and challenge and builds on the Key Stage 4 curriculum and is intended as an additional qualification to GCSE Maths, rather than as a replacement.  

DoE; A life-changing experience. An opportunity to have fun with friends. A chance to discover new interests and talents. A tool to develop essential skills for life and work. A recognised mark of achievement, respected by employers. The DofE is many things to many people, supporting generations to successfully navigate life. 14-24 year olds can do a DofE programme at one of three progressive levels which, when successfully completed, leads to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.  

Level 2: HPQ: The Level 2 Higher Projects Qualification is the perfect way to encourage our pupils in year 10 to extend and develop beyond the material being covered in class and explore their passion for a subject. It can help them to discover the joys of independent learning, take responsibility for their own study and develop new life and study skills. 

Young people are faced with a complex set of demands when preparing for their future careers. Woldgate School aims to ensure that students are self-confident, skilled and career-ready. This is achieved through a comprehensive programme of carefully planned activities that enable pupils to grow and flourish as themselves as they decide, and embark on, pathways that are right for them beyond their school experience; and for them to be able to manage their careers and sustain employability throughout their lives. Our programme starts in Year 7 through Year 13, and is based on the nationally recognised Gatsby Benchmarks. 

The programme follows the eight Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance which are: 

• A stable careers programme 

• Learning from career and labour market information 

• Addressing the needs of each pupil 

• Linking curriculum learning to careers 

• Encounters with employers and employees 

• Experiences of workplaces 

• Encounters with further and higher education 

• Personal guidance 

We review all our activity throughout the year on Compass +, with governors, and the local LEP which supports reviews and ensures we are follow all eight of Gatsby benchmarks to the highest standard.

All pupils in year 10 complete a one-week work experience placement in one of the final weeks of the Summer Term. Work Experience provides with an exciting opportunity to explore possible career options, develop independence, resilience and self-confidence as well as developing a wide range of transferable skills. 

RS enables pupil to reflect upon and deepen their understanding of human culture, beliefs and thought. It is a quest for understanding the self and the nature of what it means to be human. It is important to understand the role religion plays in everyday life and, whether we believe in a higher power or not, religion influences many aspects of our life. Through lessons, the school aims to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our pupils as well as actively promoting fundamental British values. In line with our code of conduct, we strongly encourage our pupils to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance. 

Parents hold a legal right to be able to withdraw their child from elements of the teaching of RSE (Relationships and Sex Education). The Right to Withdraw process is highlighted in our RSE policy.

Should you wish to withdraw your child from the RSE teaching, we would welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss further before the event. In cases where withdrawals are made, your child would still be expected to be in school on this day, and we will work to find them alternative activities for the day, so that they can still access curriculum work and support.