Personal Development

We intend for all our pupils to be fully prepared for life both in and outside of school. We aim to prepare the children for the opportunities, experiences and responsibilities of life. Our Personal Development curriculum ensures that we give the children the skills and the attributes they need to manage their lives now and in the future. These skills and attributes help pupils to stay healthy, safe and prepare them for life and work in modern Britain. Our Personal Development curriculum helps pupils to leave school equipped with skills they will need throughout later life.

Be Resilient	Be Ambitious
The children are able to overcome problems in a range of situations. They can apply the skills to overcome these problems to a range of situations. They use a range of growth mind set strategies and RESPECT characteristics to keep going when challenged and don’t give up easily.	The children are inspired to succeed in life not just inside the classroom but outside the classroom too and they are aware they can be successful in different aspects of their lives not just academically.
Be Curious	Be Creative
Children are excited by new learning ad ask thought provoking questions in PSHE/PD. They are keen to make links and discuss differences between different beliefs and religions and share information that they have learnt. Children ask questions about others views and beliefs and understand the impact of decisions they make.	The children can present their learning in a range of ways. They have the freedom to be able to express their knowledge in a variety of ways. Children can make links and use information in new situations.

Inspirational People

Throughout the year children look at a range of diverse inspirational people. We look at activists, scientists, explorers, artists, sportsmen and sportswomen as well as range of other people who inspire us. This can then inspire our children to succeed in areas inside and outside of the curriculum.

Please see our Inspirational People overview below.

Commando Joe

Throughout each term, all children have the opportunity to take part in a Commando Joe unit. Commando Joe is a character education programme that develops the children’s life skills, character traits, attributes and behaviours which have a positive impact on their wellbeing, confidence and their life throughout school and beyond. The use of Commando Joe’s RESEPCT framework develops resilience, empathy, self-awareness, passion, excellence, communication and teamwork.

Please see our Commando Joe overview below.

Life Skills

The children complete a life skill in each three terms with the vision that when the children finish school, they are equipped with a set of skills that the National Curriculum may not give them.

Please see our Life Skills overview below.

Trips and Residentials

All children have three educational experiences each year where they either go out on an educational visit or they have something such as a workshop come into school to enhance current topics in the classroom. Children get to experience opportunities and places which they may not get to experience without it being offered as a trip. It gives children the chance to experience cultures, respect differences, and develop new friendships with their peers alongside broadening their knowledge on topics being learnt in class. Trips are often a good stimulus for topic based learning.

Residentials build the children as individuals and gives them opportunities that they would not have inside the school day or even in their local area. They build independence and allows them to make their own decisions. Activities completed often build on these skills of resilience, empathy, self-awareness, positivity, excellence, communication and teamwork.

Please see our trips overview below.

Clubs

Each half term there are a range of extra-curricular clubs that the children can attend which are planned based on the children’s talents and interests alongside giving them a range of opportunities to try new things. The use of ‘specialists’ allows children to excel in sports they have an interest in and nurture any talents. Pupil premium children have clubs paid for and first refusal of places to allow them to gain these same experiences. All lunch time clubs are paid for by school to allow all children to have an opportunity in an extra-curricular activity.

SMSC and British Values

At Grove Vale Primary School we firmly believe in an education and curriculum that ensures that our pupils receive a comprehensive SMSC experience. We recognise that the development of pupils, spiritually, morally, socially and culturally plays a significant part not only in their ability to learn and achieve but in their ability to relate fully to and have the ability to access the world they live in. We therefore aim to provide an education that provides children with opportunities to explore and develop their own values and wider British values, whilst recognising that those of others may differ. Beliefs, spiritual awareness, high standards of personal behaviour including a positive caring attitude towards other people, an understanding of their social and cultural traditions and an appreciation of the diversity and richness of other cultures are all critical skills and dispositions that we nurture, encourage and develop through our teaching and the wider curriculum. Children should learn to differentiate between right and wrong and understand how their actions affect other people. They will be encouraged to value themselves and others. Children should understand their rights and accept their responsibilities and the need to respect the rights of others.

Please see the overviews below.

Protected Characteristics

At Grove vale we aim to develop responsible, respectful and active citizens who are able to play their part and become actively involved in public life as adults. We promote an inclusive environment that meets the needs of all pupils, irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. We promote equality of opportunity so that all pupils can thrive together, understanding that difference is a positive, not a negative, and that individual characteristics make people unique.