Personal Development at Woodham Burn
At Woodham Burn Primary School, personal development is an important part of everyday school life.
We want our pupils to become confident, respectful, responsible and resilient young people who are well prepared for the next stage of their education and for life in modern Britain.
Our approach goes far beyond the taught curriculum. Personal development is strengthened through our school values, assemblies, pupil leadership, enrichment, educational visits, visitors, community links and the wider experiences that help children develop character, confidence, independence and aspiration.
Our Values and Character
Our six school values are:
Caring • Respect • Independence • Teamwork • Equality • Learning
These values shape the way we want children to learn, behave and grow throughout their time at Woodham Burn.
Children are encouraged to show kindness, resilience, responsibility, cooperation, independence and respect for others. These qualities are modelled, discussed and celebrated throughout school.
Preparing Pupils for Life in Modern Britain
Pupils are supported to understand the world around them and the positive role they can play within it.
Through assemblies, PSHE, RE, Picture News and the wider curriculum, pupils develop an understanding of the fundamental British Values of:
Democracy • Rule of Law • Individual Liberty • Mutual Respect and Tolerance
These are explored through meaningful experiences such as voting, pupil voice, school council, discussion, debate and taking responsibility within school.
Equality, Diversity and Respect
Equality is one of our core school values. We teach pupils that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Through our curriculum, reading choices, assemblies and wider experiences, children encounter a range of cultures, beliefs, families and perspectives.
Pupils are introduced, in an age-appropriate way, to the protected characteristics and learn the importance of challenging prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination.
Pupil Voice, Leadership and Citizenship
We give pupils meaningful opportunities to contribute to school life and take responsibility.
These include school council, play leaders, class responsibilities, supporting younger pupils and representing the school at events and activities.
Pupil voice also helps us understand children’s views about school life and wider opportunities. Through these experiences, pupils develop confidence, teamwork, responsibility and an understanding of active citizenship. Our PSHE curriculum explicitly teaches the importance of citizenship across both key stages.
Developing Independence
Developing independence is an important part of growing up at Woodham Burn. We deliberately provide children with age-appropriate opportunities to become more confident away from familiar routines and to take increasing responsibility for themselves.
This begins with experiences such as our Year 2 sleepover, develops through Year 4 camping experiences, and continues into later residential opportunities such as Robinwood.
These experiences help pupils build resilience, independence, teamwork and confidence while creating memorable experiences along the way.
Enrichment and Wider Opportunities
We want children to experience opportunities that broaden horizons, develop talents and create lasting memories.
Our wider offer includes:
- arts, music and performance
- sport and physical activity
- outdoor learning and Forest School
- educational visits and residential experiences
- clubs and extra-curricular activities
- STEM and careers experiences
- visitors and community partnerships
- charity work, first aid and wider life skills.
We work hard to ensure that pupils who may face barriers to participation are able to access these opportunities alongside their peers.
Careers and Aspirations
We want pupils to see the possibilities available to them and strive to showcase the different pathways to the world of work.
Through Careers Week, visitors, employer encounters, STEM activities and links with local colleges and universities, children learn about different jobs, pathways and skills.
They are encouraged to recognise their own strengths, challenge stereotypes and understand that their background should not limit their aspirations.
Keeping Safe, Healthy and Well
Pupils learn how to keep themselves and others safe through PSHE, Relationships and Health Education, safeguarding education and wider school experiences.
Our curriculum includes learning about emotional and physical health, relationships, online safety, citizenship, staying safe and health protection.
These themes are reinforced across school so pupils know how to recognise risk, make safe choices, seek help and identify trusted adults.
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development
SMSC is developed across the curriculum and wider life of the school.
Pupils are encouraged to reflect on their experiences, understand right and wrong, work positively with others and appreciate different beliefs, cultures and traditions.
Kapow’s own mapping reinforces the links between PSHE, SMSC, British Values, personal development and protected characteristics, while recognising that personal development is also shaped by wider school life.
Our Aim
By the time pupils leave Woodham Burn, we want them to have developed confidence, independence and resilience; learned how to stay safe; respected difference; experienced new opportunities; contributed to their community; and developed the character and aspirations needed for their next steps.
