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Personal Development
Character Education
It is the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, who said, “We are what we frequently do”.
At Coundon Court, we regularly encourage students to promote positive attributes we believe will support them throughout their Coundon journey and into the world of work. The five attributes include:
Leadership • Organisation • Resilience • Initiative • Communication
Students are taught each attribute through the Careers and Character Education programme delivered during tutor time. Through a spiral curriculum, students return to examine how these attributes can be demonstrated by successful individuals (Year 8 Extraordinary Women), how they are useful in our GSCEs (Year 9 LORIC: Skills in GCSE) and how they are utilized in wider society (Year 10 LORIC: Skills for Life).
Students are encouraged not only to learn about these attributes, but to practice and develop them in their day-to-day activities in school and in the wider community.
| How are these demonstrated? | |
|---|---|
| Leadership |
Being a good example and role model for others Monitoring and regulating emotions Encouraging others to try their best, and praising them when they have |
| Organisation |
Bringing the correct equipment to school, including full pencil case Wearing the correct uniform, including bringing the correct PE kit Being punctual to school, and to all lessons |
| Resilience |
Setting achievable goals, and pursuing them Learning from mistakes, including those in relationships such as friendships, peers etc. Recognizing errors, identifying how to improve and engaging in activities which will achieve it |
| Initiative |
Going ‘beyond the curriculum’ by researching and sharing an area of study they enjoy Participating in co-curricular clubs and pursuing new experiences Volunteering to support in charity events, and recognizing the value in service to others Being a form representative/ subject ambassador – sharing ideas to make improvements |
| Communication |
Using positive and respectful language towards peers, staff and visitors Challenging themselves to engage in dialogue, making contributions to class discussion and being coherent in debate Using body language and facial expressions to communicate positively with others |
PSHE in Coundon Court
The PSHE curriculum has been designed to provide information and context to boost our students’ ability to:
- reinforce Coundon Court’s values to ‘Be Kind’ and ‘Show Respect’
- make informed judgements
- stay safe, particularly in the context of an online world
- recognise what constitutes a healthy and unhealthy relationship
- understand the significance of consent
- challenge stereotypes
- know how to promote positive mental wellbeing
We promote an environment which encourages students to be inquisitive, check their own understanding, build on prior knowledge, and explore issues that help them understand how to maintain safety for themselves, and others.
Our students become reflective learners who understand their own responsibilities towards others, as well as other people’s responsibilities towards them in building positive and safe relationships.
Strategies to support, helplines and in-house guidance are highlighted to students to ensure they have a clear direction to access further support should they require it.
Our PSHE programme has been reviewed and updated so that it is in line with the Department for Education’s Statutory Framework.
Students examine key foci including:
Relationships, Relationships & Sex Education
- Families
- Intimate and Sexual Relationships
- Respectful Relationships
- Online and Media
- Being Safe
Health Education (including Mental Wellbeing)
- Mental Wellbeing
- Internet Safety and Harms
- Physical Health and Wellbeing
- Healthy Eating
- Drugs, Alcohol and Tabacco
- Health and Prevention
- Basic First Aid
- Changing Adolescent Bodies
Delivered primarily through the tutor programme (see page 3), each half term will include a sequence of 5 sessions covering a particular theme linked to relationships, sex and relationships, physical health, or mental wellbeing.
Additionally, five Personal Development mornings provide collapsed lessons which allow an opportunity for extended exploration and in-depth discussion/ debate around designated themes.
Alongside the tutor programme and Personal Development mornings, students have assemblies linked to National Awareness Days to expand and contextualise their knowledge of the PSHE strands such as Mental Health Awareness, Female Genital Mutilation, Holocaust Memorial Day etc. External visitors, such as the West Midlands Fire Service, deliver two factual and compelling programmes – Fire Safety (Year 8) and Road Safety (Year 10). For further details, see the supplementary Personal Development programme on page 4.
Key themes – such as consent and what constitutes a healthy/ unhealthy relationship – are revisited as part of a spiral curriculum to ensure students develop their understanding and that each new aspect is delivered at an age-appropriate time.
Strands of the PSHE curriculum are relevant and are examined and delivered within other areas of the curriculum such as: Families (RE, Sociology), Impact of drugs, alcohol and tobacco (PE, Science), Internet Safety (ICT), Respectful Relationships (English, RE), Healthy Eating (Food Technology) etc.
Personal Development Journey
You may download a copy of a student's Personal Development Journey while at Coundon Court from here:
