Hillside Primary School
What is Personal Development?
Personal development or self improvement consists of activities that develop a person's capabilities and potential, build human capital, facilitate employability, and enhance quality of life and the realization of dreams and aspirations.
At Hillside we believe in developing the whole child, placing emphasis not only on the academic success but also on each each child's personal development.
Our Intent
Our intent at Hillside Primary School prepares our pupils for their adult lives, teaching them to understand how to engage with society and providing them with plentiful opportunities to do so.
We believe that every pupil is unique and that our school is in a prime position to support our pupil’s personal development and develop character. We have a dedicated team who work tirelessly to ensure every pupil receives the best support to make them good citizens and have chosen our values to complement this.
Our personal development curriculum develops knowledge, skills and understanding that pupils need to play a full part in society as active and responsible citizens. Pupils learn about British values, how to debate and cultural capital to support their interactions in society. They also learn the skills of active citizenship. Teaching is brought to life using real issues that are relevant to the children at school or in the wider community/nationally.
Through our ethos and curriculum our children are given a sense of belonging Belonging, Responsibility and Independence, we also teach our children to be Courageous and Kind.
The Curriculum
At the core of our personal development curriculum sits our PSHE curriculum where children are taught about how to manage themselves, relationships, how to keep safe and how to become a good citizens. The children are then provided with ample opportunities to put their learning into practice during everyday school life.
Our curriculum teaches our children to;
- respect themselves and others
- look after and value their environment
- follow their class community rules
- celebrate and give back to their community
Belonging
Our need to belong is what drives us to seek out stable, long-lasting relationships with other people. It also motivates us to participate in social activities such as clubs, sports teams, religious groups, and community organizations. A sense of belonging helps us to build social relationship s and for contributing to the world.
Courageous
Having courage helps children to persevere against challenges, and in the process it raises their self-esteem. When children feel good about themselves and see that they have the personal power to make courageous choices, they are more likely to lead personally satisfying and successful lives.
Independence
Independence promotes confidence and self-esteem as well as motivation and perseverance in school. It fosters self-reliance, allowing your child to feel they have control over their life. It gives a sense of importance and belonging which is essential for building social relationships and for contributing to the world.
Responsibility
Being responsible will teach your child to seriously consider the consequences before making any decisions. They will think about the outcomes that may affect their life or someone else’s. They’ll also be able to recognize the mistakes they make and be willing to repair them. Children need to develop a sense of responsibility for themselves, other living things as well as the world we live in.
Kindness
Kindness refers to behaviors toward others that are compassionate, genuine and require the ability to empathize. Kindness is caring about others and doing things to help make their lives better. It allows us to connect with other people and build meaningful relationships. Teaching kindness increases self-esteem, motivation to learn and can help set our children up to be successful and happy adults.
