Personal Development

The Personal Development curriculum is planned and implemented to ensure full coverage of all statutory components by the end of key stage 4. It is a spiral curriculum where each theme is developed over form time and Be Smart Day sessions throughout each academic year and designed to be age appropriate. Student understanding is iteratively assessed within these sessions and more formally through termly Google Forms in form time.

Central to the Personal Development curriculum is our commitment to shape character and cultivate ambition. It is delivered through five key strands, which together work to create a coherent personal development journey for all students.

ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP	HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS AND WELLBEING	PURPOSE AND PROFESSIONALISM	CELEBRATING DIVERSITY	CULTURAL EXPERIENCES
Contributing to the community Understanding fundamental British values, including democracy and the rule of law Celebrating and remembering key national and international events	RSHE Understanding healthy relationships Mental health Physical health Sporting opportunities	Careers education Economic education Skill development Leadership Preparation for the world of work	Learning about others Collaborating with others Caring for others Learning about, discussing and debating a range of view points	Participating in artistic, musical, literary and cultural opportunities Trips and visits Speakers and visitors Reading widely Trying new things

The Personal Development curriculum encompasses the following areas:

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE)
Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE)
Modern British Values (MBV)
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education (SMSC)
Citizenship

In line with the statutory requirements for PSHE and RSHE, Boston Spa Academy has a robust and creative curriculum for delivering the broad range of themes and topics which form part of this requirement. Our overarching aim is to provide our young people with an understanding of their place in the world today, to help our students to develop a strong sense of self-worth and personal awareness and for students to be fully empowered when it comes to making choices and decisions both now and in the future. The lessons and assemblies reflect our intention to explore the issues in-depth, to reach students from a wide range of backgrounds and foster an atmosphere of inclusion, tolerance and acceptance.

These five strands are woven together through a range of personal development activities, including:

The delivery of the PSHCE/RSHE curriculum through five Be Smart Days and dedicated The curriculum is delivered via the following model.
Weekly PSHE/RSHE form time activities
Five timetabled PSHE/RSHE days called ‘Be Smart Days’
Weekly Forensic Reading lessons
Weekly CIEAG (careers) form time activities
Topical assemblies
Extra-Curricular Activities
Topical Talk
Sessions in which we address emerging concerns or trends and respond to the needs of our students and their communities.

Form time activities are intended to act as a vehicle through which learners engage in high quality discussions and debates linked to the PSHE curriculum, current affairs and topics current to the needs of the academy.

Through these planned discussions, students are given the opportunity to develop their cultural capital, appreciation and understanding of the Modern British Values (including: British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs) and their ability to articulate ideas in a respectful, coherent and informed manner. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our learners is at the heart of the planning and implementation of these activities in order to ensure learners are supported to become valuable and fully rounded members of the society, who treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of background and leave school fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

Citizenship is embedded within our PSHE curriculum map, both at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. We recognise that a high-quality citizenship education helps to provide pupils with knowledge, skills and understanding to prepare them to play a full and active part in society. In particular, citizenship education should foster pupils’ keen awareness and understanding of democracy, government and how laws are made and upheld. We equip pupils with the skills and knowledge to explore political and social issues critically, to weigh evidence, debate and make reasoned arguments. We encourage students to consider their place in society as responsible citizens, manage their money well and make sound financial decisions.

Each year group is allocated one 20-minute assembly per week. Topics are pre-planned, marking national themed weeks and watermark days, such as Armistice, Holocaust Memorial Day and Safer Internet Day, and monthly personal development themes, such as Anti-Bullying, Cyber Safety and International Women’s Day.

Assemblies

MONTH	FOCUS AREA	INTENT
October	Black History Month	Students understand and celebrate Black history and culture and the importance of doing so.
November	Anti-bullying Week	Students recognise what constitutes as bullying on and off-line and the impact.
December	Religious Festivals	Students learn about some of the religious festivals of our community and celebrate diversity.
January	Holocaust Memorial	Students understand the atrocities of the past and how it links to the present as well as key inspirational individuals effected by the event.
February	Safer Internet	Students understand the importance of online safety, how to challenge ‘fake News’ and manage the impractical body image standards online.
March	International Women’s Day	Students understand the history of women’s rights and celebrate the contributions of women that have been overlooked in the past or present.
April	Autism Awareness Month	Students understand and celebrate neurodiversity. What they can do to ensure they are being inclusive of neurodiverse people in their classes and the wider world.
May	World Refugee Day	Students understand the experiences of refugees around the world. The causes, events and the impact they can have on refugees’ experiences.
June	LGBTQ+ Pride Month	Students understand key terms, history and achievements of members of the community and celebrate the diversity in our community and the wider world.

Crucially, within our Personal Development curriculum we have additional time where we are able to plan activities, assemblies and/or wider discussions to react to personalised needs within individual year groups. We work alongside the safeguarding team to deliver a curriculum that is relevant and pertinent to the needs of students.

EXAMPLE ASSEMBLIES:

RAMADAN & EID

HOLOCAUST

BE SMART DAYS

In addition to Personal Development in for time, there are 5 ‘Be Smart Days’ throughout the academic year where timetabled lessons are replaced by personal development lessons. These lessons provide students with an opportunity to discover in depth issues and debates central to RSHE, SMSC and Modern British Values. These days have been designed to ensure that students are provided with a wide-range of skills and knowledge to help them live their lives safely and in a well-informed way. The curriculum has been purposefully designed to build student knowledge on very important topics such as consent, harassment and internet safety, so that by the end of KS4 all students at Boston Spa Academy will feel they have the skills and knowledge to be articulate, informed and safe citizens. Students are encouraged to ask questions, debate and discuss topics about the world around them that may not normally be covered in other curriculums and within a safe inclusive environment.

These days also offer students a suitable time to ask any questions they may have and learn how to seek help for themselves should they need it. The aim of these days is to empower and to provide them with the knowledge they need to leave school as well-equipped, well-rounded members of the community.

• ‘Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing’
• ‘Relationship and Sexual Education’
• ‘Living in the Wider World’

These lessons are delivered by each subject teacher and cover the following themes throughout the year:

Theme	Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing	Relationship and Sexual Education	Living in the Wider World
Year 7	Body image and identity Physical activity and healthy lifestyle Bullying Sleep Impact of abuse and discrimination First Aid	Relationships: friendships Puberty: changes and products Relationships: family Peer pressure Gender identity and equality Family life: Marriage Child exploitation	Developing career skills and setting goals Employability and online image Transition and resilience Equality Act and Rights UK political parties Empathy and fundraising Bank accounts & Money management Poverty and food banks
Year 8	Body image and identity Physical activity and healthy lifestyle Bullying Sleep Impact of abuse and discrimination First Aid	Peer pressure: sexual imagery Sexual health Sex in the media Sex and consent Rights in relationships Diversity in relationships Stereotyping in the Media Honour Based violence	Online safety Social media: fake news Human rights UK government and voting Employability and online image Budgeting Global citizenship Extremism and Radicalisation
Year 9	Drugs and alcohol: The law and managing risk Positive mental health; recognising healthy and unhealthy strategies Addiction Managing and ending relationships	Sex and consent Sex in the media Sexting; Peer pressure Sexual Health; STIs and Contraception Family life; responsibilities Pregnancy choices Toxic Culture	UK government; parliament Gangs and knife crime Challenging stereotypes Online conduct and safety Career choices and pathways; T levels Managing a budget Poverty
Year 10	Mental health; stress and anxiety Healthy relationships; managing conflict Media image and stigma Dealing with grief NHS and health services Substance abuse Victim blaming	Healthy relationships; abuse and ‘honour’ based violence Sexual health; contraception and STIs Readiness for sex Parenthood	Debts and loans Homelessness UK democracy and voting Financial wellbeing Immigration Knife crime Modern British Values Leaving home
Year 11	Positive mental health; coping strategies Image and identity Cosmetic procedure Cancer awareness	Sexual health; contraception and STIs Pregnancy choices Healthy relationships; risky or negative Sexting and pornography	Transphobia/Homophobia Career opportunities Online safety Crime and punishment; UK laws

Each year group follow a bespoke timetable for each Be Smart Day and includes internal and external speakers (e.g. HSBC, local politicians, Fire Service, Parklane Plowden Barristers).

VIEW OUR LESSON PROGRAMME FOR BE SMART DAY 2

BE SMART DAY PHOTO GALLERY

YEAR 7 – ONLINE IMAGE

YEAR 7 – BODY IMAGE

YEAR 8 – VAPING AND CONSEQUENCES

YEAR 8 – PREVENTING EXTREMISM

YEAR 8 – SEX AND CONSENT

YEAR 9 – ONLINE FINANCIAL SAFETY

YEAR 9 – SEXUAL HEALTH

YEAR 10 – DEALING WITH CHANGE, LOSS AND GRIEF

YEAR 10 – MANAGING HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIP

YEAR 11 – CRIME AND PUNISHMENT IN THE UK

YEAR 11 – PORNOGRAPHY

PARENTS AND CARERS

As a parent or carer, it is likely you will already have talked to your child about (or had to support them with) many of the topics and issues covered in PSHE and RSHE education. You may also wish to supplement their in-school learning with further discussions of your own. Sometimes PSHE and RSHE education conversations with your child will arise incidentally, for example when you are watching television or films, or through news stories or events that happen within your family. In such cases we cannot always control the stimulus for the question or conversation, only how we manage it. Other times, you may wish to initiate a conversation about a topic you feel is important to approach.

The following two documents offer guidance for parents:

Understanding Relationships, Sex and Health Education at your child’s secondary school: a guide for parents
Relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education: frequently asked questions

Please note that parents/carers are able to withdraw their child, up and until three terms before the child turns 16, from any aspects of Sex Education other than those which are part of the science curriculum. Click here, to read our RSHE policy.

To speak to someone at the academy about PSHE and RSHE, please contact your child’s Form Tutor via the student planner or contact Michael Brennan, Assistant Principal via [email protected].

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT LETTERS

TOPICAL TALK

Topical Talk is part of our personal development curriculum and takes place during form time. This time helps students to improve their news literacy and develop oracy through carefully thought out discussion and debate.

Topical Talk develops and deepens students’ understanding of the fundamental British values of democracy, individual liberty, the rule of law, and mutual respect and tolerance. This follows curriculum map designed to be highly relevant and discussion based.

The mapping of these activities reflects what is ‘topical’, relevant to students and is varied and global in scope, not just within the United Kingdom. It seeks to explore differences across ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic communities to help students to gain further knowledge, skills and understanding of the wider world.

Find Out More

Example 6-week block from the Topical Talk Curriculum Map:

Topic: Key question:	Skills and knowledge, including personal development and Modern British Values.
Space Should individuals be allowed to invest in space exploration?	Speaking, debating, and engaging with different views, beliefs and opinions-through class discussion and voting on the key question. Opportunity to discuss regulation and oversight of space travel for countries and individuals. Opportunity to discuss ethical guidelines and boundaries linked to space exploration. Engaging in active citizenship through considering the influence of public opinions. Opportunity to consider the costs and benefits of space exploration.
Deliveries and sustainability Are drones the future of deliveries?	Speaking, debating, and engaging with different views, beliefs and opinions-through class discussion and voting on the key question. Opportunity to discuss rule of law, linked to safety regulations in the UK and globally. Opportunity to consider environmental impact and sustainability. Engaging in active citizenship through considering the impact of drones on jobs and the economy.
Wildfires Should wildfire relief differ based on individual circumstances?	Speaking, debating, and engaging with different views, beliefs and opinions-through class discussion and voting on the key question. Opportunity to discuss the role of governments, charities and individuals following natural disasters. Opportunity to consider fairness and equality linked to diverse needs. Engaging in active citizenship through considering personal needs vs collective responsibility.
Sports grounds Should sports stadiums be demolished when they are no longer used?	Speaking, debating, and engaging with different views, beliefs and opinions-through class discussion and voting on the key question. Demonstrating respect and tolerance through considering cultural landmarks, legacy and sporting history. Opportunity to consider social and economic responsibility within a community and globally. Developing an understanding of rule of law linked to demolition and preservation.
Healthy choices Should there be stricter age restrictions on food products to protect children?	Speaking, debating, and engaging with different views, beliefs and opinions-through class discussion and voting on the key question. Engaging in active citizenship by considering the rights of a child. Opportunity to discuss freedom of choice vs laws and regulations. Opportunity to discuss wellbeing and healthy choices. Developing an understanding of ethical responsibility and food standards organisations.
AI Should the use of AI-generated imagery be regulated?	Speaking, debating, and engaging with different views, beliefs and opinions-through class discussion and voting on the key question. Opportunity to discuss democracy and the role of AI imagery in relation to it. Opportunity to discuss the ethics of technology. Engaging in active citizenship through considering rule of law and regulations.

STATUTORY GUIDANCE

View statutory guidance document