At Chapter House, Personal Development is an integral part of school life. Through a combination of dedicated lessons and everyday experiences, we support children’s social, moral, spiritual and cultural development, while building confidence, resilience, self-awareness and a strong sense of responsibility towards others.
A Carefully Planned Curriculum
From Year 1 to Year 5, Personal Development is taught through a weekly one-hour lesson, following a spiral curriculum aligned with the National Curriculum. We use Twinkl planning resources to support the sequencing and progression of learning, ensuring that key themes and concepts are revisited and developed as children move through the school. Children’s learning is documented in floor books, which include photographs, spider diagrams and examples of their work.
Lessons cover a broad range of areas, including relationships, health and wellbeing, religion, citizenship, diversity, self-esteem and self-awareness. As children progress through the school, their learning becomes increasingly reflective and encourages them to understand themselves and others, develop positive relationships and consider their role within the wider community.
Personal Development begins in the Early Years through play, circle times and everyday experiences. Children explore friendships, feelings, similarities and differences, developing an awareness of themselves and those around them. From Year 1, children build on this foundation through topics such as being a positive member of the school community, developing friendships and learning about different religions and beliefs.
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Quick Overview
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Personal Development Beyond the Classroom
Personal Development is embedded throughout school life and reinforced through assemblies, form time, workshops and visits from guest speakers. Children have opportunities to put their learning into practice through their interactions with others and their involvement in the wider school community.
There are many opportunities for children to take on responsibility and make a positive contribution. Playground Buddies support younger children in making friends and feeling part of school life, while the School Council gives children a voice in wider school discussions and decisions.
Our community involvement also extends beyond the school. During Harvest, children collect food donations and raise money to purchase additional items for York Food Bank. At Christmas, the whole school collects toys for local children’s charities. Our Chapter House Choir and Year 1 children also visit two local nursing homes to sing carols for residents, creating meaningful connections between generations and giving children the opportunity to bring joy to others.
Celebrating Diversity and Challenging Discrimination
We actively promote inclusion, respect and understanding through our Personal Development programme and a series of awareness weeks throughout the year. These provide opportunities for children to explore important social, moral, spiritual and cultural themes, including bullying, equality and diversity.
Themes such as Anti-Bullying Week and Cultural Awareness Week encourage children to celebrate what makes each person unique, challenge stereotypes and develop greater understanding and respect for others.
Through Personal Development, we aim to equip every child with the knowledge, confidence and values they need to make positive choices, build respectful relationships and become compassionate, responsible members of their school and wider community.
