The Hart School, in partnership with parents, has a vital role in preparing children and young people to negotiate the challenges and opportunities of an increasingly complex world. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks. Personal Development deals with real-life issues affecting our children, families and communities. It’s concerned with the social, health and economic realities of their lives, experiences and attitudes including relationships. It supports students to be healthy (mentally and physically), safe (online and offline) and equipped to thrive in their relationships and careers. 

Parents’ and carers’ support is important to the success of our personal development programme. Students are encouraged to talk about the curriculum with parents and carers. Our personal development curriculum includes relationship education and is available for download so that parents and carers can see what content is being delivered.

Why is Personal Development Important?

• It contributes to physical and mental health and wellbeing, encouraging individual responsibility for health.
• It contributes to the safety and protection of our children and young people, from staying safe online to understanding risks associated with drugs and alcohol and knowing the law surrounding these topics.
• It contributes to the information young people need to help them develop healthy, nurturing relationships of all kinds, not just intimate relationships, and know boundaries within the law.
• It promotes independence, resilience and responsibility — preparing children and young people for future roles as parents, employees and leaders.
• It supports employability by developing the personal and social skills demanded by commerce and industry.
• It supports students to be critical consumers of information and develops the skills to identify misleading news or views on social media and elsewhere.

How is Personal Development taught?

As a school, we operate a whole school approach to Personal Development and some appropriate topics are explored in tutor time, PSHE, Life and Soul Days and assemblies.  Other subject areas contribute to certain topics such as biology in Science and aspects of relationship and health education arise in English, Drama and PE.

Teaching is conducted in a safe learning environment through the use of ground rules and distancing techniques so that students are not put on the spot or expected to discuss their own personal issues in class. Teaching resources are selected on the basis of their appropriateness to students.