Personal Development at Haslam Park

Together we explore, learn and grow

At Haslam Park Primary School, personal development is at the heart of our vision for every child.

We believe that education is about more than academic achievement. It is about helping children develop the knowledge, confidence, character and experiences they need to lead happy, healthy, fulfilling lives and make a positive contribution to the world around them.

Our school community is richly diverse. Children bring different experiences, languages, cultures, strengths and needs to Haslam Park, and we see this diversity as a strength.

Our context does not lower our expectations. It increases our responsibility.

We are ambitious for every child, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), children who are disadvantaged, children learning English as an additional language (EAL), and those who join us at different points in their education.

Children's starting points must never define their end points.

Our approach to personal development is rooted in high expectations, strong relationships, meaningful inclusion and a commitment to ensuring that every child has opportunities to discover their strengths, develop their interests and achieve their potential.

Our Intent: What We Want for Every Child

Our personal development offer is designed to help children become:

Confident and resilient learners who embrace challenges, learn from mistakes and recognise their own progress.
Compassionate and respectful individuals who value difference, demonstrate kindness and understand the importance of positive relationships.
Independent and responsible citizens who make informed choices, understand their rights and responsibilities, and contribute positively to their communities.
Curious and ambitious thinkers who explore new ideas, discover interests and recognise possibilities beyond their immediate experiences.
Healthy and emotionally aware individuals who understand how to care for their physical and mental wellbeing and know where to seek help.
Active participants and leaders who know their views matter and have genuine opportunities to influence school life.

We want every child to leave Haslam Park with a strong sense of identity and belonging, the confidence to embrace future opportunities and the belief that they can make a difference.

Our School Values: The Foundations of Character

Our nine school values are woven throughout everyday school life:

Growth · Learning · Resilience · Compassion · Ambition · Equity · Inclusivity · Exploration · Honesty

These values are not simply words displayed around our school. They shape our expectations, relationships, decisions and opportunities.

Through our curriculum, assemblies, classroom routines, wider experiences and interactions, children are supported to understand what these values look like in practice.

We encourage pupils to demonstrate compassion through helping others, resilience through overcoming challenges, honesty through taking responsibility, and ambition through believing in what they can achieve.

Our values also guide how we celebrate children's contributions, recognising effort, personal growth, kindness, leadership and achievement in its many forms.

How We Deliver Personal Development

Personal development is not confined to a single lesson, event or themed week.

It is a planned and purposeful part of the whole-school experience, delivered through the curriculum, relationships, routines, wider opportunities and the culture of our school.

1. A Broad, Inclusive and Ambitious Curriculum

Our curriculum provides opportunities for children to develop knowledge and understanding of themselves, other people and the wider world.

Through PSHE, Relationships Education, Religious Education, physical education and learning across the curriculum, children explore important themes including:

Healthy relationships, respect and kindness.
Physical health, emotional wellbeing and personal safety.
Equality, diversity and respect for difference.
Rights, responsibilities and democratic participation.
Aspirations, independence and preparation for the future.
Online safety and responsible decision-making.

We aim to ensure that children encounter different perspectives, develop thoughtful opinions and learn how to engage respectfully with others.

2. Character Development Through Everyday Experiences

Character is developed through what children experience and practise every day.

At Haslam Park, children are encouraged to take responsibility, demonstrate perseverance, show compassion and contribute positively to their classrooms and the wider school community.

Classroom responsibilities, collaborative learning, assemblies, recognition of achievement and opportunities to support others all help children develop a sense of responsibility and pride.

We recognise that personal growth looks different for every child. Success may involve speaking confidently in front of others, building a friendship, managing a challenge, developing independence or taking on a leadership responsibility.

Every step forward matters.

3. Cultural Capital: Broadening Horizons and Opening Doors

We believe that every child deserves access to a rich range of experiences that broaden their understanding of the world and help them recognise new possibilities.

For us, cultural capital is not about assuming that children lack valuable experiences or knowledge.

Our pupils and families bring a wealth of languages, cultures, traditions and experiences to our school. We celebrate these strengths while deliberately extending children's opportunities to encounter new places, ideas, people and experiences.

Through educational visits, visitors, literature, music, sport, the arts, community activities and wider enrichment, we aim to help children:

Develop confidence in unfamiliar environments.
Discover new interests and talents.
Build knowledge of the world beyond their immediate experiences.
Understand and appreciate different cultures and perspectives.
Develop aspirations for their future.
Feel that new opportunities and experiences are open to them.

We recognise that access to wider experiences is not always equal. We therefore consider how financial, social, communication, physical and other barriers may affect participation.

Cultural capital at Haslam Park is about widening opportunity, not measuring children against a narrow idea of what they should already know.

Further information can be found on our Enrichment and Wider Opportunities page.

4. Emotional Wellbeing, Positive Relationships and Belonging

Children learn and thrive when they feel safe, valued and connected.

We place great importance on developing positive relationships between children, staff and families. Our approach encourages children to understand their emotions, build healthy friendships, develop self-regulation and know how to seek support when they need it.

Through our school culture, pastoral support, PSHE curriculum and everyday interactions, we help children understand that their wellbeing matters.

We want every child to feel that they belong at Haslam Park and that there are trusted adults who will listen to them.

Further information is available in our Behaviour and Wellbeing section.

5. Pupil Voice, Responsibility and Leadership

We believe children should be active contributors to school life, not simply recipients of the opportunities adults provide.

Through School Council, Eco Council, Sports Leadership, classroom responsibilities and wider pupil voice opportunities, children develop confidence, communication, teamwork and decision-making skills.

Pupil leadership also enables children to see the impact of their ideas.

Our pupils have contributed to discussions and improvements involving playground opportunities, school routines, environmental action and the wider school experience.

We are particularly committed to ensuring that leadership opportunities are accessible to children with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and those who may not naturally put themselves forward.

We do not simply want children with SEND to be included in school life. We want them to help shape it.

Read more on our Pupil Leadership and Pupil Voice page.

6. SMSC, British Values and Children's Rights

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is woven throughout life at Haslam Park.

We help children reflect on their own beliefs and experiences, develop empathy, recognise right and wrong, appreciate difference and understand their place in a diverse society.

Children learn about the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.

We also encourage pupils to understand children's rights alongside their responsibilities towards others.

Through assemblies, curriculum learning, discussion, celebrations and opportunities for participation, we support children to become respectful, thoughtful and active citizens.

Read more on our SMSC, British Values and Children's Rights page.

Inclusion: Meaningful Participation for Every Child

Inclusion is central to our approach to personal development.

We recognise that children do not all begin from the same starting point, and that providing the same opportunity does not always mean providing equal access.

Some children may need additional preparation, adapted resources, adult support, alternative ways to communicate or carefully planned opportunities to build confidence.

Our responsibility is to identify and reduce barriers so that children can participate meaningfully in school life.

This includes considering access to:

Educational visits, clubs and enrichment.
Pupil leadership and decision-making.
Sporting, creative and cultural activities.
Assemblies, performances and celebrations.
Friendship, social interaction and community experiences.

We are committed to ensuring that children with SEND, disadvantaged pupils, children with EAL and those who experience other barriers are recognised as valued and active members of our school community.

Inclusion is not simply access; it is meaningful participation, contribution, leadership and achievement.

Our ambition is for every child to experience belonging, develop independence and have opportunities to succeed.

Working in Partnership with Families

Parents and carers are essential partners in children's personal development.

Families know their children best, and we value the different cultures, languages, experiences and perspectives they bring to our school community.

We aim to build positive relationships through regular communication, opportunities to share learning, family events, workshops and conversations about children's needs and achievements.

We listen to parent feedback and use it to reflect on the experiences and opportunities available to children.

We also recognise that some families face additional barriers to engagement. We work to make communication and participation welcoming, accessible and meaningful.

Our approach is based on partnership, mutual respect and a shared ambition for every child.

Understanding the Impact of Personal Development

We recognise that the impact of personal development cannot be measured through a single score or assessment.

We consider a range of evidence to understand whether children are benefiting from the opportunities and experiences we provide.

This includes:

Pupil voice: What children tell us about belonging, confidence, safety, participation and their experiences.
Participation: Who takes part in clubs, visits, leadership and wider opportunities, and whether any groups face barriers.
Behaviour and relationships: How children demonstrate respect, responsibility, compassion and resilience.
Wellbeing: How children develop emotional awareness, confidence and the ability to seek support.
Parent and carer feedback: How families describe their children's experiences and development.
Staff observations: How children demonstrate growing independence, communication, teamwork and personal responsibility.
Pupil-led change: How children's ideas contribute to improvements in school life.

We use this information to celebrate strengths, identify gaps in opportunity and refine our provision.

We are particularly interested in whether children who may face additional barriers are able to participate, contribute and thrive.

Our measure of success is not simply how many opportunities we offer, but who benefits from them and the difference they make.

Our Personal Development Offer: Explore Further

Personal development is woven throughout Haslam Park. The following pages explain key aspects of our provision in more detail.

SMSC, British Values and Children's Rights

Discover how we develop respectful, thoughtful and responsible citizens who understand their rights and appreciate the diversity of the world around them.

Pupil Leadership and Pupil Voice

Explore how children take responsibility, share their views, influence decisions and make a positive difference to school life.

Enrichment and Wider Opportunities

Find out how educational visits, clubs, sport, the arts and community experiences broaden children's horizons and develop their interests and aspirations.

You can also find related information in our Behaviour and Wellbeing, Safeguarding, SEND, Curriculum and Eco and Sustainability sections.

Our Promise to Every Child

At Haslam Park, we believe that every child deserves to feel valued, develop confidence, discover new possibilities and recognise their potential.

We want our children to be proud of who they are, respectful of others, curious about the world and ambitious for their futures.

We will continue to reflect on the opportunities we provide, listen to children's experiences and work to ensure that no child is left on the margins of school life.

Our context does not lower our expectations. It increases our responsibility.

Children's starting points must never define their end points.

Together we explore, learn and grow.