Personal Development is at the heart of everything we do at Burtonwood Community Primary School to ensure our children strive to become life-long successful and happy learners. We believe that children should aspire to be the best possible version of themselves – both academically and in their personal character development. Our aim of ‘Making School Unmissable’ underpins this throughout our children’s whole school journey.

Our well-planned, sequenced, and varied personal development curriculum runs throughout our school and provides our children with a range of experiences in which they can comfortably explore what it means to grow up in today’s society, encouraging them to develop personally, emotionally, socially, and physically to support them to lead a happy, healthy, and fulfilled life. We build cultural capital through experiences in school, the curriculum, trips, and clubs, ensuring that every child is exposed to enriching opportunities.

Personal development plays a vital role in supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing and gives all children the opportunity to freely express themselves in a safe and caring environment, where all opinions and values are celebrated and welcomed. We provide high-quality pastoral support through our ELSA, ensuring that children receive the emotional support they need to thrive.

We nurture student agency through leadership opportunities such as HPL Ambassadors, School Council members, and Eco School members, empowering children to take an active role in shaping their school environment. Our Buddy System between Reception and Year 6 fosters meaningful relationships, building confidence and a sense of responsibility among our pupils.

Our school promotes High Performance Learning (HPL) through the use of Advanced Cognitive Performance Skills (ACPS) and Values, Attitudes, and Attributes (VAAs), ensuring that children develop the critical thinking, resilience, and mindset required to achieve their full potential.

We provide a wide range of opportunities to nurture, develop, and stretch pupils’ talents and interests, ensuring that every child has the chance to flourish. Pupils are also encouraged to share their personal development achievements outside of school in assemblies and through our newsletter, celebrating their successes with the wider community.

Through our personal development curriculum, pupils understand, appreciate, and respect differences in the world and its people, celebrating the things we share in common across cultural, religious, ethnic, and socio-economic communities. They engage with views, beliefs, and opinions that differ from their own in a considered way, showing respect for the different protected characteristics as defined in law, ensuring that no forms of discrimination are tolerated.

By embedding personal development throughout every aspect of school life, we ensure that our children grow into confident, respectful, and well-rounded individuals who are prepared for the opportunities and challenges of the future.