Personal Development

SMSC

Spiritual: explore beliefs and experience; respect values; discover oneself and the surrounding world; use imagination and creativity; reflect. This includes deepening an understanding of our Catholic religion whist celebrating and respecting the similarities and differences of other religions.

Moral: recognise right and wrong; understand consequences; investigate moral and ethical issues; offer reasoned views. This is linked to our behaviour curriculum

Social: use social skills in different contexts; work well with others; resolve conflicts; understand how communities work.

Cultural: appreciate cultural influences; participate in culture opportunities; understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity.

Pupil Voice and Leadership

We believe that the views, experiences and influence of our pupils are a crucial part of our drive to continuously improve our provision. We therefore seek ways to listen to the views of our pupils and involve them in decision-making so that they are engaged as partners in the life of the school. We create meaningful roles for pupils to allow them to develop leadership skills.

Our Head Pupils are the heads of the Pupil Voice groups and meet with them termly to discuss what they are up to in school. They take minutes of these minutes and feed back to members of the Senior Leadership Team.

Head Pupils Action Plan 2023-24

Our Pupil Voice Groups are:

Chaplaincy– this group supports pupils with the planning and delivery of worship. They work closely with our Lay Chaplains and Sr Susan to promote our Catholic Life and Mission across the school.

I-vengers– this group work hard to promote online safety with our staff, children and parents. The group lead assemblies, create videos, work with classes and develop surveys to collect parental and pupil voice on online safety .

Eco-Committee- this group are trying hard to achieve the CAFOD Live Simply Award. They are constantly thinking of ways that we can look after our common home and care for our environment in school, our local area and across the world.

OPAL/ Active– this group have worked really hard to launch our OPAL provision. They are responsible for collecting examples of play at lunchtime to feedback in our play assemblies and have been fantastic in ensuring that the children across school are enjoying OPAL.

Agents for Change– this group ensure that things are fair at St Joseph’s and that all children are happy and safe in school. They make sure that everyone knows what bullying is and even do drop in sessions to make sure that all children are feeling happy.

Mental Health Ambassadors– this group have been working with all children and staff to promote a better understanding of mental health. We have recently become a SMILERS school and the Ambassadors have undertaken training so that they can roll this out across the school.

Health and Safety– this group work with our site staff to ensure that things are safe at St Joseph’s. They have even helped external agencies to complete the health and safety checks of the school grounds.

All pupils are invited to join the pupil voice groups and to contribute to the life of our school.

Pupil Voice and Leadership

We believe that the views, experiences and influence of our pupils are a crucial part of our drive to continuously improve our provision. We therefore seek ways to listen to the views of our pupils and involve them in decision-making so that they are engaged as partners in the life of the school. We create meaningful roles for pupils to allow them to develop leadership skills.

Our Head Pupils are the heads of the Pupil Voice groups and meet with them termly to discuss what they are up to in school. They take minutes of these minutes and feed back to members of the Senior Leadership Team.

Head Pupils Action Plan 2023-24

Our Pupil Voice Groups are:

Chaplaincy– this group supports pupils with the planning and delivery of worship. They work closely with our Lay Chaplains and Sr Susan to promote our Catholic Life and Mission across the school.

I-vengers– this group work hard to promote online safety with our staff, children and parents. The group lead assemblies, create videos, work with classes and develop surveys to collect parental and pupil voice on online safety .

Eco-Committee- this group are trying hard to achieve the CAFOD Live Simply Award. They are constantly thinking of ways that we can look after our common home and care for our environment in school, our local area and across the world.

OPAL/ Active– this group have worked really hard to launch our OPAL provision. They are responsible for collecting examples of play at lunchtime to feedback in our play assemblies and have been fantastic in ensuring that the children across school are enjoying OPAL.

Agents for Change– this group ensure that things are fair at St Joseph’s and that all children are happy and safe in school. They make sure that everyone knows what bullying is and even do drop in sessions to make sure that all children are feeling happy.

Mental Health Ambassadors– this group have been working with all children and staff to promote a better understanding of mental health. We have recently become a SMILERS school and the Ambassadors have undertaken training so that they can roll this out across the school.

Health and Safety– this group work with our site staff to ensure that things are safe at St Joseph’s. They have even helped external agencies to complete the health and safety checks of the school grounds.

All pupils are invited to join the pupil voice groups and to contribute to the life of our school.

RSHE

Our RSHE curriculum is all the planned activities which we organise in order to promote learning and personal growth and development. It includes not only the formal requirements of the National Curriculum, but also the curriculum offer which we as a school provide, to develop the independence and responsibility of all of our pupils, ensuring they are well placed to become educated citizens.  Ten:Ten (Life to the Full), the chosen RSHE scheme of the school, has as its foundational premise the belief that we are made in the image and likeness of God and, as a consequence, gender and sexuality are God’s gift, reflect God’s beauty and share in the divine creativity.

The school’s Relationship and Sex Education programme is based on three core Catholic Education Service themes within which there will be broad overlap. The three themes are:

Created and loved by God (this explores the individual)

The Christian imperative to love self, made in the image and likeness of God, shows an understanding of the importance of valuing and understanding oneself as the basis for personal relationships.

Created to love others (this explores an individual’s relationships with others)

God is love. We are created out of love and for love. The command to love is the basis of all Christian morality.

Created to live in community – local, national & global (this explores the individual’s relationships with the wider world) 

Human beings are relational by nature and live in the wider community. Through our exchange with others, our mutual service and through dialogue, we attempt to proclaim and extend the Kingdom of God for the good of individuals and the good of society.

The DFE guidance defines RSHE as “lifelong learning about physical, moral and emotional development.  It is about the understanding of the importance of marriage and family life, stable and loving relationships, respect, love and care.” It is about the development of the pupil’s knowledge and understanding of her/him as a sexual being, about what it means to be fully human, called to live in right relationships with self and others and being enabled to make moral decisions in conscience.  The DFE identifies three main elements: “attitudes and values, personal and social skills, and knowledge and understanding”.

RSHE Curriculum OVERVIEW (Coverage)

Progression Of RSHE

Our Learners’ Code and School Virtues

Our behaviours are driven by virtues. A virtue is a behaviour showing high moral standards. If we apply these virtues to our behaviour we can be the very best version of ourselves. Our Behavior curriculum ensures that all children are taught how to demonstrate our virtues within the ‘St Joseph’s Way’

Our school virtues are:

Love and Charity

Within this virtue we demonstrate that we love God above all things and we love our neighbours. Being able to show love and charity enables us to care for each other in our school, community and around the world.

Mark 12:30-31

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second most important commandment is this: ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment more important than these two.”

Faith

Within this virtue we recognise how we believe in God and all that He has said and revealed to us. Being able to show faith demonstrates to others how our actions are influenced by Jesus Christ.

Romans 10:17

So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ.

 

Respect

Within this virtue, we recognise that showing respect to others means that you act in a way that shows that you care about their feelings and wellbeing. Being able to demonstrate respect means that we think about how we can show respect for ourselves, our school and our common home.

Matthew 7:12

So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets

 

Courage

Within this virtue, we recognise that courage is about making good choices in the face of fear or obstacles. Being able to show courage means that we understand courage doesn’t mean fearlessness. It means we do not let fear hold us back from exploring new opportunities, developing our skills, and doing what is right.

Joshua 1:9

Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go

 

 

Pride

Within this virtue, we recognise that having pride means that we try hard to present ourselves and our work as best as we possibly can. Being able to demonstrate pride means that we want to show others that we care deeply about how we present ourselves and our work. We can also show pride by attending school every day and trying hard to improve our learning through homework and reading in our own time. Showing pride is not about boasting but being proud of your own actions and words.

Proverbs 16:3

Ask the Lord to bless your plans, and you will be successful in carrying them out.

Pupil Voice and Leadership

We believe that the views, experiences and influence of our pupils are a crucial part of our drive to continuously improve our provision. We therefore seek ways to listen to the views of our pupils and involve them in decision-making so that they are engaged as partners in the life of the school. We create meaningful roles for pupils to allow them to develop leadership skills.

Our Head Pupils are the heads of the Pupil Voice groups and meet with them termly to discuss what they are up to in school. They take minutes of these minutes and feed back to members of the Senior Leadership Team.

Head Pupils Action Plan 2023-24

Our Pupil Voice Groups are:

Chaplaincy– this group supports pupils with the planning and delivery of worship. They work closely with our Lay Chaplains and Sr Susan to promote our Catholic Life and Mission across the school.

I-vengers– this group work hard to promote online safety with our staff, children and parents. The group lead assemblies, create videos, work with classes and develop surveys to collect parental and pupil voice on online safety .

Eco-Committee- this group are trying hard to achieve the CAFOD Live Simply Award. They are constantly thinking of ways that we can look after our common home and care for our environment in school, our local area and across the world.

OPAL/ Active– this group have worked really hard to launch our OPAL provision. They are responsible for collecting examples of play at lunchtime to feedback in our play assemblies and have been fantastic in ensuring that the children across school are enjoying OPAL.

Agents for Change– this group ensure that things are fair at St Joseph’s and that all children are happy and safe in school. They make sure that everyone knows what bullying is and even do drop in sessions to make sure that all children are feeling happy.

Mental Health Ambassadors– this group have been working with all children and staff to promote a better understanding of mental health. We have recently become a SMILERS school and the Ambassadors have undertaken training so that they can roll this out across the school.

Health and Safety– this group work with our site staff to ensure that things are safe at St Joseph’s. They have even helped external agencies to complete the health and safety checks of the school grounds.

All pupils are invited to join the pupil voice groups and to contribute to the life of our school.

Aspirations for the future

At St Joseph’s , we recognise the important role that is played by primary schools in enabling children to have high aspirations about their future through independent and impartial careers advice. As a school we endeavour to provide children with a range of meaningful experiences, visits and visitors to that teach them about the world of work and provide information about future careers. For all leadership roles in school, children are asked to apply in writing stating why they would be a suitable candidate for the role based on the personal specification and job description for the position.

Our aims are to:

• Aspire pupils to think of the future, increasing aspiration for all
• Develop and encourage a sense of ambition towards a future career
• Understand the basic skills and attitudes needed to be successful in the world of work and provide experiences of meaningful interaction with the world of work
• Provide high quality information from a wide variety of sources –curriculum lessons, growth mind set sessions, specific career sessions and visitors from a variety of careers
• Challenge all forms of stereotype (by background, gender or diversity groups) and preconceptions