Every child and family who joins our setting will have their own knowledge and experiences that will link to their culture and wider family. This might include: languages, beliefs, traditions, cultural and family heritage, interests, travel and work.

Personal development is at the heart of our school as it promotes and embeds a range of skills that allow children to be life-long learners. It encourages our pupils to believe, achieve and succeed. It is our purposeful intent to create a place of belonging; where all our pupils feel they belong and can become their best possible self…knowing who they are following their individual chosen path and standing tall, being comfortable in their own skin.   Whilst celebrating and embracing unique virtues and qualities, our intent is that our children are informed citizens with a respectful compassion for all.

We passionately believe that strong personal development is the most fundamental part of our curriculum as it supports the children to acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to manage their lives, now and in the future. We strive to offer an education to the children that enables them to develop the qualities and attributes needed to thrive. We prepare them to manage many of the most critical opportunities, challenges and responsibilities they will face growing up in such rapidly changing and challenging times. 

Cultural capital is the accumulation of knowledge, behaviours, and skills that a child can draw upon and which demonstrates their cultural awareness, knowledge and competence; it is one of the key ingredients a pupil will draw upon to be successful in society, their career and the world of work.

Gradually widening children’s experiences as they progress through school is an important step in providing rich and engaging learning across the curriculum. We plan carefully for children to have progressively richer experiences in nursery and beyond. These include trips to the local park, shops and visits to places of worship, museums, sports and theatre venues just to name a few. 

At South Bank Primary School the personal development of our children is part of a whole school approach which promotes effective relationships between all members of the wider school community. We believe strongly in helping our children to build their personal identities, confidence and self-esteem and understand what influences their decisions. Developing self-understanding, empathy and the ability to work with others helps our pupils to enjoy healthy and productive relationships in all aspects of their lives.

At South Bank Primary School we know that the personal development of pupils, spiritually, morally, socially and culturally (SMSC) plays a significant part in their ability to learn and achieve.  We therefore aim to provide an education that provides pupils with opportunities to explore and develop their own values and beliefs and spiritual awareness. This results in high standards of personal behaviour, a positive, caring attitude towards other people, an understanding of social and cultural traditions and an appreciation of the diversity and richness of all cultures. This is achieved through our rich and varied curriculum where SMSC principles form the foundations.

We actively promote the fundamental British Values; those universal values, of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and the importance of tolerance of those with different faiths, beliefs and cultures.  We do this by providing opportunities through our PSHE and Relationships Education, Collective Worship, Story Time and the wider curriculum and our embedded school values to explore, stimulate discussion and reflect.  By promoting respect of others, whatever personal circumstances, backgrounds or beliefs may be, we are preparing our pupils for a happy and fulfilling life in modern-day society in which they play a positive role and become responsible citizens.  

Showing respect, teamwork and a ‘can do’ attitude is all a part of our children’s personal development. This permeates through everything we teach, explore and value. It is not a subject that is taught in isolation as it entwines itself in everything we learn and do at school.

We actively teach topical issues relating to local, national and global issues.  This year, as a whole school, we are focusing on: Equality, Refugees and Asylum Seekers and Sustainability. 

Aspirations

Raising the aspirations and expectations of the pupils, encouraging them to think from an early age about what their future may look like and how to achieve this supports children at South Bank Primary to think about their next steps in learning and beyond.

Research from Education and Employers found that employer engagement in education helps to raise their aspirations, improve academic attainment and increase confidence.

Immersing Children In The World Around Them

• The World of Work
  We worked with a local coach firm to produce an advertising video. We had insight into the different roles related to producing a video. Business director, coach driver, videographer and editor.

Energy Show- SPARK

Over the course of the two-hour interactive science workshop, the children learned all about opportunities in our local area in the renewable energy sector and they even became Energy Engineers making critical decisions on where to build a wind farm before constructing their own working model. The children demonstrated amazing teamwork skills as well as their ability to solve mathematical problems and manage their finances as wind farm engineers.

The children also participated in a Hydrogen Grand Prix, with children setting up their own hydrogen-powered car and learning all about electrolysis to separate the hydrogen from distilled water to power the car!

World of Work- AV Dawson

Children within Year 5 went to AV Dawson's headquarters at the Port of Middlesbrough to complete a workshop on 'World of Work' within Tees Valley. The children looked at companies based in the area and developed their understanding of what the different companies do and the roles they have. 

They then practiced and developed their understanding of block coding to locate where these businesses are on a map of Tees Valley.

National Apprentice Week- Intelect

The children from Year 5 spent a morning at Intelect. The children observed 3D scanners, metal presses, grinders and laser cutters in action. They were provided with PPE and worked with different tools and a basic control panel. Once they had explored Intelect, they listened to the other roles available in the engineering industry.