Personal Development at Byrchall

Live to Learn. Learn to Live.

At Byrchall High School, we are committed to supporting the wellbeing, personal development and future success of all our students. We offer, plan and deliver an enriching personal development programme for our students, following statutory guidance and the needs of our community.

Why is Personal development important?

Personal Development, PSHE and RSHE play a vital role in preparing students for life beyond the classroom. Through a broad and carefully planned curriculum, students develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to stay healthy, build positive relationships, make informed decisions and become responsible citizens.

Alongside academic achievement, we are committed to helping every student develop resilience, respect, independence and character, ensuring they are well prepared for the opportunities and challenges of modern life.

The Gatsby Benchmarks

Our Personal Development programme is closely aligned with the Gatsby Benchmarks, the national framework for high-quality careers education and guidance. Through PSHE, RSHE, careers education, employer encounters, workplace experiences, further and higher education opportunities, and personalised guidance, students are supported to make informed decisions about their future pathways. The Gatsby Benchmarks provide a structured approach to careers education, ensuring all students develop the knowledge, skills and aspirations needed to succeed in education, employment and adult life.

 

How We Deliver Personal Development

Personal Development is delivered through a dedicated one-hour lesson each week for all students. Our curriculum follows a carefully planned spiral model, allowing key themes to be revisited and developed throughout students’ time at school, ensuring learning is age-appropriate and builds on prior knowledge.

The curriculum is centred around three core themes:

  • Health and Wellbeing
  • Relationships
  • Living in the Wider World

Lessons are delivered by form tutors, who know their students well and can foster open discussion in a supportive environment. Tutors are supported by our Personal Development Team, who design and quality-assure the curriculum, alongside the wider Pastoral Team, who provide additional expertise and support to meet students’ needs.

This approach ensures that all students receive a consistent, high-quality Personal Development education that equips them with the knowledge, skills and values needed to thrive both in school and beyond.

Curriculum Content for Personal Development

All content will be delivered sensitively, professionally and in an age-appropriate way. Topics covered within the Personal Development programme may include:

  • Positive friendships and healthy relationships.
  • Respect, consent and personal boundaries.
  • Physical and emotional health.
  • Mental wellbeing.
  • Puberty and adolescent development.
  • Online relationships and digital safety.
  • Sexual health and contraception (following statutory guidance).
  • Diversity, equality, and inclusion.

Monitoring Progress in Personal Development

We are committed to ensuring that all students make meaningful progress throughout the Personal Development curriculum. Progress is monitored through a combination of confidence tracking, formative assessment, summative assessment and quality assurance processes.

At the start and end of each topic, students’ complete confidence trackers, allowing them to reflect on their understanding, knowledge and confidence in key areas. This helps students recognise their own development while enabling staff to identify areas requiring further support.

Throughout lessons, teachers use a range of formative assessment strategies, including discussions, questioning, retrieval activities and reflective tasks, to check understanding and address misconceptions. Students also complete summative assessments at key points during the year to demonstrate their learning and help evaluate curriculum impact.

The Personal Development Team regularly monitors the quality and effectiveness of the curriculum through a robust quality assurance process. This includes reviewing assessment data, gathering student voice, monitoring curriculum delivery and supporting form tutors to ensure a consistent and high-quality experience for all students.

This approach enables us to track students’ personal growth over time and continually refine our provision to meet the needs of our learners

Meet our Personal development team

If you have any questions or concerns, please to get in touch.

Important documents