What is personal development?

A wide range of additional opportunities enrich learning taught in Early Years and through the National Curriculum. Our core values we help pupils develop their character, to know that individual differences should be valued, to be resilient, reflective, to have empathy and respect for one another. We help pupils understand and deepen their knowledge of the British values of democracy, individual liberty, the rule of law, mutual respect and tolerance.

Through our taught curriculum for Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RHSE), we teach pupils to recognise and manage online and offline risks. We teach them about healthy relationships and that sexual harassment of any kind is not tolerated. Our personal development curriculum supports pupils to be ready for their next stage in education, it weaves its way through every part of what we do at St Peter’s CofE Primary Academy.

 

Pupils as Leaders

Pupils have many opportunities to become a leader in school. These include:

Reading Champions - In Year 6, the children are helping to promote a love of books and reading throughout the school. Our Reading Champions are organising the Book Bus and also spending time with younger pupils to help them with their reading skills. 

Spiritual Ambassadors - Our Year 6 ‘Spiritual Ambassadors’ spent time with Alex Wolvers (the school’s Christian Distinctiveness advisor), learning how to plan and create assemblies which they will share as part of whole school worship throughout the year. 

Lunchtime Leaders - Our Y5/6 students recently underwent Lunchtime Leader training, led by an external provider. Enthusiastically engaged, they learned new games and activities to keep younger children active during lunch breaks. Starting January 2024, our students are thrilled to implement these activities, guided by our new sports coach. This initiative not only promotes physical activity but also fosters leadership skills. 

School council – 2 pupil representatives from each class 

Year 6 children sit with our Reception class during worship and also escort them back to the classroom at the end of worship to model outstanding behaviour.

 

After school clubs and Sport Competition

At St Peter's CofE Primary Academy we work closely with Progressive Sports to provide a sports club every night for all children from Reception to Y6 to take part in. An example of some of the clubs the children have been able to attend are:

NERF wars, boys/girls football, multi-sports, dance, dodgeball, basketball, cricket, tennis 

Through our sports squads pupils compete in a range of District competitions, sports festivals and local cluster fixtures.

We also have a French club every Friday.

 

Music

Children from Y1-Y6 have an opportunity to take part in elective music lessons during the school day on Tuesday’s and Friday’s learning a range of instruments including piano, violin, guitar and clarinet. Over 40% of our pupils in Years 1 -6 learn to play a musical instrument and their skills are celebrated in two special music concerts held in the school hall throughout the year.

We also have a school choir and those pupils in the choir have the opportunity to take part in the annual Young Voices concert concert in Birmingham.

 

Residential visits

Residential visits in year 3, 4, 5 and 6 build children’s independence and provide opportunities for learning within different contexts and settings. In 2023/24, every child in KS2 had the opportunity to take part in the following residential experiences:

Y3/4 BaseCamp – inc. 1 night overnight camp on school field 

Y5/6 Laches Wood – 3 day/2night residential 

Previous Residential Opportunities include:

Y3/4/5 – Ingestre Hall arts residential 

Y5/6 - Kibblestone Camp outdoor residential

Y6 – Kingswood outdoor residential 

 

Trips and visitors

Trips and visits take place throughout the school year, in all year groups linked to our learning challenges. If appropriate we also invite external speakers to deliver talks and workshops. Some of the trips and visits that the children were able to take part in throughout 2023/4 were:

Y3/4 Think tank Birmingham Science Museum 

Rec/Y1/Y2 – Wonderland Telford 

Y5/6 – Antarctic explorer visited the class to share their experiences 

½ term of forest school sessions for all children in Reception/Year 1 and Year 2 

1 session of mini-medics for each class throughout the school 

Police Cadets 6 x sessions with PCSO (Y5/6 children) 

 

Assembly programme

A programme of assemblies based on our values-based ethos helps to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and provide clear guidance for pupils on how to grow up to be the best person they can possible be. As well as the values assemblies, each term pupils also take part in:

- safeguarding assemblies,

- celebration assemblies

- music performance assemblies

- Spiritual Ambassador led assemblies (worship teams plan and deliver their own assemblies)

 

Celebrations 

Every academic year at St Peter’s we come together to celebrate those special times of the year, support local and national charities and also the achievements of our pupils. Some examples of these celebrations are:

Whole school – Harvest, Christmas and Easter performances for parents 

KS2 – 3 x services @ St Peter’s church 

Mother’s and Father’s Day lunches for parents of Reception and Year 6 children 

2 x music concerts per year – showcasing skills of those children who take part in elective music lessons 

Music Exams - We are extremely proud of all of the children who have taken an exam in music this year and passed. 

World Book Day and Usborne Book Fair – raised £2000 for new books 

Jeans for Genes, Children In Need, Christmas Jumper Day and Red Nose Day – children dress up and opportunities to donate money to each of these charities throughout the year. 

 

Agents of Change projects 2023/24 

Care Home singing 

In-line with our Christian distinctiveness, our children sang for residents at our local care home. 22 children from years 5 and 6 attended and sang 6 songs for the residents, who had a lovely time - many of them joined in with the singing and dancing! Some children also played guitars and keyboards (our pianists). 

Year 3 Froglife Project  

Year 3 were invited to take part in a wildlife project with the charity Froglife. They helped to create a small pond area to encourage more wildlife (particularly amphibians) to St Peter’s Church grounds. The children also had the opportunity to learn more about small creatures living in their local environment. 

Reception's Big Blue Day  

Reception held a big blue day in order to raise funds for the Marine Conservation Society. Reception have been learning all about caring for our oceans and plastic pollution and wanted to do their bit to help. They came up with all of the ideas themselves and raised money by wearing blue, selling blue lemonade and selling crafts made from recycled plastics. They made £83 in total. Well done! 

For more information about this, please see our Agents of Change page.