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    Personal Development

    "Schools are crucial in preparing pupils for their adult lives, teaching them to understand how to engage with society and providing them with plentiful opportunities to do so." (Ofsted Inspection Handbook September 337)

    What is personal development at our schools?

    Personal Development at Thorpe is focussed on ensuring that every child flourishes academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually.  We aim for all our children to leave us as people who live out our values by respecting others, showing kindness, being honest and responsible, who is a person others can trust and are resilient. Children learn about British Values and how they can support our school and beyond the classroom (see tab to the right).

    Personal Development is a thread that runs through PSHE, RE, Science, computing (online safety) and PE.

    Other aspects are delivered through a comprehensive enrichment programme including;

    • Trips (day and residential),
    • Visiting speakers & authors
    • Assemblies
    • Sports clubs
    • Performances
    • Gardening Club
    • Music performance and events
    • Opal Play
    • After school clubs
    • Leadership programmes e.g. School Council
    • Special Events: religious and cultural

    Personal Development Beyond the Classroom

    • YR ACS Farm Trip
    • YR Little City
    • Y1 Educational Visit to ACS Egham – Arts, Crafts and Physical Activities (games)
    • Y1 Chertsey Museum Toy Workshop – History of Toys
    • Y2 Brooklands Museum – History of Transport
    • Y3 Egyptian Workshop – Egyptian History Topic
    • Y3 Feetfirst SCC Walking Training around the local area
    • Y3 Rocks and Fossils – Science Topic workshop
    • Y4 & Y5 Hindleap Warren – team building, collaborative learning, orienteering
    • Y4 Singing Picnic – appreciate of arts
    • Y4 TASIS Trip – Sports afternoon at local independent school
    • Y5 Chertsey Museum – Viking Workshop for History Topic
    • Y5 Windsor Castle Workshop – History Workshop, Power of the Monachy
    • Y6 Guildford Cathedral Leaver’s Service to Celebrate 7 years at Primary School
    • Y6 Harry Potter World Trip – Celebration trip
    • Y6 High Ashurst - team building, collaborative learning, orienteering
    • Y6 Junior Citizen 
    • Early birds breakfast Club and Owl Club after school
    • VIAM Junior choir
    • World Book Day
    • Red Nose Day & Children in Need
    • Sports Day
    • Bikeability (Year 6)
    • Police Visit – talk with Y6 on role of Youth Engagement Officer; Responsibiltiy
    • Guitar/piano teacher assemblies and performances
    • Explore (Geography & DT)
    • The Magna Carta School DT Building bridges programme
    • Create (Art and Music)
    • VIAM
    • Future visits to note 2025:
    • Dorking Halls Choir Festival

    Vulnerable and Disadvantaged Children

    To ensure all pupils have equal access and opportunities, disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils may be identified by the class teacher, SENCO, members of SLT and parents based on the following criteria:

    • Pupil is falling behind their peers and performing below the national average
    • Pupil is from a financially secure background but family members do not have the capacity to provide deemed experiences due to e.g. workload, mental health issues, caring for an elderly relative or other viable reasons.
    • Pupil has poor mental health, low self-esteem or low confidence
    • Pupil Premium Child
    • Pupil is capable of achieving more

    Careful consideration will be given to ensuring barriers to participation are removed by:

    • Considering e.g. cost, timing, location, logistics, confidence, parental support
    • Communicating message through ethos and practice that all pupils from all backgrounds belong and are valued
    • Providing a provision that is appropriately tailored both to suit and to challenge the pupils we serve

    Identified children may be targeted to ensure that in addition to the expected enrichment, they will have access to extra-curricular activities that will give them further opportunities.

    Children and Parental Engagement 

    We engage our children and families to raise awareness of curriculum and community events through;

    • Regular Parent Voice Meetings feeding back children's and parents' views.
    • School ‘Celebration Evening' to celebrate learning
    • Curriculum meetings and curriculum overviews (in Newsletter and on website)
    • School Harvest, Christmas, class and end of year celebrations
    • Friday Bulletin communications – letters; messages
    • Texts/emails/phone calls
    • Curriculum overviews
    • Reading Events
    • Parent/carer consultations and feedback forms
    • Local Food Bank collections
    • Phonics workshops
    • Open mornings for perspective families in the autumn term.
    • FOTSA PTA community events to raise funds for the school
    • Parent/carer meetings in the autumn and spring terms.
    • School Council, Worship Committee influence SLT with pupil voice
    • Secondary School Science – Link with local secondary schools