Personal Development
Personal Development Intent
At St Nicholas Catholic High School, we want every child to flourish as a unique individual, created in the image and likeness of God. Guided by Gospel Values, our Personal Development curriculum is rooted in our Catholic mission to nurture young people who are compassionate, resilient, respectful and ambitious, and who recognise their responsibility to serve others and contribute positively to society.
Our Personal Development curriculum equips pupils with the knowledge, understanding and character needed to lead safe, healthy and fulfilling lives. Through a carefully planned programme, pupils are prepared for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.
We aim to develop pupils who are confident in their own identity, respectful of the dignity of others, and able to engage thoughtfully with the diverse world around them. Rooted in the teachings of Christ, pupils are encouraged to act with integrity, show courage in the face of challenge, and demonstrate a commitment to justice, service and the common good.
Through a rich range of curricular and extracurricular experiences, we foster spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, enabling pupils to become active citizens who make a positive contribution to their local, national and global communities. Our Personal Development curriculum ensures that all pupils leave our school healthy, safe, informed and well prepared for the next stage of their education and for life in modern Britain.
Personal Development – Areas of Study
- Relationships, sex and health education (RSHE)
- Citizenship
- Careers education
- Safeguarding
- Financial education
- Online safety
- British Values
- Mental health and wellbeing
Students follow a taught programme across the two week timetable. Each fortnight, the timetable is suspended for one period; students attend their form bases for an hour of Personal Development lessons, focusing on RSHE, Citizenship, or Careers Education. The remaining areas are delivered during Form Time, alongside our extensive programme of Catholic Life.
Delivery of RSHE follows the Ten: Ten programme. Click here to find out more.
Delivery of Citizenship is adapted from the Association for Citizenship Teaching programme.
Delivery of Careers Education is in line with the wider school careers programme. Click here to find out more
Curriculum journey
The following images show the curriculum journey that students go on and the range of topics they study for these areas.
