Glossopdale School has a vital role in preparing children and young people to negotiate the challenges and opportunities of an increasingly complex world. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities; but also challenges and risks. Personal Development is the wider title for subjects that deal with real-life issues affecting our children, families and communities. It’s concerned with the social, health and economic realities of their lives, experiences and attitudes, including relationships. It supports pupils to be healthy (mentally and physically), safe (online and offline) and equipped to thrive in their relationships and careers. 

Personal Development is taught across the curriculum with some subject areas leading on specific areas.  There are also two sessions per week in tutor periods and, additionally, ‘Beliefs and Values’ lessons on every child’s timetable for 1 hour.  The topics are also interwoven into our wider curriculum and students will experience additional opportunities to learn about these areas in ‘Super Learning Days’ with a particular focuses such as ‘Staying Safe’, ‘Healthy Lifestyles’ and Careers Fairs.  The materials we use all enable layers of learning across the children’s  learning journey; adapted to be age-appropriate from Years 7 to 13. 

Assemblies

Each year group has an assembly once a week, in which a range of themes are explored throughout the year.  This may be linked to Personal Development and acknowledge key occasions or notable days such as Holocaust Remembrance; Black History Month; Anti-Bullying Week; Eid al Fitr and much more.  We often have visiting speakers and assemblies sometimes have a faith element.  During assemblies, the children are also given important messages and the top THRIVE students and tutor groups are celebrated and congratulated on their achievements.

Tutor Time

Students' tutor groups are allocated in Year 7 and—in most cases—remains the same through to Year 11; enabling consistency, team ethic and relationships to be cemented securely.  The form tutors have the vital role of checking daily the progress students are making and praising and supporting students. In conjunction with year managers, and progress leaders, tutors can arrange to meet parents over matters of concern. 

Please see below links to a range of our assembly material: