At Scarcroft, our school vision of ‘Thrive’ is based on a commitment to our pupils’ personal development – developing inquisitive, confident and ambitious learners, ready to take on the world. We are a warm, welcoming and safe environment in which everyone feels happy, valued and a sense of belonging. We celebrate individuality and diversity, embracing and learning from everyone in the Scarcroft community and understanding the positive influence we can have on our local community and also the wider world. Scarcroft provides a rich and engaging curriculum, as well as a wide range of stimulating experiences, helping everyone to be healthy and active, and ensuring inclusivity and equity for all. Â
Personal development at Scarcroft is an integral part of a typical school day, with our THRIVE values underpinning every aspect of this. Personal development is delivered in a variety of ways through our daily class circles, daily assemblies, wider opportunities, ‘50 things to help you Thrive’ at Scarcroft and our PSHE lessons.Â
Evidence shows that a well-delivered, accurate and age-appropriate PSHE curriculum can have an impact on both academic and non-academic outcomes for pupils, particularly the most vulnerable and disadvantaged as well as those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). At Scarcroft, we follow the ‘My Life’ curriculum for the majority of our PSHE lessons, which we call ‘Learning for Life’.Â
We see ‘Learning for Life’ as essential in helping children manage many of the most critical opportunities, challenges and responsibilities they will face growing up. We also understand the importance of emotional health in a young person’s ability to do well at school and believe that ‘Learning for Life’ education helps children and young people to achieve their potential by supporting their wellbeing and tackling issues that can affect their ability to learn, such as anxiety and unhealthy friendships. ‘Learning for Life’ also helps pupils to develop skills and aptitudes – like teamwork, communication, and resilience – that are crucial to navigating the challenges and opportunities of the modern world.
We feel it is very important to view Personal Development holistically, considering a variety of factors when assessing where a child is working at in their ‘Learning for Life’ lessons. As part of this, we use in-class sample marking to identify misconceptions, and look to address any areas which need further study in subsequent lessons or through our assembly programme. This enables us to support young people’s development, both within the taught curriculum and across their lives at Scarcroft.Â
We wholeheartedly believe that enrichment to the taught curriculum is a fundamental right of every child who belongs to our school community. We have ‘50 things to help you Thrive’, which we encourage young people to complete before leaving Scarcroft in Year 6 and moving to secondary; these encompass everything from building a den to being introduced to Shakespeare and performing on stage, and are at their core our belief in broadening pupils’ horizons. We also provide a range of clubs, both at lunchtime and after school, to meet the interests of our cohorts, and have a variety of curriculum-related visits to engage our learners. From 2025, we will offer residential visits to Years 4 to 6, with Year 6 having the chance for an international experience!
‘Learning for Life’ is an integral part of our commitment to a school culture which promotes the right of everyone to equal treatment, challenges stereotypes and normalises healthier attitudes and behaviour in wider society. Harassment and abuse don’t exist in isolation, and it is vital that our school plays its part in promoting the respect, love and care that underpins acceptable behaviour in the different relationships we have with others throughout our lives. We understand that parents are the prime educators of their children in matters of relationships and health and we seek to offer a curriculum that complements and supports that.
