Personal Development
Personal Development at Harris Academy Beulah Hill
Personal Development Lead:
Ms Sara Shokir S.Shokir@harrisbeulahhill.org.uk
Our Vision
At Harris Academy Beulah Hill, Personal Development (PD) is at the heart of our ethos. We are committed to nurturing young people who are scholarly, aspirational, and compassionate, and who contribute positively to their communities.
We believe that education extends beyond the classroom. Our PD curriculum helps students build the knowledge, character, and confidence they need to lead healthy, safe, and fulfilling lives. Through tutor time, assemblies, RSHE lessons, and enrichment opportunities, our students explore the skills and values that prepare them for life beyond school.
A Curriculum with Context and Purpose
Our PD curriculum meets all statutory requirements, including RSHE, Citizenship, SMSC and Careers Education, while also reflecting the contextual safeguarding priorities of our local community in Croydon.
Working closely with our Safeguarding Team, local authority, and parents, we ensure students receive teaching that is relevant to the challenges and opportunities they face. This includes (but not limited to):
- Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE): Recognising the signs, understanding risks, and knowing who to speak to if worried about yourself or someone else.
- Knife Crime and Community Safety: Exploring the real-life impact of knife crime on victims, perpetrators, families, and communities; understanding up-to-date local data; and knowing where to find help and support.
- Travelling Safely: Teaching strategies to stay safe to and from school. Following parent and local authority feedback, we have increased staff presence on main roads after school.
- Mental Health and Wellbeing: Explicitly teaching coping strategies and resilience, and signposting both school-based and external mental health support services.
These contextual themes are woven throughout our PD curriculum to ensure every student feels prepared, informed, and supported.
Examples of contextual safeguarding PD lessons: Example 1 Example 2 Example 3
Our Six Core Themes
- Respectful Relationships - Building empathy, kindness and healthy communication.
- Online Safety - Understanding digital footprints, misinformation and the responsible use of AI.
- Community and Relationship Safety - Recognising coercion, exploitation, and unhealthy behaviours.
- Healthy Minds and Bodies - Promoting mental and physical wellbeing.
- Substance Awareness - Understanding risks and making informed decisions.
- Changing Bodies - Learning about puberty, consent, and body confidence.
Our curriculum is regularly reviewed using student voice, parental feedback, and updates to national RSHE guidance (DfE 2026) to ensure content remains inclusive, current, and impactful.
The Harris Beulah Hill Anti-Bullying Charter
At Harris Academy Beulah Hill, we are proud to be a school that stands united against bullying in all its forms. Our Anti-Bullying Charter sets out our commitment to ensuring that every member of our community feels safe, respected and valued.
What We Teach
All students are explicitly taught:
- What bullying is and the different forms it can take - verbal, physical, online or social.
- How to spot signs that someone may be experiencing bullying, both in person and online.
- Who to speak to if they are worried about themselves or someone else, including tutors, pastoral staff, the safeguarding team, or a trusted prefect.
- What we can each do to counteract bullying, including speaking up, showing kindness, and supporting those affected.
These lessons are delivered through the Personal Development curriculum, assemblies, and awareness campaigns such as Anti-Bullying Week and Kindness Month.
Creating a Safe and Welcoming Environment
Our commitment to kindness and inclusion is visible every day.
- Prefects and student leaders play an active role in promoting an anti-bullying culture. They wear high-visibility jackets during break and lunch times, helping to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere and providing a point of contact for any student who needs support.
- Staff on duty are highly visible and approachable, proactively engaging with students and intervening early when they spot potential conflict or unkindness.
- We work together as a whole school community to promote empathy, celebrate difference, and ensure that bullying has no place at Harris Beulah Hill.
Our Knowledge Organisers
At the back of our PD booklets, you'll find our Knowledge Organisers- a key part of our inclusive and supportive curriculum. These have been designed to ensure every student can access and understand the key learning from each Personal Development topic. They summarise the essential knowledge, key vocabulary, and core ideas from each unit, helping students to review, revise, and reflect on their learning. Knowledge Organisers also support students who may have missed a lesson or is late to Tutor Time, allowing them to quickly catch and stay confident in their understanding. By using these regularly, students can build stronger connections between lessons and take ownership of their personal growth and wellbeing.
Example Knowledge Organisers: Example 1 Example 2 Example 3
Working in Partnership with Parents and Carers
We believe that safeguarding and personal development are strongest when schools, families, and communities work together. Parents and carers play a vital role in reinforcing the messages we teach at school.
We ask for your support in helping students stay safe by:
- Reminding your child to keep valuables hidden when travelling to and from school. We strongly advise against walking with phones or earphones visible in hand.
- Regularly checking social media privacy settings and encouraging your child to ensure their accounts are set to private and that they only communicate online with people they know in real life.
- Discussing personal safety - including travelling safely, staying alert in public, and knowing where to seek help if they ever feel unsafe.
- Encouraging digital balance - promoting healthy limits on screen time, especially before bed, and encouraging positive offline hobbies and friendships.
- Monitoring wellbeing - checking in with your child about their mood, friendships, and online experiences, and letting us know if you have any concerns.
Together, we can ensure that all our students grow up confident, safe, and well-informed.
Tutor Time Programme
Our structured Tutor Time Programme ensures every student experiences a consistent, purposeful approach to personal development.
Years 7-9:
- Personal Development Session
- Two Literacy Sessions
- Numeracy Session
- Assembly
Years 10–11:
- Personal Development Session
- Literacy
- Careers
- Current Events
- Assembly
Examples of Current Events: Example 1 Example 2 Example 3
Assemblies
Assemblies bring our school community together to reflect, celebrate, and learn. Themes include:
- Academy Values: Scholarly, Aspirational, Compassionate
- British Values and Global Citizenship
- Safeguarding Awareness
- Anti-Bullying and Kindness
- Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Black History Month and Cultural Celebration
- Current Events and Social Responsibility
Assemblies often link directly to the topics studied in PD sessions, ensuring consistency and relevance.
Examples of our Themed Assemblies: Example 1 Example 2 Example 3
Collaboration and Outreach
We are proud of our evolving and responsive Personal Development curriculum and the positive impact it has on our students’ wellbeing and sense of purpose.
We welcome collaboration with other schools and organisations who share our vision for contextual, evidence-based Personal Development education.
If your school would like to share resources, discuss curriculum design, or explore partnership opportunities, please contact: Ms Sara Shokir - S.Shokir@harrisbeulahhill.org.uk
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