Personal Development Time (PDT) is a curriculum subject which consists of three strands:
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Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHEe)
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Citizenship
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Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)
It is our intent that through this subject, students develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to keep themselves healthy and safe and prepare for life and work in modern Britain. Through the study of PDT, we hope students will develop into well-rounded members of society, who can make a positive contribution to their community.
Throughout all key stages we aim to develop the whole person, which will serve as a basis for a successful and fulfilled future as students, employees, employers, and parents. Students explore how to make the most of their abilities and opportunities so that they develop the confidence to make informed decisions and take responsibility. By studying this we hope our students develop positively by adopting ‘can-do’ attitudes and being determined to make things happen. Furthermore, students are encouraged to embrace diversity, formulate their own values and attitudes and build effective relationships with others.
We recognise the importance of teaching mental wellbeing. We ensure that we equip students with the ability to recognise challenging periods in their lives and how best to overcome them through perseverance and determination. We want our students to be able to face disappointment, learn from mistakes and adapt to change.
Through studying citizenship, we aim to ensure students gain a strong understanding about becoming an informed citizen. We equip students with the knowledge, skills and understanding to play an effective role in public life. We promote critical thinking and create opportunities for students to learn about rights and responsibilities, duties and freedoms and about laws, justice and democracy. We create opportunities that encourage respect for different national, religious, and ethnic identities and explore the values we share as citizens in the UK. We aim to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed for effective and democratic participation, helping them become informed, critical, active citizens.
Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) is a very important part of the curriculum for our students. Students are helped to better understand themselves and their own specific needs and capabilities by being encouraged to explore their personal characteristics, the influences on them and to build and develop a record of their experiences. Increased self-awareness helps students to explore opportunities and use information in positive and realistic ways to develop strategies to aim high to improve their progression in learning. Impartial guidance allows students to make and adjust their own plans and take responsibility for managing career choices, changes and transitions. They are also helped to begin to understand the world of work and its changing career opportunities and to see the relevance of school to their future lives.
