Personal Development at Ravenswood

At Ravenswood, personal development is at the heart of all that we do. Through our Curriculum Drivers, Ravenswood Values and Golden Rules, we strive to create a school environment that develops the ‘whole child’. We take time to find out what makes each child ‘tick’ and are proud of the high expectations and aspirations we have for every individual, supporting and developing their resilience, confidence, respect and understanding of others, regardless of their starting points, experiences or opportunities. We want our children to be proud of their effort and achievement, to take on challenges and be able to understand and empathise with others, and to have the knowledge and skills needed to make decisions that support them personally and contribute to building their character to be able to flourish both now and in their future.

Our Ravenswood Values and Golden Rules were created with staff and children. These are part of the vision we have for the school. They are displayed in every classroom and  frequently referred to both in and out of school. We are a school that welcomes children and families from a diversity of backgrounds, beliefs and cultures and we make sure that everyone feels a part of ‘Team Ravenswood’.  

Curriculum Drivers:  Broad and Balanced Curriculum, Learning through Experiences, Developing the Whole Child and Knowledge Rich

Ravenswood Ethos. Relationships Promoting Success

Ravenswood Values: Respect, Achieve, Value, Enjoyment, Nurturing, Self-confidence, Working together, Openness, Opportunity and Diversity.

Golden Rules: these can be applied in all areas of school life and with all ages. They are:

We are gentle

We are kind and helpful

We are honest

We work hard

We look after property

We listen

We are polite

We work alongside parents and carers to share this vision and ethos and develop excellent relationships with all of our families, who know that we are always there to listen and to help. Through regular contact, we work as a team to ensure that every pupil is happy at school and understands that learning is not just something that happens in school. Family Fridays and Book Looks give our children a chance to ‘show off’ to their parents and engage them in their learning. An active ‘Friends of Ravenswood’ group further supports us in bringing together our families to support exciting experiences e.g. The Circus, Inflatables Day and our Winter and Summer School Fairs.

Ravenswood provides opportunities for children to engage in  personal development in our school through the following.

SMSC

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural

Spiritual: explore beliefs and experience, respect values, discover oneself and the surrounding world, use imagination and creativity, reflect

Moral Development recognise right and wrong, understand consequences, consider ethical and moral issues, offer reasoned views.

Cultural Development: appreciate cultural influences; participate in culture opportunities; understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity.

Social Development : use social skills in different contexts; work well with others; resolve conflicts; understand how communities work.

British Values

British Values (Democracy, Rule of Law, Individual Liberty, Mutual Respect and Tolerance) are an important part of our curriculum and are promoted through curricular and extra-curricular activities and in assemblies, where we encourage our pupils to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance. Pupils are always listened to by adults and are taught to listen carefully and with concern to each other, respecting the right of every individual to have their opinions and voices heard. These values are reinforced in out of school visits e.g. to sporting competitions, museums etc. Our ‘Ravenswood Great Get Together’ began in 2017 as a way of remembering the M.P. Jo Cox, but this has grown into an event that celebrates our cultural diversity.  Every year, families wear national costumes, bring along food to share, chat and spend time connecting with others.

Our school council helps children to understand ‘Democracy’; each class votes annually and elects the pupil they would like to be their councillor who represents their views/concerns/ideas in weekly meetings. Teachers factor in time in a busy calendar to ensure each councillor has the time needed to discuss these ideas. Our assemblies reinforce all British Values where we might share topical news and stories from the past, including religious and non-religious stories

SMSC is supported through the following in our school:

Assemblies

A programme of assemblies supports the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our pupils,  enabling them to look at themselves and reflect on their human relationships, both in school and the in wider world. Assemblies support our PHSE/RSE and R.E curriculum. We discuss and learn about the Ravenswood Values, being safe, and making sensible choices for ourselves and with others. We celebrate different religious and cultural beliefs and values, as well as national events such as the King Charles’ coronation, Remembrance Day and Black History Month. Visitors help the children to learn about different faiths, skills and careers  and we celebrate fundraising activities. Children listen to stories from the faiths we study in school and are given reminders about their personal safety. Assemblies might involve sharing musical performances and School Council announcements.

Every Friday, Achievement Assembly celebrates not only children’s academic talents but also those children who have demonstrated Ravenswood Values. One or two children are nominated by their class teacher or teaching assistant to receive a certificate. Our weekly singing assemblies encourage children to have fun, relax and work as  team to learn and perform different songs.

Opportunities and Enrichment

Ravenswood is proud of the broad range of opportunities on offer that support children to develop their talents and interests both within lessons and during extra-curricular activities or clubs. Through these opportunities, we want children to develop their own self-confidence and initiative whilst showing sensitivity and understanding to others. We want them to learn to  be resilient and persevere and develop skills of cooperation and team building. These activities are popular and we encourage children who are disadvantaged to take part.

Ravenswood is known for its commitment to school sport. Dedicated staff develop children’s sporting talents and encourage participation in P.E. competitions. Knowing how to be a strong team player, to be resilient and to learn how to win and lose gracefully are celebrated in our school.

Our annual sports days give all children a chance to shine, cheered on by a huge crowd of parents! Other opportunities include drama club, learning to play a musical instrument and singing in the KS1 or KS2 choir. These often allow children to perform at different venues in the city as well as in school.

Educational trips and visitors into school are built into the curriculum to support the ‘awe and wonder’ of different subjects; seeing things ‘first -hand’ supports all children’s learning. Years 4-6 are given the opportunity to attend residential visits to rural environments, which gives the children a taste of life outside a busy city. Here, they get to challenge themselves in a range of outdoor, adventourous activities as well as learning to work as a team and support others.

Close links with Northumbria Universty’s Sports Science department, Newcastle High School for Girls and GEM Education offer children the chance to experience subjects in a wider context that further support theirpersonal development, including career aspirations.

PHSE/RSE lessons

Our aim is to support children’s curiosity and ability to ask questions about themselves and others in order to live happily and respectfully in the wider world. We want our children to be happy and healthy, develop their self-worth, understand how to build positive relationships and manage their emotions. We want our children to become independent and responsible citizens who appreciate what it means to be tolerant members in a diverse society. At Ravenswood, we use the Kapow scheme of work as the basis for our work on PSHE and RSE. It explores physical health, mental well-being and wider aspects of safety such as online behaviour, healthy diets and being safe near water. These are reinforced in our P.E and Computing curricula.

Examples of personal development