Senior Personal Development

The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils at Sion School is viewed as extremely important and is fundamentally linked to the School’s ethos and Mission Statement.

We are aware that respect for others, their beliefs and values is fundamental to the happiness of our community.   We strive to ensure that education takes place in an atmosphere that is caring and protective, and where trust, confidentiality and respect underpin all relationships.

We will ensure that where pupils indicate that they may be vulnerable and at risk, they will get appropriate support as set out in the School’s safeguarding policy.

Teaching will take into account the ability, age, readiness, and cultural backgrounds of our young people to ensure that all can fully access the PD education provision.

In addition to the programme of study, there is PD input through Whole School and Chapel Assemblies, form time, guest speakers and contact with teachers – both pastoral and non-pastoral.

Our ethos, Consideration Always, permeates through all that we do in the daily life of the School, leading to expectations of respect and tolerance, elimination of bullying and allowing every child to develop self-esteem and confidence.

While a wide range of PD topics are covered as part of the programme of study, valuable reinforcement and additional content is delivered in form time, school/chapel assemblies, and by guest speakers and theatre productions. The choice of topic may be dictated or influenced either by current affairs, current safeguarding issues or by initiatives from the pastoral team and may include such areas as anti-bullying, bereavement, keeping safe, online safety, well-being, recycling and other global issues, the power of the media, the British Parliamentary system or study skills.  Resources are supplemented through membership with the PSHE association, Chameleon PDE, The Day (media site) and a number of charitable organisations such as the NSPCC and The National Schools Partnership.  In addition, various aspects of the PD curriculum are covered in Geography, English, PE, Science, F&N and RS.

We are committed to working with parents and carers. Effective PD education is a collaboration between school and home. We encourage our students to discuss issues arising from lessons in the home environment, within their own family context.  The joint aim of the School and parents is to help the children to become emotionally literate and more mature through open and non-judgmental discussion.  We will provide support by offering material for parents and carers to explore with their children, which can be accessed by the parent portal on the Learning Platform.

We are aware that respect for others, their beliefs and values is fundamental to the happiness of our community. We strive to ensure that education takes place in an atmosphere that is caring and protective, and where trust, confidentiality and respect underpin all relationships. We will communicate to parents about their right to withdraw children from any and every aspect of sex education as stated in legislation.