Personal Development At The Heart Of Haywards Farm School

Haywards Farm School is dedicated to ensuring any child or young person wishing to re-enter mainstream education at key phases of their educational journey is given the opportunity to when possible.

With this mission in mind, Personal Development is at the centre of Haywards Farm School schools learning within SMSC, and it is crucial that students are given the opportunity through the school’s curriculum, Thrive programme, and other creative opportunities to develop key skills to become successful contributing members of the community by using the resources around them to build on their characteristics and become independent successful members of society.

Haywards Farm School’s Personal Development is based on the fundamental values of the Thrive approach. Upon entry to the school, all students have a Thrive assessment, which identifies their developmental stage. Action plans, with key strategies to support students in progressing to the appropriate developmental stage, are embedded into the school and monitored every six weeks.

Each class also has a class action plan that supports students’ social development, and is part of our PSHE curriculum, designed to equip pupils with the skills needed to become independent learners, with high self-worth, a strong sense of identity, and developed social skills.

Other ways in which Personal Development is embedded within Haywards Farm School include enrichment activities, linked to the curriculum, held weekly, such as assemblies, mental health support and check-ins, PSHE, and a physical education curriculum. These activities often take place in the community. It is important to provide our young people with opportunities to access guided support in real-world settings, helping them to transfer the skills learned at school into the wider community, and develop independence, confidence, and social competence.

Our Personal Development Subjects