At the Latymer School, we are passionate that young people deserve high quality, age-appropriate personal development education with a particular emphasis on relationships, health and sex education throughout their time at our school. We encourage all students to explore attitudes and values and develop skills to empower them to make positive decisions about their health-related behaviour, with particular consideration of the qualities of relationships within families, the school and the wider community.

Our Personal Development Curriculum and Relationships & Sex Education curriculum aim to develop our students’ skills and attributes such as resilience, self-esteem, risk-management, team working and critical thinking. We also want to give students opportunities to develop their understanding of democracy and justice, rights and responsibilities, as well as identities and diversity.

Design of the Personal Development Curriculum (PDC)

PDC lessons and activities are designed to prepare our students for opportunities, responsibilities and experiences that come with adult life. Relationship, health and sex education and PDC also enable us to promote the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of our students, at school and in society.

To embrace the challenges of creating a happy and successful adult life, pupils need knowledge that will enable them to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships and to build their self-efficacy. They will need to apply this knowledge as they develop the capacity to make sound decisions when facing risks, challenges and complex contexts. Our students will develop resilience and know how and when to ask for help, and to know where to access support.

At the Latymer School, Personal Development Curriculum is:

• Delivered in multiple ways, such as through form time (using a spiralling curriculum), timetabled lessons for years 7-9 (which interlink with form time activities) and other curriculum subjects such as Religious Education, Science and Physical Education.
• Personalised: we ensure that all statutory topics are taught as well as those that are more applicable to our students.
• Staff who require support with subject knowledge and/or skills can gain it in multiple ways including in-house from the Heads of Department and the Senior Leadership Team, through INSETs and in-house continual personal development, as well as from external providers.

The difference made to our students’ development

We are committed to providing a first class, liberal education where pupils achieve their full potential and show consideration for others. Relationships and Sex Education is an integral part of this.

We aim for our students to develop into well-rounded individuals who are well-informed, considerate, and empathetic of others and:

• Have an inquiring mind and a desire to contribute towards the community and the world around them.
• Have an ability to think and work independently.
• Have an ability to persevere and complete tasks.
• Are adept at problem-solving.
• Participate fully with the opportunities presented to them.

Below is an outline of what the Latymer pupils do in their PDC lessons each year. Personal development however is not only limited to only those allocated lessons, it can be seen in lessons across the curriculum as well as during form times and whole school, key stage and year assemblies.