PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
What is our approach to Personal Development?
Our approach to personal development is to aim for our children to embody our school values of 'Aspiration', 'Resilience', 'Consideration', 'Responsibility' and 'Community'.
By doing so, we aim to not only prepare them for the transition to secondary school, but also challenges of the wider world. Encouraging children to be confident speakers who understand their rights and play an active part in school life is essential to being a child at West Hampstead Primary School.
We believe that the views, experiences and influence of our pupils are an integral part of our drive to continuously improve our provision. We seek ways to listen to the views of our pupils and involve them in decision-making so that they are engaged as partners in the life of the school.
Aims
- Enable pupils to make a meaningful contribution to the school community and wider society and to develop leadership / decision making skills as well as a responsibility for the school environment
- Enable pupils to play a part in determining priorities for school development
- Enable pupils to reflect on their learning and have confidence in voicing opinions
- Ensure that all pupils regardless of age, ability, social background or ethnicity have equal opportunities to contribute to the wider school
- Create an inclusive school community where pupils feel valued and to strengthen social and emotional aspects of learning
- Strengthen the partnership between pupils and staff
- Provide the opportunity to see the familiar from a different perspective
- Allow a greater insight into what the pupils hold to be true and fair.
Pupil voice and pupil participation activities at West Hampstead Primary School
- Ethos, pedagogy and activities in classrooms for all pupils that meet our aims.
- The WHPS School Council
- The WHPS Eco-Committee
- Curriculum Pupil Voice
- School Newspaper
- Debating Society
- Play Buddies
- Sports Leaders
Classroom Practice
Pupil participation in their own learning means a range of different things in the classroom. It includes developing the curriculum to reflect interests and needs as expressed by pupils; encouraging pupils’ reflection on their own and others’ learning; reflection by pupils on the style and content of lessons and opportunities to give and respond to feedback as well as to respect the opinion of others and put forward a point of view in an appropriate manner. Assessment for Learning encourages a view of assessment as an essential part of everyday classroom practice involving teachers and learners in reflection, dialogue, decision-making and target setting.
School Council
One of the principle means by which pupil voice activity is progressed at WHPS is by the use of the School Council. Our School Council enhance and influence positive peer leadership and mutual responsibility throughout the school. They help to reinforce the British Values that are so important at our school:
School Council is also used to assist the school with its self-evaluation procedures and enable us to be more accountable to the whole school community.
School Council takes place weekly and includes children from years 3-6 and has an annual action plan and agenda.
Curriculum Pupil Voice
Opportunities are sought to ensure pupil feedback on curriculum, learning and enrichment through pupil interviews across subjects by subject leaders and the senior leadership team and feedback and evaluation from curriculum enrichment weeks.
Curriculum Pupil Voice takes place termly and includes children from years 1-6.
Environmental Voice
‘Eco-schools’ is a national scheme which encourages schools to undertake projects which increase children's awareness of the quality of our environment. It requires the children to become actively involved in taking care of our world. Across the federation, schools are working towards or maintaining Green Flag Status and are actively involved in sustainability projects.
The Eco Committee takes place weekly and includes children from years 3-6 and has an annual action plan and agenda.
Inclusive Voice
As a school, we have made a commitment to inclusion and we
A range of additional roles are in place to support inclusive practice including:
- Playground leaders
- Play buddies
- Peer Readers
School newspaper
Our school newspaper is important because it provides a platform for student voices, fosters communication, builds confidence, and develops essential skills like critical thinking, writing, and teamwork. It also keeps the school community informed about relevant issues and events, and can even help identify and address important concerns.
Our newspaper takes place weekly and includes children from years 4-6 and has an annual action plan and agenda. The newspaper is released every half term and shared with the wider community.
Sports Leaders
The Sports Leaders support play at lunchtime and ensure that resources are looked after. Effective sports leaders are not just skilled athletes, but also possess strong communication, strategic thinking, and the ability to adapt their leadership style to different situations.
Pupil Surveys
Pupil Voice surveys take place each October and the outcomes are analysed and used to inform the school development plan and subsequent school council action plan.
In addition, Year 6 complete an exit survey for Camden before leaving which is analysed by the local authority.
Developing a whole school approach
To encourage a consistent, positive attitude to pupil participation, the whole staff, including the non-teaching staff, should understand the benefits of pupil participation, be clear in their role in terms of supporting pupil participation and be kept well-informed about issues being discussed and proposals put forward by the school council and other pupil representative groups through clear communication strategies including social media, the website, briefings, minutes and organised events.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Pupil participation and pupil voice are monitored and evaluated by the headteacher with expectations for whole school development.