Personal Development
As part of our extra-curricular and extended curricular provision, the school takes our Ready, Respect, Safe motto Beyond the Classroom. It’s aim is to educate students on living in the wider world, being active positive citizens (including having healthy relationships) and caring for their health and well being. This incorporates our Personal Development Curriculum, Anti-Bullying strategy, Careers Education, E-Safety and educating students how to safeguard themselves and each other.
We emphasise to students that while their GCSE results are essential for their next steps, their character (skills) will give them the edge over others. Throughout their time at Hedingham School, we will be asking students three key questions:
Ready: Are you ready for tomorrow’s world?
Respect: How do you celebrate difference and diversity?
Safe: How do you look after yourself and others?
Ready – Are you ready for tomorrow’s world?
Students have assemblies and Tutor Time sessions on the skills, qualities and attitudes that employers say are desirable for the work place.
We will be teaching them the skills of LORIC – Leadership, Organisation, Resilience, Initiative and Communication. Students are given opportunities to develop these skills beyond the classroom in our range of extra-curricular activities. An example of what a typical term looks like is pictured here.
Their participation in events, which contribute to our school community and wider community, will be recognised at half termly Celebration Assemblies and communicated to you on their reports. In addition to this, students will attain House points for their participation, which help contribute to their House winning the fiercely competitive House Cup. Your child will belong to one of four Houses:
- Symonds – The Blue House
- Hawkwood – The Red House
- Moynes – The Yellow House
- Thomason – The Purple House
Throughout their time at Hedingham, students will also have the opportunity to be part of a wide variety of school visits. In recent years, the Science Department has visited Iceland, Media Studies ventured to New York whilst the History Department take students to Belgium. Moreover, numerous sporting fixtures take place throughout the year. Ski trips and a water sports visit to the Ardèche in France have become annual fixtures at Hedingham School.
Our most recent school show was ‘The School of Rock,’ and the school community always looks forward to annual events such as the Christmas Concert, Summer Concert and the Inter-House Arts Festival.
We will also prepare students for life beyond school through our PSHE and Careers programme. They will learn about:
Economic Well-Being and Financial Capability
Taxes, loans, credit cards, mortgages? We support students in understanding what all these things means and where they can get help understanding them.
Careers Education
Throughout their time at Hedingham School, students have ‘drop down’ days, exploring the world of work and future career options.
Year 7 - Career Stereotypes
Year 8 - Face to Face with Enterprise
Year 9 - University of Essex Visit
Year 10 - Apprenticeship Fair
Year 11 - College and Sixth Form Open events
Work-related learning
What are apprenticeships?
- Earn whilst you learn
- No tuition fees
- Learn skills specific to your chosen career
Respect - How do you celebrate difference and diversity?
We will celebrate difference and diversity in our school community and wider world.
Students learn about developing positive values and a moral framework that will guide their decisions, judgements and behaviour. We celebrate an individual’s personal identity and respect family life as a social institution. As part of this, students learn about British and global values as human beings.
We will often look at inspirational figures in assembly or have a tutor time focus during Black History month or Anti-Bullying Week. The school celebrates showing racism the red card with our annual wear something red day as well as Odd Socks Monday during Anti-Bullying week to celebrate each person as being different. Students also receive assemblies celebrating our LGBTQ community through such activities as the Gingerbread Person as well as how to identify child on child abuse.
Safe – How do you look after yourself and others?
Students receive an education throughout the year on managing risks, mental health and anti-bullying. Student leadership roles help support and promote this with such roles as our Well Being Cabinet (part of the school Parliament), Student Voice Representatives and Prefects.
Students have assemblies, tutor time sessions and ‘drop down days’ on such topics as anti-bullying, E-Safety, road safety and other age related potential risks.