Personal Development at Whitehouse Primary School

At Whitehouse Primary School, our mission is simple: to give every child the aspirational opportunities, nurturing support and inspiring experiences they need to grow, flourish and learn for life. We are committed to helping every child grow into a confident, responsible and compassionate young person.

Our Personal Development curriculum nurtures pupils academically, socially, emotionally and morally so they are fully prepared for the next stage of their education and life beyond school. We place the whole child at the centre of our work – supporting wellbeing, nurturing character, celebrating individuality and providing a rich range of experiences that help everyone in school to become their own leader.

⭐ Our Mission and Values in Action

Everything we do to develop our children’s personal development is shaped by our core values:

🌟 We Demand… aspiration and inclusivity

We celebrate every child for who they are. Children learn in an environment where diversity is valued, individuality is encouraged and everyone feels welcome and inspired to aim high.

💛 We Act With… kindness, respect and empathy

Strong, caring relationships are the foundation of our school. We teach children to treat others as they wish to be treated – through listening, fairness, understanding and everyday acts of kindness.

🚀 We Aspire To… grow with creativity, resilience and confidence

We encourage children to try their best, embrace challenge, learn from mistakes and become confident, independent thinkers who are ready for the future.

🌈 Building Confidence and Character

At Whitehouse, we support children to develop resilience, independence and self-belief. Through engaging lessons and enriching experiences, pupils learn to express themselves, work well with others, solve problems creatively and take pride in their achievements. We help pupils build:

• self-esteem
• resilience
• independence
• communication skills
• curiosity and creativity
• life skills

Our curriculum encourages children to explore who they are, understand how they learn and develop a positive sense of self. We develop children’s experiences through our Passport for Life and celebrate everyone’s personal journey at Whitehouse Primary through celebration assemblies and activities:

Award/Celebration	Who and when	Why
Star / VIP of the day	Daily recognition of one child in each class.	To acknowledge the small steps / actions /achievements of a child.
Kindness Award	Weekly in EYFS	To celebrate children in the early years who have been sharing and caring.
Tidy Up Award	Weekly in EYFS	To promote independence and respect for our learning environment in the early years.
Weekly Wonder	A child chosen randomly every week per class.	Positive acknowledgement and appreciation of qualities of a different child each week by their peers.
Growth Mindset Weekly Champion	Weekly and chosen by their teacher.	To acknowledge and recognise a child in every class who is growing in mindset and has shown a growth mindset behaviour that week.
Growth Mindset Termly Champion	At the end of every term and chosen by their class teacher	To acknowledge and celebrate a child from each class who has developed and applied growth mindset behaviours consistently.
Writer of the week	Weekly and chosen by their teacher.	To celebrate a child in each class who has shown effort, improvement and growth mindset in writing.
Reading Champion	Weekly and chosen by their teacher.	To celebrate a child in each class who has shown effort, improvement and enjoyment in reading.
Mathlete	Weekly and chosen by their teacher.	To celebrate a child in each class who has shown effort, improvement and growth mindset in maths.
Winning Team	Weekly and at the end of every term using team points collected and recorded	To reward children for positive behaviour for learning; growth mindset and upholding school values. The team with the most points at the end of term is rewarded with a ‘winning team treat’. Ideas for treats come from the children.
Attendance	Weekly whole class and individual	To celebrate those children achieving full attendance and those children improving their attendance. Good class attendance leads to earning money to plan and spend on a whole class treat. Individual certificates and treats are earned every three weeks and at the end of term.
Personal Achievement	Weekly during celebration assembly and the child nominates themselves.	To celebrate an achievement out of school or something they are very proud of themselves for.

💙 Supporting Wellbeing

Children thrive when they feel safe, happy and understood. Children’s wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do. We teach pupils how to understand and regulate their emotions, develop empathy and build positive relationships.

Our school environment promotes safety, kindness and inclusion so every child feels valued and supported. Mrs Gibson is our Mental Health Champion and as a whole school, we offer:

• a nurture-informed approach
• space for emotional reflection
• trusted adults who listen
• strategies for managing emotions
• activities that support mental and physical health
• programmes to help develop self-awareness, relationships and emotional resilience
• the importance of acknowledging ownership and repairing relationships

Wellbeing is woven through assemblies, lessons, playtimes, relationships and our wider culture.

❤️ Promoting Positive Values

Our curriculum is underpinned by our core school values such as respect, kindness, honesty and perseverance. These values are woven into daily routines, assemblies, lessons and wider school life, helping pupils make thoughtful decisions and contribute positively to their school and local community. We actively promote values that guide children into becoming thoughtful, caring citizens:

• Respect
• Kindness
• Fairness
• Empathy
• Responsibility
• Honesty

🇬🇧 British Values at Whitehouse Primary

We teach the fundamental British Values in a child-friendly, meaningful way. Through discussion, celebration and real-life application, children learn the importance of fairness, responsibility, and understanding differences, preparing them to become respectful and active citizens.

Democracy

Children vote, share ideas and learn that everyone’s voice matters. This is fundamental in the way we learn in lessons, work together in teams and operate in our leadership roles for school improvement.

Rule of Law

We explore why rules keep us safe and how fairness helps us live well together. This is evidenced in our classroom charters, school rules, right’s respecting and restoration approach to behaviour.

Individual Liberty

Pupils understand their rights, choices and the importance of responsibility. This is highlighted in our rights respecting Silver Award, decisions on class and individual rewards, as well as our leadership roles and responsibilities around school

Mutual Respect and Tolerance

Through our inclusive ethos and diverse curriculum, children learn to celebrate differences and value others. We learn through assemblies, lessons and actions around our school values.

🗣️ Pupil Voice

Our pupils help shape the life of our school. We want every child to know that their thoughts and opinions matter. Pupil voice is central to our ethos, and we ensure children feel heard and valued. Pupils influence decisions through:

• Class discussions
• Pupil leadership roles
• Participation in school improvement projects
• School Council
• Safeguarding and Wellbeing Council
• Eco Council
• Digital Leaders
• Playground and Sports’ Leaders
• Curriculum surveys
• Wellbeing surveys
• Challenge days
• Open door policy
• Suggestion / worry boxes

Children help make improvements to the environment, lead projects, events and influence real change.

🛡️ Safeguarding: Keeping Our Pupils Safe

Safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do. Our school provides a safe, secure and nurturing environment where children feel confident to speak to trusted adults. Staff receive regular training and we work closely with families and outside agencies to ensure every child is safe and supported.

Pupils learn how to:

• stay safe online
• recognise risky situations
• build healthy relationships
• speak out if something isn’t right
• keep themselves safe

🌿 Forest School and Outdoor Learning

Our forest school provision gives pupils hands-on learning experiences that develop:

• teamwork and resilience
• problem-solving
• connection with nature
• confidence and independence
• life skills
• an appreciation and knowledge of the local environment

Children learn through exploration, creativity and adventure.

⚽ Clubs, Sports, Trips & Enrichment

We believe that learning goes far beyond the classroom. Through a rich and varied programme of clubs, events and experiences, pupils develop confidence, resilience, curiosity and new passions.

Our enrichment offer includes:

• A wide range of sports clubs and teams
• Music, performing arts and creative clubs
• Forest school and outdoor learning
• STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Maths) opportunities
• Cultural events, themed weeks and celebration days
• Visitors, workshops and hands‑on experiences
• School productions, concerts and performances
• Heritage Heroes – celebrating, researching and sharing our local heritage around Stockton and the wider North East.

These experiences help children discover passions, build new skills and grow as individuals.

🌄 Residentials

Residentials are an important part of our Personal Development curriculum, helping pupils build independence, teamwork and resilience.

Year 4 – Outdoor Adventure Centre
Pupils enjoy a three‑day experience at an outdoor adventure centre where they:

• Challenge themselves with climbing, kayaking, orienteering and team tasks
• Develop confidence, perseverance and problem‑solving skills
• Build friendships and strengthen teamwork
• Experience the joy of outdoor learning and adventure

Year 6 – London Residential
Our Year 6 pupils take part in an exciting four-day London residential, where they:

• Explore key cultural and historical landmarks
• Visit museums, galleries and significant sites
• Experience a West End performance
• Develop independence, responsibility and real‑world confidence
• Gain a deeper understanding of British heritage, democracy and diversity

These memorable experiences stay with children for life and play an essential role in preparing them for the next stage of their learning journey.

🧪 STEAM Opportunities

Our STEAM Challenges encourage children to explore Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths through:

• real-life problem-solving challenges
• hands-on investigations
• creative design projects
• digital learning
• cross-curricular focus and themes
• competition

We want pupils to become curious, confident innovators with an understanding of real career roles and responsibilities.

🤝 Community Partnerships

Whitehouse Primary is a proud part of the local community. Through partnerships with families, local groups, organisations and faith-based networks, we provide meaningful experiences that help children understand the world around them and feel a sense of belonging.

Here are some of the organisations we have partnered with:

• St Peter’s Church
• Cleveland Fire Brigade and other local emergency services
• Stockton Football Club
• The Globe Theatre
• Ragworth Community Grocery
• Shaw Trust Garden Centre

🌟 Pupil Leadership Opportunities

We encourage pupils to take on leadership roles that develop confidence, responsibility, communication, teamwork and pride in their school. Leadership helps pupils learn to contribute to positive change.

Where and when this happens at Whitehouse Primary:

Leadership Role	Year Group	Main Responsibilities
School Council Representatives	R – Y6	Share the views and ideas of their class during council meetings. Help make decisions that improve the school. Feedback information from meetings to their classmates.
Safeguarding and wellbeing champions	R – Y6	Monitor the school environment for safe and unsafe spaces Discuss specific themes and feedback to the local safeguarding partnership Support children with knowing what to do in certain scenarios by making posters. Support Mrs Gibson, the Wellbeing and Safeguarding Lead Promote kindness, inclusion and positive friendships by being good role models.
Rights Respecting Leaders	Y1 – Y6	Promote children’s rights across the school. Help plan and lead assemblies or activities linked to the UNCRC. Encourage all pupils to understand and respect the rights of others.
Junior Joe Playground leaders	Y4 and Y5	Lead and organise playground games for younger children. Promote positive play and help resolve small playground disagreements. Model safe, fair and friendly behaviour.
Attendance Leaders	Y5 and Y6	Promote good attendance and punctuality across the school. Help organise and distribute class attendance reward money vouchers. Help with class attendance displays.
Eco Leaders	Y1 – Y6	Promote recycling, energy saving and environmental care. Help monitor classroom eco-checklists. Lead eco-projects such as litter picks or planting.
Digital Leaders	Y3 – Y6	Promote online safety and responsible use of technology. Support teachers and pupils with digital tasks. Help look after devices and assist during computing events.
Sports Leaders	Y6	Set up sports equipment for Sports’ Day and PE events. Promote fair play, teamwork and healthy lifestyles.
Junior Joe Play Leaders	Y4 and Y5	Set up sports equipment for playtimes Teach children how to play games Encourage and support more activity at playtimes.
Club Leaders	Y6	Children who have interest or expertise leading clubs at lunchtime including guitar and games club
Y5 Ambassadors for the school	Y5	Represent the school during events and tours around other school. Welcome visiting Y5 ambassadors and help show them around our school. Plan activities to showcase what Whitehouse is all about. Model excellent behaviour and communication.
Y6 Leadership Ambassadors	Y6	Represent the school in key events. Lead celebration assemblies and welcome parents to class assemblies. Support younger pupils and act as role models. Help lead assemblies, projects and special events. Act as guides to visitors and governors.
Class Monitors	R – Y6	Have specific and dedicated roles to support classroom organisation (tidying, handing out resources). Help teachers maintain a calm and organised learning space.
Fruit Monitors	Y1 and Y2	Take the fruit out at break times. Help distribute fruit fairly. Return and keep the fruit area tidy and clean.
Art Cupboard Monitors	KS2	Monitor the art cupboard and ensure art resources are tidy and organised. Ensure equipment is restocked and put away correctly.
PE Cupboard Monitors	Y6	Monitor the PE cupboard and help keep PE equipment organised and stored safely. Check equipment is put away properly after lessons and report any damage.
Y5 and Y6 Lunch Monitors	Y5 and Y6	Monitor children entering school unsupervised during lunch. Support younger children in the forum during lunchtime. Help in the dining hall by modelling manners and using a knife and fork. Ensure lunch areas stay tidy and organised.
Event organisers and stall holders	Y5 and Y6	Help plan and run school events such as seasonal fairs and fundraising events. Set up and manage event stalls. Promote teamwork and fundraising.
Librarians	Y6	Help organise and tidy the school library. Support younger readers in choosing books. Promote a love of reading through displays and activities.
Plant care monitors	Y1 – Y6	Water and look after classroom and school plants. Check plant health and report any concerns. Encourage others to care for the school environment.

🌟 Preparing Our Pupils for the Future

Our Personal Development provision inspires ambition, leadership and a love of learning. Through varied experiences, carefully planned lessons and strong pastoral support, children develop the knowledge, skills and character needed to thrive in an ever-changing world.

We help children become:

• confident
• resilient
• compassionate
• curious
• ambitious
• ready for their next steps