Personal Development
At Brandesburton Primary School, personal development is at the heart of our curriculum and school community. We are committed to ensuring that every child develops the knowledge, skills, confidence and values needed to become active, respectful and responsible members of society. Through assemblies, community projects, discussion opportunities and clear year group expectations, our children are supported to grow personally, socially and emotionally throughout their journey with us.
Community Plan
Our Community Plan provides a structured programme of personal development opportunities across the school. The plan outlines actions and projects for each year group every term, linked directly to our Community Plan Guidance.
These projects are carefully planned by the Brandesburton team for each Key Stage and are designed to build upon the skills and understanding explored during assemblies and Community Time discussions. The projects provide meaningful, practical opportunities for children to apply what they have learned in real-life situations.
The Community Plan also strengthens children’s sense of belonging within the local and wider community, encouraging purposeful actions that demonstrate kindness, responsibility, citizenship and respect.
Assemblies
Assemblies play an important role in promoting our school values and supporting personal development.
Our Assembly Plan identifies the focus for each assembly throughout the year, alongside a linked Community Time Question. Themes may include:
- Respect and relationships
- British values
- Diversity and inclusion
- Wellbeing and mental health
- Responsibility and leadership
- Community and citizenship
- Courage, resilience and aspiration
Assemblies provide opportunities for reflection, discussion and shared understanding across the whole school community.
Community Time Questions
Each assembly is followed by a weekly Community Time Question, encouraging children to reflect on the assembly theme and discuss their thoughts, ideas and experiences.
These discussions are recorded either in JIGSAW floor books or in a dedicated class book, depending on the class teacher’s chosen approach. Evidence may include:
- Drawings
- Written responses
- Post-it note reflections
- Class discussions
- Photographs of activities
Each class completes one page per week, creating a valuable record of children’s developing understanding, viewpoints and personal growth across the year.
Brandesburton Year Group Expectations
To ensure consistency and clarity for all members of our school community, each year group has a set of child-friendly expectations.
These are displayed using a cartoon illustration of a “Brandesburton Child” and include examples of the behaviours, attitudes and skills expected at each stage of development. Expectations are carefully designed by the school team to show clear progression from year to year.
This approach helps children, staff and families understand:
- What successful personal development looks like
- How expectations grow throughout the school
- The behaviours and values that make our school community strong
Through these shared expectations, we aim to support every child in becoming confident, caring and responsible individuals who are ready for the next stage of their education and life beyond Brandesburton Primary School.
RP Ambassadors
At Brandesburton Primary School, our RP (Restorative Practice) Ambassadors play an important role in supporting positive relationships, kindness and problem solving across the school community.
RP Ambassadors are children who have received training in restorative practice and understand how to help others resolve disagreements fairly, respectfully and calmly. They support children during playtimes and around school by:
- Encouraging fair play
- Helping children to solve small disagreements peacefully
- Supporting positive friendships
- Promoting kindness and inclusion
- Helping children talk through problems using restorative questions
- Encouraging children to listen to each other and understand different viewpoints
The ambassadors help children to reflect on their actions and find positive ways forward, supporting our whole-school approach to restorative practice and respectful relationships.
Children can easily spot an RP Ambassador around school because they wear a special RP Ambassador lanyard. This helps everyone know who they can go to if they need support, friendship or help solving a problem during the school day.
Through this role, RP Ambassadors develop confidence, leadership, responsibility and communication skills while helping to make Brandesburton Primary School a safe, caring and supportive environment for everyone.
