Personal Development
Personal Development and SMSC at Clanfield Junior School
At Clanfield Junior School, we prioritise helping every child grow into a kind, confident, and responsible individual who is ready to make a positive difference in the world. Belonging is at the heart of our school and this drives our plans- we are continually looking for new ideas that bring us even more together as a school family. Our assemblies are an integral part of our week- make sure you have a look at this on our website!
We are fiercely proud of the wide range of opportunities we provide for our children and are always planning new ideas and enrichment events to help every child thrive. We protect childhood, promote diversity, and support children in understanding the important role they play within the community. One example is when our children met the the ‘Tallest Professional Basketball Player in the World.’ Paul Sturgess stands at a staggering 7 ft 8 inches tall, and is former professional basketball player. He has played for the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters! Paul shared how he embraced his visible difference and used it to his advantage.
Pupil voice is central to our approach, enabling children to contribute meaningfully and make positive changes in the right way. We have been learning about the British values that shape our country and why they are important in helping us live together respectfully and responsibly.
Our approach to Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural (SMSC) development is woven throughout school life. It shapes our curriculum, assemblies, behaviour expectations, and the many wider opportunities our children experience each day. Read our newsletters to see the huge range of weekly events that take place!
Here are a few examples:
Spiritual Development
We encourage pupils to reflect, ask big questions, and develop a sense of curiosity about the world around them. Through lessons, assemblies, and experiences in nature, children are given opportunities to explore feelings of awe, wonder, and empathy. They learn to appreciate their own beliefs and values while respecting those of others.
-
Harvest festival
-
Visits to our local church
-
Autumn, Spring and Summer fun day
-
Woodland outdoor activities and opportunities to be outside
-
Celebrating Chinese New Year with Dragon dancers
-
Pond dipping days
-
Holi ART
-
Remembrance poems at the church
Remembrance drone and musician event with the brass band Drone event
-
Year 2 visits from local schools for nature adventures on our grounds
-
Outdoor play and opportunities for being creative
-
Reverend visits
-
Muslim visitor for Y5 and 6
-
New reading and writing curriculum which celebrates the environment and supports children with learning about diversity
-
Virtual author visits and workshops to inspire children with reading and writing
-
Creativity through themed days and new ART curriculum
-
VE day celebrations
Moral Development
Children are supported to make good choices and to understand their impact on others. We talk openly about fairness, honesty, and integrity, helping pupils to see how their actions affect others. Our school values – Be Kind, Be Resilient, Be Respectful, Be Curious – guide everything we do and help pupils build strong moral character. We have focused on understanding discrimination, misinformation and other highly relevant topics.
-
School values and class rules
-
School council who regularly share consultations, ideas and projects
-
Meeting with MP Damien Hind to discuss parliament and making a difference
-
-
New curriculum built around diversity, opportunities for debating, local issues
-
House points and STARS assemblies
-
Brain science assemblies and My Happy Mind lessons
-
Assemblies linked to protected characteristics and the British values
-
Trauma aware approach- restorative conversations
-
Wrist bands for the school values
-
SCARF PSHE scheme
-
Golden Tickets at Lunchtime for our courtyard area
-
Studying the poetry of Benjamin Zephaniah and creating their own linked to the themes of his work (including the environment, diversity and social justice)
-
New reading curriculum explores environmental issues and diversity
-
PECAN Workshops around protecting our oceans, climate 101 and sustainability
-
Pond dipping opportunities with STEM ambassador
Socially:
At Clanfield Junior School, we place great importance on helping our children develop strong character and positive attitudes to learning and life. Through our curriculum, assemblies, and daily interactions, pupils are encouraged to reflect wisely, learn with curiosity, behave with integrity, and work cooperatively with others. We want every child at Clanfield to leave us not only with strong academic skills, but also with the confidence, compassion, and determination to thrive in the next stage of their education and beyond.
-
Teaching British values and relating to their own lives, decisions and behaviours
-
Every day volunteering roles such as- library monitors, watering plants, welcome buddies, tuck shop, laptops, and other helpful jobs
-
Specialist volunteering roles such as school council reps who have led great changes across the school, Clanfield Rangers who care for our environment and educate other pupils, Community Ambassadors- helping our local community, Assembly prefects who evaluate our efforts and commitment to school values
-
Guide dog visit to year 3
-
Harvest Festival learning, assembly and food bank donations
-
Fire visit- year 5 day
-
Head teacher assemblies on protected characteristics, diversity and discrimination (see separate document for themes)
-
Blind artist assembly and workshops by Clarke Reynolds
-
Helping with Nature adventures for year 2 children from local schools
-
Brent lodge visit and fundraising
-
Remembrance Sunday at the church
-
Blue Cross Talks- Pets and our wellbeing
-
JRSO platinum award
-
Residential trips for yr 4 and yr 6
-
New school trips linked to our local area and aspirational visits
-
Trips of special interest for children particularly interested in certain subjects, such as historians to the Mary Rose Museum, Scientists to HTC, Maths enthusiasts and budding writers to Aim High Day, animal lovers to Marwell, STEM enthusiasts to Churchers College and so many more!
-
Internet safety day, extra lessons on being safe online
-
Forces club-
-
Anti bullying week & odd socks day, mental health day
-
Reading with children from other year groups
-
VE Day visit to Swallows Court to share stories
-
Community ambassadors visiting Swallow Court to read with residents
-
Community ambassadors helping with Stay and Play
-
Improved outdoor areas with new toys and sports for all children
Cultural Development
We celebrate diversity and encourage children to be open-minded, respectful, and inclusive. Through our curriculum, themed days, and assemblies, pupils learn about different cultures, traditions, and faiths — helping them to value the richness of the world around them and to see difference as something to be embraced.
-
Extra cricket, gymnastic, archery, dance and football enrichment sessions
-
Pop up pool
-
Circus visit and skipping day
-
Paddle sports visit
-
Weekly music songs from different cultures
-
Sports day
-
Intra mural Football tournament
-
World book day
-
Diverse books within our English curriculum
-
Diverse range of artists that we study
-
Poetry competitions
-
Author, Petr Horáček (year 3)
-
Gardening enrichment sessions for all pupils
-
School council meetings and fundraising events
-
Muslim visitor for Y5 and 6
-
Colour splash celebrating Holi
-
World Book Week activities
-
Song of the Week showcasing music from different cultures and genres
-
Studying the poetry of Benjamin Zephaniah and creating their own linked to the themes of his work (including the environment, diversity and social justice)
-
Empathy Day Festival Virtual Visit: Lisette Auton, author of The Starlight Rebel - explaining the importance of disability and neurodivergent representation in books, how this inspired her characters and how this relates to empathy.
-
Visit from Paul Sturgess to discuss diversity and his life story
