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PSHE and Personal Development at Trinity
At Trinity, PSHE and Personal Development are central to our curriculum and wider school ethos. Our programme is designed to give students the knowledge, understanding, skills and confidence they need to lead safe, healthy and successful lives, to make informed choices, and to thrive in modern Britain.
Our curriculum is rooted in our school values of Personal Excellence and Collective Responsibility. It supports students to develop resilience, character, responsibility and respect, while preparing them for later life.
The curriculum is built around three core themes:
Health and Wellbeing
Relationships
Living in the Wider World
PSHE and Personal Development are taught on a weekly basis for all year groups. They are delivered through a dedicated one-hour weekly session for Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 13, and a fortnightly session for Year 11.
In addition to timetabled lessons, PSHE and Personal Development are also delivered through the tutor programme, supported by assemblies and our Theme of the Week programme. This enables important themes to be revisited regularly and ensures that personal development is embedded across the life of the school rather than taught in isolation. Across the year, students explore a broad range of issues including bullying, personal safety, online safety, financial education, careers, mental health, healthy lifestyles, discrimination, diversity and relationships.
Our provision is further strengthened through three PSHE Days across the year, helping to ensure that statutory guidance is fully covered in an age-appropriate, coherent and meaningful way. PSHE and Personal Development also contribute to our wider school offer, including opportunities such as the First Give project, where students work collaboratively to engage with social action, community issues and charitable causes.
A particularly important development this year has been the introduction of our Belonging Behaviours Programme: a taught curriculum for belonging. This programme was introduced to help students take ownership of their actions, contribute positively to the culture of the school, and develop the habits and attitudes that allow them to belong, thrive and succeed. It is grounded in Trinity’s values and in the simple, consistent habits that underpin successful learning and positive relationships.
PSHE and Personal Development also play a vital role in supporting Trinity’s wider personal development offer. They connect closely with student leadership, student voice, careers education, enrichment, pastoral care and opportunities for service and contribution. In this way, the curriculum helps students to understand themselves, their relationships and the world around them, while also supporting them to become active, informed and responsible citizens.
This provision extends strongly into the sixth form, where students benefit from a comprehensive and carefully planned PSHE and Personal Development programme. Sixth form students engage with a wide range of relevant topics including wellbeing and health, relationships and sex education, personal finance, student finance, tax and national insurance, pensions, careers, apprenticeships, UCAS, work experience, interview preparation and next steps after school. The programme also includes visiting speakers, tutor-led sessions, careers events, leadership opportunities and support for progression into higher education, employment and training.
This is an important strength of Trinity’s wider curriculum. It ensures that sixth form students are not only supported academically, but are also prepared thoroughly for adult life. Students are given opportunities to develop independence, professionalism, financial awareness, civic understanding and confidence in making decisions about their futures. The sixth form programme reflects Trinity’s commitment to preparing students exceptionally well for life beyond school.
The strength of Trinity’s wider Personal Development work was recognised by Ofsted, which noted that “the school’s excellent personal development programme covers required content but also responds to issues of local and broader importance if necessary.” Inspectors also recognised that pupils in all years develop an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships and how to stay safe, including online, and that careers provision is equally strong and fully inclusive.
At Trinity, PSHE and Personal Development are not viewed as standalone elements of the curriculum. They are a vital part of how we develop confident, respectful, informed and socially responsible young people who are well prepared for their next steps and able to make a positive contribution to society.
