PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS – Monday 9th December 2019

Personal Development days are scheduled three times during this academic to create a bespoke experience for students, focusing on key issues relevant to specific year groups, as well as incorporating aspects of British values.

Monday 9^th December will be the first of these three days and students are being given the opportunity to investigate the following themes:

Year 7 students – Year 7 students will be engaging with a day based around e-safety. Students will cover important issues around topics such as Social Media, Cyber-bullying, Sharing Images and Strangers Online. We have an external agency coming in to deliver a workshop to students, as well as lessons delivered by tutors, a research task and a documentary, which all parents have received a letter regarding. There is also the opportunity for parents to attend a presentation on understanding e-safety and what children could be exposed to. This will take place in the main hall and start at 4.00pm. It is due to last for one hour.

Year 8 students – Year 8 students will be engaging in a Gangs and Criminal Exploitation awareness day, which is part of a country project run in partnership with the Police.  Students will begin the day by listening to the launch of the project before looking at the importance and issues that the county faces at present by gang culture and criminal exploitation. Students will then work in groups to produce a business type plan that proposes how we can work with young people in order to limit the danger in our society today. Groups will present their plans to their forms. The winning groups will go through to the Wollaston final. The winning group from Year 8 will then represent the school at the county Semi-finals, which will be held in June.

Year 9 students – Year 9 students will be engaging with the looking at the British value of Justice. Students will look at the criminal justice system and will investigate punishments that are appropriate for crimes. Students will also look at different roles within a magistrate’s court and will take part in a mock trial. We will then ask for any interested students, after their experience from the day, to become part of the Wollaston Magistrates team to prepare for and trial a case in the County’s Magistrate Mock Trial Competition. The heats for this event will be on Saturday 14^th March in Oxford and anyone who is interested in a career in law would benefit from getting involved in the competition.

Year 10 students – Year 10 have been given the opportunity to experience the world of work by accompanying their parents/carers or family members to work. Letters and the relevant paperwork have been sent out to parents and students will hopefully gain an experience of what the world of work is like, with some students being able to experience a field that they are thinking of exploring in later life.

Year 11 students – As a school, we are taking part in a government pilot scheme called the cohesion in schools project. All parents had a letter about this project and Year 11 will be taught key themes to improve community cohesion and to help to develop key values such as empathy and resilience. This will also help students to reflect and replenish after what has been an intensive period having just completed their mock exams.

Year 12 and Year 13 – the sixth form team have organised a development day specifically targeted at our sixth form, including themes such as success in business and preparing for life outside of the school environment.