Welcome to the Personal Development Section
Here at Branston Community Academy, we are proud of the work carried out to support and develop students personal, social and emotional health and wellbeing. This is done predominantly through our timetabled Personal Development lessons and is supported by weekly assemblies and external agencies.
Please select from the menus below to see details about:
Our Intent
Our Personal Development Curriculum has been developed by using student voice, in conjunction with statutory and recommended guidance, including RSE, PSHE, SMSC, and British Values requirements.
In addition, several departments also have a vital input on the delivery of this curriculum, including Science, RE, Computing, PE and Food Technology.
Topics covered within the Personal Development curriculum cover three core themes:
- Health and wellbeing
- Relationships
- Living in the wider world
At the Academy, our students follow a carefully planned and sequenced curriculum under the following Personal Development Themes:
- Keeping Safe
- Online Life & Media
- Emotional & Mental Health
- Health & Fitness
- Relationships
- Sexual Health
- Future Choices & Money
- Values, Rights & Responsibilities
- Personal Skill Development
Key Stage 3
Year 7
| Term 1 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Starting at secondary school | Future Choices & money |
| 2 | Managing money at secondary school | Future Choices & money |
| 3 | Talking about feelings | Emotional & mental health |
| 4 | Teamwork | Personal Skills development |
| 5 | Managing team conflicts | Personal Skills development |
| 6 | Building confidence | Personal Skills development |
| Term 2 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Friendships | Relationships |
| 2 | Friendship Changes | Relationships |
| 3 | Peer Influence | Relationships |
| 4 | Respect | Values |
| 5 | Online Privacy | Online Life & Media |
| 6 | Verbal Bullying & Banter | Keeping Safe |
| Term 3 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Families | Relationships |
| 2 | Social Media as a positive influence | Online Life & Media |
| 3 | Community Diversity | Values |
| 4 | A welcoming & inclusive school | Values |
| 5 | Challenging Stereotypes | Values |
| 6 | Prejudice & Discrimination | Values |
| Term 4 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Body Image | Online Life & Media |
| 2 | Feeling Low | Emotional and mental health |
| 3 | Boosting my mood | Emotional and mental health |
| 4 | Managing Disappointment | Emotional and mental health |
| 5 | Being unique & self-esteem | Emotional and mental health |
| 6 | Feelings & behaviour | Emotional and mental health |
| Term 5 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Food choices | Health & Fitness |
| 2 | Fit & Active | Health & Fitness |
| 3 | Personal Hygiene & Oral Health | Health & Fitness |
| 4 | FGM | Keeping Safe |
| 5 | Emotional Changes at Puberty | Sexual Health |
| 6 | Bereavement | Relationships |
| Term 6 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Grooming | Keeping Safe |
| 2 | Tobacco, vaping & cannabis | Keeping Safe |
| 3 | Young people's attitudes to alcohol | Keeping Safe |
| 4 | My online personality | Online Life & Media |
| 5 | Learning from my mistakes | Emotional & Mental Health |
Year 8
| Term 1 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | What does the internet know about me? | Online Life & Media |
| 2 | Employability skills | Future Choices & Money |
| 3 | Non-verbal communication | Personal Skills Development |
| 4 | Active Listening | Personal Skills Development |
| 5 | Accepting responsibility | Personal Skills Development |
| 6 | Managing Criticisms | Personal Skills Development |
| Term 2 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Communication Skills | Personal Skills Development |
| 2 | Managing misunderstandings | Personal Skills Development |
| 3 | Online bullying | Keeping Safe |
| 4 | Positive online relationships | Relationships |
| 5 | Family disputes | Relationships |
| 6 | Connecting with others | Emotional & Mental Health |
| Term 3 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Unhealthy comparison | Emotional & Mental Health |
| 2 | Positive self-talk | Emotional & Mental Health |
| 3 | Promoting inlcusion | Values |
| 4 | Challenging unfair family expectations | Values |
| 5 | Extremism | Values |
| Term 4 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Relationship Feelings | Relationships |
| 2 | Positive romantic relationships | Relationships |
| 3 | Perceptions/Expectations in a romantic relationship | Relationships |
| 4 | Relationships & the media | Relationships |
| Term 5 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Am I ready for a partner? | Sexual Health |
| 2 | Taking responsibility for my health | Health & Fitness |
| 3 | Young people's attitudes about substances | Keeping Safe |
| 4 | Alcohol | Keeping Safe |
| 5 | Substances & the media | Keeping Safe |
| 6 | First Aid & emergencies | Keeping Safe |
| Term 6 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Gangs & knife crime | Keeping Safe |
| 2 | Media influence | Online life & Media |
| 3 | Anxiety & Depression | Emotional & Mental Health |
| 4 | Mental Health Stigma | Emotional & Mental Health |
| 5 | Physical activity & mental health | Health & Fitness |
Year 9
| Term 1 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | What career would I like? | Future Choices & Money |
| 2 | What careers are available to me? | Future Choices & Money |
| 3 | Being a young entrepreneur | Future Choices & Money |
| 4 | Self employment | Future Choices & Money |
| 5 | Illegal employment | Values |
| 6 | Working part time | Values |
| 7 | Study skills | Personal Skills Development |
| Term 2 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Championing the LGBTQ+ community | Values |
| 2 | Why do people behave differently online? | Online Life & Media |
| 3 | What affects mental health? | Emotional & Mental Health |
| 4 | Isolation & mental health | Emotional & Mental Health |
| 5 | Bullying & mental health | Keeping Safe |
| 6 | Abusive behaviour | Keeping Safe |
| Term 3 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Problem solving | Personal Skills Development |
| 2 | Communication Skills inc. consent | Sexual Health |
| 3 | Positive use of the media | Online Life & Media |
| 4 | Managing peer approval | Emotional & Mental Health |
| 5 | Support for mental health | Emotional & Mental Health |
| Term 4 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Pornography | Online life & Media |
| 2 | Sexting | Online life & Media |
| 3 | Am I ready for a sexual relationships? | Relationships |
| 4 | Positive intimate relationships | Relationships |
| 5 | Relationship loss & change | Relationships |
| 6 | Family diversity | Relationships |
| Term 5 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Sleep & relaxation | Health & Fitness |
| 2 | Physical activity choices | Health & Fitness |
| 3 | Sexually transmitted infections | Sexual Health |
| 4 | Contraception | Sexual Health |
| 5 | Unintended pregnancy | Sexual Health |
| Term 6 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Drugs & the law | Keeping Safe |
| 2 | Recreational drug use | Keeping Safe |
| 3 | Substances & emergency aid | Keeping Safe |
| 4 | Substances & communities | Keeping Safe |
| 5 | Medicine safety | Keeping Safe |
| 6 | Knife & gang culture | Keeping Safe |
Key Stage 4
Year 10
| Term 1 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Growth mindset | Personal Skills Development |
| 2 | My eduaction ambitions | Future Choices and Money |
| 3 | The changing job market | Future Choices and Money |
| 4 | Jobs and stereotypes | Future Choices and Money |
| 5 | Budgeting Skills | Future Choices and Money |
| 6 | Work choices at 16 | Future Choices and Money |
| Term 2 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Being a role model | Values |
| 2 | Radicalisation & extremism | Keeping Safe |
| 3 | Gambling addiction | Online Life & Media |
| 4 | Advertising, social media & regulation | Online Life & Media |
| 5 | Can you be too reliant on social media? | Online Life & Media |
| 6 | The dark web pornography | Online Life & Media |
| Term 3 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Being LGBTQ+ | Relationships |
| 2 | Where do my values come from? | Values |
| 3 | What sort of influence am I? | Values |
| 4 | Hate Crime | Values |
| Term 4 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Substances & addiction | Keeping Safe |
| 2 | Why do some young people choose crime? | Keeping Safe |
| 3 | Women's safety | Keeping Safe |
| 4 | Mock week | |
| 5 | Work experience | |
| Term 5 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | The stages of a romantic relationship | Relationships |
| 2 | Safe sex | Sexual Health |
| 3 | Pregnancy & choices | Sexual Health |
| 4 | Being a young parent | Relationships |
| 5 | Parenting & teenagers | Relationships |
| 6 | Marriage, partnerships & rights | Values |
| Term 6 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Impact of loss & separation in relationships | Relationships |
| 2 | Giving & receiving feedback | Personal Skills Development |
| 3 | Little things that can impact on mental health | Emotional & Mental Health |
| 4 | Unhealthy strategies | Emotional & Mental Health |
| 5 | Stress, anxiety & depression | Emotional & Mental Health |
| 6 | Supporting someone to cope | Emotional & Mental Health |
| 7 | Developing self-esteem & confidence | Emotional & Mental Health |
Year 11
| Term 1 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Safety in the workplace | Keeping Safe |
| 2 | Managing my online profile | Online Life & Media |
| 3 | Applying for work or training | Future Choices & Money |
| 4 | My study plan | Future Choices & Money |
| 5 | Sleep, rest & study | Health & Fitness |
| 6 | Preparing for change | Emotional & Mental Health |
| Term 2 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Gender diversity | Relationships |
| 2 | Faith, values & sex | Values |
| 3 | Freedom of expression | Values |
| 4 | Finding & using health services | Health & Fitness |
| 5 | Mock exam preparation | |
| 6 | Mock Exams | |
| Term 3 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Substance & future life changes | Keeping Safe |
| 2 | Impact of substance misuse - family & community | Keeping Safe |
| 3 | Emergency First Aid | Keeping Safe |
| 4 | Safety & body enhancements | Keeping Safe |
| 5 | Domestic Abuse | Keeping Safe |
| Term 4 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Why do peole have sexual relationships? | Relationships |
| 2 | Rights, Responsibilities & Law | Values |
| 3 | Sexual Relationships | Relationships |
| 4 | Negotiation & communication within a sexual relationship | Sexual Health |
| 5 | Sexual Assault | Sexual Health |
| Term 5 | ||
| Lesson | Topic | PD Theme |
| 1 | Managing unwanted attention | Keeping Safe |
| 2 | Substances & risky sex | Keeping Safe |
| 3 | Exam Preparation | |
| 4 | Exam Preparation | |
| 5 | Exam Preparation | |
| 6 | Exam Preparation | |
Key Stage 5
Sixth Form
- CV Writing and Applications
- Personal Finance
- Social Responsibility
- Drugs and Alcohol
- Careers
- Charities
- Healthy Minds
- Study Skills and Exams
- Mindfulness
- British Values (Running Throughout)
Careers & Guidance
Careers information can be found on our website at the following page: Careers Page
Extra Curricular Activities & Clubs
Extra Curricular Activities and Clubs
We encourage all students to participate in the extra-curricular programme we offer. Our clubs and activities are designed to be inclusive for all; the broad range on offer ensures that there is something for students of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to get involved with. We regularly review our offer to meet the ever-changing needs of our students.
The extra-curriculum clubs and activities for the current (and previous) academic term can be found by visiting the link below.