

	Personal development curriculum home

	What is the personal development (PD) curriculum?
	Why coordinate the PD curriculum?
	Learning outcomes
	Principles to support schools
	Components of the PD curriculum
	Links to national guidelines
	Additional guidance relevant to PD curriculum

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What is the personal development (PD) curriculum?


		11-16 schools

		6th form schools

		Colleges

The aims of national curriculum 2000 put students’ personal development at the heart of the curriculum:

(i) The school curriculum should aim to provide opportunities for all pupils to learn and to achieve.

(ii) The school curriculum should aim to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepare all pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life.

Students’ personal development helps them to learn and to achieve. These two aims reinforce each other and emphasis on both is essential if standards of attainment are to be raised for all students.

The revision of the national curriculum in 2000 reinforced the importance of the personal development curriculum by introducing a programme of study for citizenship and a non-statutory framework for PSHE.

Subsequent developments have kept this emphasis. Work-related learning becomes statutory from 2004 and a non-statutory framework for RE will be available from September 2004.

The personal development curriculum should enable students to understand and acquire for themselves:

the skills and confidence to maximise their achievements
principles for distinguishing between right and wrong and considering issues of justice and injustice
knowledge, understanding and appreciation of their own beliefs and cultures and those of others
enduring values, integrity and autonomy to help them become responsible and caring citizens capable of contributing to the development of a just society
the ability to challenge racism, discrimination and stereotyping
an awareness and understanding of the environments in which they live
the ability, as consumers, to make informed judgements and decisions and to understand their rights and responsibilities.

The personal development curriculum should also develop students’ self-esteem and emotional wellbeing and help them to form and maintain worthwhile and satisfying relationships, based on respect for others.

These objectives are described more fully in the aims for the school curriculum.

The personal development curriculum also encourages students to develop the generic skills they need to function as effective members of society and in the work place. These include:

working with others in a team
decision making
planning, monitoring and reviewing
investigation and research
self-awareness and self-presentation
evaluation.

The proposals of the Working Group on 14-19 Reform are likely to put considerable emphasis on these generic skills throughout the 14-19 curriculum. Schools should take this into account when planning their personal development curriculum.