Personal Development

Personal development is at the heart of all that we do. We develop outward looking pupils who have the tools to communicate effectively and have a strong understanding of themselves, the wider community and the wider world. A range of additional planned opportunities enrich learning taught from Early Years and through to year 6. We help pupils develop their own character, to know that individual differences should be valued, to be resilient, reflective, to have empathy and respect for one another. 

Our personal development curriculum supports pupils to be ready for their next stage in education, it weaves its way through every part of what we do. 

At Sharow CE Primary School, we believe it is our responsibility to develop and prepare children for the wider world and the ever-changing challenges that they will encounter. Our commitment to personal development has led to planned provision which intertwines PSHE, Relationship and Health Education, SMSC and British Values. 

Our Chosen Charity: Street Child 

This year, Sharow School is proud to support Street Child as our chosen charity. The decision was inspired by a special visit from football legend Chris Kamara, who shared his personal journey and his support for Street Child’s mission to get children around the world into education. 

At Sharow, our vision is to flourish together — and we believe this means looking beyond our school gates to make a positive impact globally. Guided by our core values of love, health, and growth, we are committed to helping every child access the opportunities they deserve. 

Street Child’s work aligns beautifully with our belief that every child should be safe, healthy, loved, and able to grow through learning. We’re excited to support their campaign and raise awareness throughout our school community. 

Curriculum 

Through our taught curriculum for Relationships, Sex and Health Education, we teach pupils to recognise and manage online and offline risks. We teach them about healthy relationships and that sexual harassment of any kind is not tolerated.  

The computing curriculum has a strong focus on online safety which further equips children with the knowledge to keep themselves safe. 

Collective Worship Programme 

Children experience a programme of assemblies and collective worship based on our values-based ethos to help promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and provide clear guidance for pupils on how to grow to flourish. Every week children take part in a: 

• Picture News Collective Worship: This is the focus of our weekly current affairs which are linked to our British Values teaching and learning. 

• Singing Collective Worship:  Through singing in collective worship children experience togetherness, belonging, celebration, worship and mindfulness. 

• Celebration Assembly:  Each week celebration assembly gives us a chance to celebrate achievements together. 

In addition to this, pupils also take part in safeguarding and e-safety/ safety assemblies. Some of these are specific to our children's PSHE needs. For example, as we live very close to a river, we feel it's important that we talk about and teach water safety. 

Visitors are invited to deliver assemblies to provide a personal element to the messages shared. 

A visit from Rt Hon Sir Julian Smith MP provided an excellent opportunity for our Year 5 and 6 pupils to develop their understanding of democracy, citizenship, and social responsibility. Through asking challenging questions on issues such as supporting small businesses, homelessness, environmental sustainability, and local infrastructure, pupils demonstrated critical thinking and active engagement with real-world topics. Experiences like this empower children to express their views confidently, consider diverse perspectives, and understand how they can influence change—key elements of our Personal Development curriculum. 

We were honoured to welcome football legend and broadcaster Chris Kamara to Sharow School for a surprise visit that left a lasting impression on our whole community. 

Chris spent time with children and staff, sharing stories from his life and speaking openly about his journey with speech apraxia. His warmth, humour, and positive outlook inspired everyone in the room. 

Last year, one of our classes was named Kamara Class in recognition of his resilience and openness — and it was a joy to see that connection come full circle. As a token of our appreciation, Chris was presented with a voucher for Harry’s Fish and Chip Shop in Masham — a local favourite! 

Chris’s visit also inspired our decision to support Street Child as our charity of the year. His advocacy for education and opportunity for all children aligns beautifully with our school’s vision to flourish together, guided by the values of love, health, and growth — values we believe extend far beyond our school gates. 

Bart Gee spoke to the children about achieving things that others told him were not possible. Motivational Speaker | Disability | Breaking Limits - Bart Gee