Belonging, Ambition, Care
At Thames View Primary, we believe that education is about more than academic achievement. We want every child to develop as a confident, curious and responsible Global Citizen who understands themselves, values others and feels a strong sense of belonging.
Our Personal Development curriculum supports pupils to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and character they need to thrive. Through our curriculum and wider school life, children learn how to look after themselves, build positive relationships, make responsible choices and contribute positively to their school, community and the wider world.
Our approach is rooted in our ethos of belonging, ambition and care and shaped by our three core values:
Respect: We teach pupils to value themselves, others and the world around them. Children learn to appreciate difference, celebrate the achievements of others, build positive relationships and treat people with kindness and dignity.
Responsibility: We help pupils understand that their choices and actions matter. Children develop increasing independence in managing themselves, their behaviour and their responsibilities. They learn how they can make a positive contribution to their school, their community and the wider world.
Resilience: We encourage pupils to approach challenges with confidence and determination. Children learn that mistakes and setbacks are a natural part of learning. They develop perseverance, self-belief and the resilience to overcome difficulties and keep moving forward.
Through Personal Development, we aim to ensure that every child leaves Thames View with strong character, a sense of belonging, confidence in who they are and an understanding of their place in the world. We want our pupils to be ambitious for themselves and others, curious about the world around them and ready to make positive choices and meaningful contributions as responsible Global Citizens.
PSHE
Our Personal Development (PD) curriculum, is delivered through a number of complimentary and supporting means. In the first instance, each class has a PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) lesson each week, either in a single lesson or spread over the week in short sessions. These lessons follow the SCARF syllabus and include the following units:
- Me and My Relationships
- Valuing Difference
- Keeping Myself Safe
- Rights and Respect
- Being My Best
- Growing and Changing
PSHE lessons feature discussion opportunities and are intended to be supporting, affirming and empowering sessions for the children. Often, these lessons occur at times opportune to helping the children reflect on their learning and relationships as experienced that very day. Our PSHE curriculum includes lessons on E-Safety and Relationships and Health Education (RHE).
RE
The children learn about and explore different beliefs and traditions through our well established RE Discovery curriculum. This syllabus enables the children to learn about religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. In RE, we aim to inform children about different religions and then encourage them to share their own opinions and experiences.
Trips & Visitors
Personal Development at Thames View Primary is further enriched through an extensive programme of trips and visitors, designed to give pupils a wide and varied range of experiences beyond the classroom. These experiences help children to develop their understanding of themselves, their community and the wider world, while building their confidence, curiosity and sense of belonging.
Teachers carefully contextualise trips and visits so that pupils understand their purpose and can make meaningful connections between what they experience and what they learn in school. Children are encouraged to ask questions, explore new ideas and appreciate people, places, cultures and experiences that may be different from their own.
Our trips and visitors also provide opportunities for pupils to develop Respect, Responsibility and Resilience. They learn to represent their school positively, show consideration for others, take responsibility for themselves and respond confidently to new and unfamiliar experiences. Shared experiences also strengthen relationships between pupils and help to build a strong sense of community.
Importantly, our trips and visitors programme is closely aligned with our academic curriculum. Experiences are carefully selected to enrich and bring learning to life, giving pupils opportunities to apply their knowledge, deepen their understanding and develop a genuine curiosity about the world around them.
Through these experiences, we aim to broaden pupils' horizons and help them become confident, curious and responsible Global Citizens who value their community and understand their place within the wider world.
Assemblies
Pupils participate in weekly Celebration assemblies where they are rewarded for showing the school values and achieving in their learning over the week. Additionally, other assemblies take place for such events as: Harvest, Christmas, Easter, Mental Health Awareness Week, World Book Day, Number Day and more.
Wellbeing
Our Personal Development curriculum is further supported by our Wellbeing Team, who provide targeted support to help pupils develop the skills, confidence and emotional understanding they need to thrive. The team works closely with pupils to support their wellbeing, behaviour and readiness to learn, helping them to develop positive relationships, manage challenges and become increasingly independent.
Our Home School Support Worker works closely with families, helping to strengthen the partnership between home and school and providing support where families may need additional guidance or assistance. The school also works with external services, including counselling and other specialist support, to ensure that pupils and families can access appropriate support when required.
Through targeted interventions and nurture-based activities, pupils are supported to develop their interpersonal skills, emotional awareness, independence and resilience.
Our school dogs, based in the Wellbeing Hub, also play an important role in supporting pupils' wellbeing. They provide a calm and welcoming presence and help children to feel settled, develop confidence and build positive relationships. Caring for and interacting with the dogs also provides valuable opportunities for pupils to develop empathy, compassion and responsibility.
Through this work, we help ensure that pupils feel known, valued and supported, enabling them to develop the confidence and skills they need to thrive as individuals and as responsible Global Citizens.
Thames View Primary School is an inclusive environment. We ensure that there is equal opportunity for all irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Our PD curriculum promotes the understanding that difference is a positive and that individual characteristics make people unique.
Personal Development at Thames View, delivered through curriculum, assemblies, visits, discussion and literature, develops and deepens pupils' understanding of the fundamental British Values of democracy, individual liberty, the rule of law and mutual respect and tolerance. Pupils explore school and class expectations with teachers and each other, take part in voting for House Captains and can become a part of the School Council.
Visual Learning Journeys