Personal Development and Wellbeing
At Marwood Primary School, we believe that every child should achieve personally as well as academically, feel a sense of belonging to their school community and thrive in everything they do. Our Personal Development and Wellbeing programme is designed to nurture confident, resilient, knowledgeable and compassionate young people who are ready for the next stage of their education and life beyond primary school.
Personal Development at Marwood is not an add‑on but is woven through everything we do, from our curriculum and assemblies to our pastoral support, leadership opportunities, outdoor learning and enrichment.
Our approach: supporting the whole child
We are committed to the whole‑child development of every pupil at Marwood Primary School. This means we focus not only on academic success, but also on:
- Emotional wellbeing and mental health
- Character, values and sense of identity
- Social skills and relationships
- Respect, inclusion and understanding of diversity
- Physical health and healthy lifestyles
- Independence, resilience and confidence
Our approach is rooted in our school values and underpinned by Thrive, relational practice, an explicit behaviour curriculum, high‑quality PSHE/RHE education, and a wide range of experiences that build cultural capital.
What does Personal Development look like at Marwood?
1. PSHE & RHE: A structured, high‑quality curriculum
We follow the SCARF programme to deliver a well‑sequenced PSHE & Relationships/Health Education curriculum.
Through weekly lessons and assemblies, pupils learn about:
- Emotional literacy and self‑regulation
- Friendships, families and respectful relationships
- Healthy lifestyles
- Safety (including online safety)
- Aspirations and goal‑setting
- Growing and changing (RSE)
Learning builds year on year with pre‑ and post‑unit assessments to monitor knowledge and understanding.
Examples of topics covered from class 'big books' which evidence PSHE and RSE.
2. Thrive & pastoral support
The Thrive Approach is embedded across the school to promote emotional wellbeing.
- Staff are trained to recognise emotional and developmental needs.
- Thrive action plans support targeted pupils.
- Calm corners and Zones of Regulation help children recognise and manage emotions.
- Pupils feel safe and know how to seek help — reinforced through surveys and pupil voice.
Thrive ensures we support children proactively, not reactively.
Thrive information leaflet for parents/carers.pdf
3. Forest School & outdoor learning
Forest School is a key part of our Personal Development programme at Marwood. Through regular, hands-on experiences in our natural environment, children develop practical skills, confidence and a lifelong connection with nature.
Every class accesses Forest School for two separate half terms during the year, giving children repeated opportunities to build on what they have learned as they move through the school.
Our Forest School Progression Map sets out how these experiences become increasingly challenging and purposeful as children grow:
- 🌱 EYFS – Exploring & Discovering: developing curiosity, confidence, independence and a love of the outdoors.
- 🌿 KS1 – Growing Skills & Understanding: developing practical skills, teamwork, problem-solving and knowledge of the natural world.
- 🌳 LKS2 – Building Independence: applying skills with greater confidence, taking on challenges and developing resilience and leadership.
- 🔥 UKS2 – Independence & Challenge: using a wider range of skills independently, taking responsibility, leading others and developing a deeper understanding of nature and conservation.
Across all stages, Forest School supports our school values of Learning to Learn, Respectful Consideration and Ambitious Progress, helping us to Grow Learners and Shape Futures.
Our progression map below shows how children’s knowledge, skills, confidence and independence develop throughout their Forest School journey at Marwood.
Forest School in Action 🌿
Forest School is about learning through doing. Across the year, children explore, create, investigate, take risks safely, work together and develop practical skills in the natural environment.
The photographs below capture some of the many ways our children experience Forest School at Marwood — from exploring and discovering to building, problem-solving, teamwork and developing greater independence.
Each experience is part of our progression, helping children to build confidence and skills that they can carry with them as they move through the school.
Take a look at Forest School in action… 🌳🔥🪵
4. Leadership opportunities & pupil voice
School Council
Our active School Council gives pupils a meaningful voice.
Children learn to:
- Represent their peers
- Debate and discuss ideas
- Take part in democratic elections
- Plan initiatives and lead projects
marwood school student council handbook.pdf
Other leadership roles at Marwood Primary School
- Mental Health & Wellbeing Ambassadors
- Playground Leaders
- Librarians
These roles develop responsibility, pride and active citizenship.
5. Respect, diversity & British values
Pupils learn about:
- Protected characteristics
- Equality and inclusion
- Democracy, rule of law, liberty, respect and tolerance
- Cultural diversity within modern Britain
This is achieved through PSHE, assemblies, story books carefully mapped across the school, Parliament Week, visitors, debate, RE and everyday school life.
We aim for every child at Marwood to grow into a respectful, open‑minded and socially aware young person.
Visits from Cultural Champions
Visit from Ian Roome, MP for North Devon, as part of British Parliament Week 2025 to learn about democracy
Protected Characteristics Literature Spine
We believe that books open windows into the wider world. Through stories, children encounter lives, families, identities and experiences - both familiar and different from their own. To ensure every child grows up feeling seen, valued and respectful of others, we have developed a whole‑school Protected Characteristics Literature Spine, running from Reception to Year 6.
This spine ensures that all nine Protected Characteristics (as defined in the Equality Act 2010) are introduced in an age‑appropriate, meaningful and sensitive way through carefully chosen, high‑quality children’s literature. From early childhood picture books to rich and thought‑provoking texts in Upper KS2, each year group explores themes such as race, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, age, sex, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity. These themes are mapped across the year so that pupils revisit ideas with increasing depth and maturity.
Our approach is deliberately progressive:
- In Reception, children meet gentle, accessible stories introducing difference - such as The Colour of Us (race), Song in the City (disability) and Hats of Faith (religion).
- By Key Stage 1, they begin to explore identity, families and fairness through books like My Magic Family (sexual orientation) and My Brother George (gender reassignment).
- By Lower Key Stage 2, pupils examine themes through more complex narratives, reflecting on identity, expression and belonging.
- By Upper Key Stage 2, they engage with sophisticated texts such as Unspoken (race), My Shadow is Purple (sexual orientation) and I Am Jazz (gender reassignment), allowing for rich discussion and deeper understanding.
Each term focuses on a different characteristic, ensuring full coverage across the school year. This is reinforced through our assemblies programme, which further highlights protected characteristics using whole‑school texts such as The Youngest Marcher (race), Julian is a Mermaid (sexual orientation) and A World for Me and You (religion).
Together, the literature spine and assembly sequence help children to:
- Develop empathy, understanding and respect
- Recognise and challenge stereotypes
- Celebrate diversity within our school, community and wider world
- Build confidence in their own identity
- Understand their rights and responsibilities
- Uphold British Values and equality principles
This carefully sequenced spine forms a cornerstone of our Personal Development curriculum, supporting our aim for every child to feel that they belong at Marwood.
marwood school protected characteristics literature spine.pdf
6. Enrichment & cultural capital
We offer an extensive range of opportunities including:
- Educational visits and residentials
- Sporting events across the Braunton Learning Community
- Music, drama and the arts
- STEM experiences (e.g. STEMterprise, robotics, farm & rural STEM links)
- Creative clubs and lunchtime activities
- Wraparound provision with themed enrichment weeks
We monitor participation to ensure pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and those with additional barriers access and benefit fully.
Upper School visit to the Eden Project to support their learning in English and Geography
Farmwise visit in October 2025 to understand the importance of Science and Technology in local and national farming
Children flying the flag for Marwood in the Bremco North Devon Cross Country League Final
Farming STEMterprise 2025
Kids discover the science behind farming in muddy classroom - Devon Live
7. Assemblies: developing character, values and understanding of the wider world
Assemblies are a central part of our Personal Development curriculum and provide regular opportunities for pupils to explore values, wellbeing, equality, citizenship and life in modern Britain. Through a carefully planned programme, pupils develop their understanding of themselves, others and the wider world. Assemblies reinforce learning from PSHE, RE, the behaviour curriculum and our wider curriculum while helping pupils understand how our school values can be lived out in everyday life.
Our assembly programme includes:
- Exploration of our school values and SMART rules, helping children develop positive character traits and understand expectations for behaviour and relationships.
- British Values themes, including democracy, individual liberty, mutual respect and the rule of law.
- Protected Characteristics and equality education, helping pupils develop respect for different backgrounds, experiences and identities.
- Mental health, wellbeing and resilience, including assemblies led by our Mental Health and Wellbeing Ambassadors.
- Pupil leadership opportunities through School Council presentations, sharing assemblies and pupil-led initiatives.
- Celebration assemblies that recognise achievement, effort, kindness, attendance, leadership and contributions to school life.
- Opportunities to learn about significant local, national and international events.
- Assemblies that broaden cultural understanding through festivals, faiths and traditions from a range of world religions and cultures.
Recent examples have included:
- International Day of Democracy and Parliament Week, helping children understand democratic processes and pupil voice.
- World Mental Health Day, led alongside our Mental Health and Wellbeing Ambassadors.
- Black History Month and learning about influential figures such as Dr Martin Luther King.
- Anti-Bullying Week and discussions around kindness, belonging and respectful relationships.
- Recycle Week and environmental responsibility.
- Remembrance Day and reflection on service and sacrifice.
- Harvest Festival and charitable giving.
- Learning about religious festivals including Diwali, Raksha Bandhan, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Bodhi Day and the birthday of Guru Nanak.
In addition, pupils regularly take part in class sharing assemblies, singing assemblies, clergy-led assemblies, School Council assemblies and celebration assemblies, all of which help develop confidence, communication skills, responsibility and a sense of belonging within the school community.
Assembly during British Parliament Week 2025 where children asked our local MP lots of questions and learned about democracy.
8. Aspirations and Future Pathways
At Marwood Primary School, we want every child to leave us with confidence, ambition and an understanding of the opportunities available to them in the wider world.
As a small rural school, we recognise the importance of broadening horizons and helping children understand the many ways people contribute to society. Through our curriculum, enrichment opportunities, community partnerships and leadership roles, pupils develop an awareness of future possibilities while also building the knowledge, skills and values that will support them throughout their lives. Children begin exploring the world of work from an early age.
In Reception, opportunities such as Little City enable children to immerse themselves in a variety of professions through imaginative play, helping them understand how different jobs and services support their communities. Throughout the school, pupils learn about people who help us and benefit from visits from healthcare professionals, police officers, firefighters and other community visitors. These experiences help children develop an appreciation of the role that individuals and organisations play in keeping communities healthy, safe and thriving.
Our rural location provides valuable opportunities for children to learn about enterprise, innovation and sustainability. Through Farming STEMterprise, pupils explore how science, technology, engineering and mathematics are applied within modern agriculture, while visits from Farming Ambassadors help children gain first-hand insight into the diverse range of careers connected to farming, food production, environmental stewardship and the environment. These experiences bring learning to life and help children understand how classroom learning can be applied to real-world challenges.
Pupil leadership is another important aspect of preparing children for the future. Through School Council, playground leadership roles and other opportunities to contribute to school life, children learn how to represent the views of others, organise ideas and work collaboratively towards shared goals. Pupils experience democracy in action through elections and voting processes and develop an understanding of how committees operate, how decisions are made and how positive change can be achieved when people work together.
By providing a rich range of experiences both within and beyond the classroom, we aim to inspire curiosity, raise aspirations and help every child understand that there are many possible futures open to them. Our goal is not for children to choose a career at primary school, but to develop the confidence, resilience and ambition to believe that they can achieve great things and make a positive contribution to the world around them.
Marwood School Pre-Gatsby Framework
Laying the Foundations for Future Success
Our Intent
At Marwood School, we believe that careers education begins with curiosity, aspiration and a sense of possibility. Through our Pre-Gatsby Framework, we help children understand how their learning, interests and strengths can help shape their future. By making meaningful links between school life and the wider world, we encourage every child to dream big, develop confidence and recognise that their ambitions are achievable. This approach builds strong foundations for the Gatsby Benchmarks that pupils will encounter in secondary education.
Our Pre-Gatsby Framework
| Focus Area | What This Looks Like at Marwood |
|---|---|
| A Culture of Aspiration | Pupils are inspired through high-quality texts, assemblies, role models, visitors and enrichment opportunities that encourage them to think beyond their immediate experiences. |
| Awareness of Work and Community | Children learn about the many roles people play locally, nationally and globally through visitors, educational visits and links with the wider community. |
| Linking Learning to Life | Teachers make explicit links between curriculum subjects and real-world careers, helping pupils understand the purpose and relevance of their learning. |
| Developing GROWTH Skills | Our GROWTH values help pupils develop communication, resilience, teamwork, creativity, responsibility, leadership and problem-solving skills that support future success. |
| Leadership and Contribution | Opportunities such as School Council, Playground Leaders, Sports Leaders and Mental Health Ambassadors help pupils develop confidence and responsibility. |
| Exploring Future Pathways |
Pupils gain an age-appropriate understanding of secondary school (e.g. through transition events), apprenticeships, further education, university and future career opportunities. |
| Family and Community Partnerships | Parents, carers and members of the local community contribute to pupils' understanding of the world of work and future possibilities. |
| Transition and Future Readiness | Pupils leave Marwood as confident, resilient learners who are ready for the next stage of their education and future lives. |
What This Looks Like Across the School
Lower School (EYFS and Year 1)
- Learning about people who help us.
- Exploring jobs through stories and role play.
- Developing communication, independence and curiosity.
- Meeting visitors from the local community.
Middle School (Years 2 and 3)
- Exploring careers linked to curriculum learning.
- Developing teamwork, resilience and creativity.
- Taking on responsibilities and contributing to school life.
- Challenging stereotypes through books and discussion.
Upper School (Years 4, 5 and 6)
- Understanding future education and career pathways.
- Developing leadership through pupil leadership roles.
- Reflecting on personal strengths and interests.
- Preparing confidently for transition to secondary school.
Our Vision in Action
- Careers education is woven throughout our wider and personal development curriculum rather than being taught as a standalone subject.
- Children are encouraged to make meaningful connections between their learning and the wider world.
- Leadership opportunities help pupils develop the confidence, responsibility and skills needed for future success.
- We challenge stereotypes and broaden horizons so that every child can see themselves in a wide range of future pathways.
- Our GROWTH values underpin the development of the personal qualities that will help children flourish throughout their lives.
In Summary
Our Pre-Gatsby Framework helps every child at Marwood understand that learning opens doors. Through rich experiences, leadership opportunities, community engagement and our GROWTH values, we aim to develop confident, ambitious and compassionate young people who are ready to embrace future opportunities and make a positive contribution to society.
9. Behaviour & positive culture
Our behaviour approach focuses on relationships, consistency and clarity, using our SMART rules and explicit teaching of expectations during transitions, unstructured times and lessons.
This creates:
- A calm, safe and purposeful school
- Positive attitudes to learning
- High levels of self‑regulation and mutual respect
Behaviour at Marwood is not simply managed — it is taught.
Behaviour Curriculum September 2026.pdf
10. Inclusion, Equality and Wellbeing for All Pupils
We are incredibly proud of Marwood’s caring, inclusive ethos.
Every child is known, valued and supported here, and we work hard to make sure they have what they need to flourish.
Our approach to Ordinarily Available Inclusive Practice (OAIP) means that strong, thoughtful support is built into everyday classroom life. Teachers adapt learning, provide the right scaffolds and create nurturing routines so that all pupils can take part, feel confident and experience success.
Class communication stations supporting Communication and Interaction
This includes:
- Children with SEND
- Pupils who may be disadvantaged
- Children known to social care
- Anyone experiencing emotional or family challenges
We keep a close eye on how children are getting on — not just academically, but in their wellbeing, friendships, confidence and enjoyment of school. When a child needs something extra, we work quickly and sensitively with families to put the right support in place.
At Marwood, inclusion isn’t a policy - it’s who we are.
Impact: What do our children gain?
By the time they leave Marwood, our aim is for pupils to be:
- Emotionally literate and resilient
- Respectful, caring and socially confident
- Knowledgeable about healthy relationships and safety
- Able to express themselves and listen to others
- Curious, creative and independent learners
- Active citizens with a strong sense of belonging
- Ready for the next stage of education and life
Feedback from pupils, families, secondary schools and governors confirms that Marwood children are very well-prepared for the wider world.