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    • Personal Development

    Personal development at Sparken Hill Academy

    Excellence and Enjoyment in Education for Everyone.

    The primary years are when children start to work out who they are and who they might become. We want every child to leave us at the end of Year 6 confident, proud of what they have achieved and ready for secondary school.

    Our aim is for every pupil to leave Sparken Hill with the skills and qualities they need to do well as individuals, as family members and as kind, responsible citizens.

    517children aged 311
    45.6%eligible for free school meals
    18.0%speak English as an additional language

    What we want for every child

    • lots of different experiences, in school and beyond it
    • the cultural capital to take a full part in society
    • good physical and mental health, valued as highly as their learning
    • real jobs and responsibility in school
    • families working with us every step of the way

    Many of these experiences are ones our children might not otherwise get, so we plan them on purpose rather than leave them to chance.

    How we do it

    Personal development is at the centre of school life at Sparken Hill. Our mission, "Excellence and Enjoyment in Education for Everyone.", underpins all of it, and everyone means everyone:

    "If a child doesn't learn the way we teach, we teach the way a child learns."

    Four Golden Rules apply to every child and every adult in school. Our Relationships and Behaviour Regulation Policy recognises that no two children are the same, so support is adapted to each child's needs. We believe happy children are easy to teach, and our approach is built on positivity and confidence.

    PSHE is led by Miss Hannah Bridges and Mrs Karen Gardiner. Our scheme of work started from the PSHE Association programme and has been heavily adapted for our children, with links to computing (staying safe online), science and PE. We consult parents and carers every year on what our Relationships and Health Education covers. Every Monday the whole school, Reception to Year 6, meets for a PSHE assembly that looks at a British value and a protected characteristic.

    In Nursery and Reception, personal development begins with personal, social and emotional development (PSED). Nursery starts with All About Me and families and festivals. In Reception, every half term has its own PSED focus, from who I am and my family to celebrating together, people who help us and getting ready for Year 1. Learning that we are the same in some ways and different in others is the start of our work on protected characteristics. Celebrating together leads into RE and our Monday assemblies, caring for living things prepares children to help look after the school farm, and talking about Year 1 is the first step in our transition work.

    Democracy
    Rule of law
    Individual liberty
    Mutual respect and tolerance

    Policies behind our work

    • Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
    • Relationships and Behaviour Regulation Policy
    • Attendance Policy
    • Equality Policy
    • Pupil Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy
    • Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) Policy
    • SEND Information Report
    • Inclusion Strategy 202627
    • Accessibility Plan 20262029
    • More Able Pupils Policy
    • Uniform Policy

    You can find all of our policies on the school website.

    Who helps

    Feeling safe and happy

    • Every adult in school looks out for signs that a child is worried or unsettled
    • Our Emotional Pathway of Support makes sure each child gets the right help at the right time
    • Two trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs)
    • The Worry Box and Worry Line, for any worry, however small
    • Bright Start play therapy

    Our Community team

    • Led by our Senior Family Worker
    • One-to-one sessions for children who seem anxious or withdrawn
    • Support for families with illness, bereavement, behaviour and more
    • Accredited parenting courses and wellbeing sessions for parents
    • Parent Champions and the Leading Parent Partnership Award

    Extra help when it's needed

    • A SENCO for each phase
    • Our two ELSAs
    • Our farm unit, giving extra hands-on opportunities
    • Children with additional needs take part in clubs and trips, with adjustments made so they can
    • Sparklers, our Enhanced Provision Unit for Reception to Year 3
    • A Speech and Language Therapist
    • Support for young carers
    • A free tie, PE T-shirt and, in KS2, blazer for every child

    Houses and House Points

    • Four houses: Windsor, Balmoral, Sandringham and Buckingham
    • Children earn House Points for good attitude and effort
    • House captains count every class's points each Friday, and totals go on our website
    • House Points add up to Rainbow Rewards

    Rewards and responsibility

    Rainbow Rewards

    Rainbow Rewards recognise consistent good attitude and effort. Every 100 House Points earns one Rainbow Reward, and a child can also earn one for doing something amazing in school.

    100House Points
    >
    1Rainbow Reward
    >
    10saved for a big prize

    Children are encouraged to save their Rainbow Rewards. Ten can be exchanged for a big prize such as an Amazon Alexa, a Kindle Fire, a robot, a remote control car or wireless headphones.

    Giving to charity. Because Rainbow Rewards take so long to earn, giving one away is a big decision. Any child can swap a Rainbow Reward for a charity donation card, and the school gives 5 to the charity they choose.

    World of Work

    • Year 5 and 6 children apply and are interviewed for paid jobs in school
    • Jobs: Radio DJs, Young Farmers, FS Readers, KS1 Readers, Librarians, Sports Leaders, Play Leaders and Eco Warriors (including litter pickers)
    • Every child is trained for their role
    • Pupil managers run the Readers and Eco Warriors teams, holding interviews and arranging cover so each job keeps going
    • 50 per role for the year, up to two jobs
    • Part of their pay is taxed to help fund the Year 6 residential and Prom, and children decide how to spend the rest

    Our big picture

    PSHE and RHE

    • Weekly whole-school PSHE assemblies
    • Inspirational People: every class researches a person who inspires others
    • Staying safe online through computing and PSHE
    • Year 4 FAB Roadshow, Year 5 DART, Year 6 GREAT
    • Identity, careers, money and growing up

    British values and SMSC

    • A British value and a protected characteristic every Monday
    • RE from the Nottinghamshire Agreed Syllabus 20262031
    • Rainbow Flag Award
    • Visits to a mosque in Worksop and local churches
    • Rainbow Reward charity donations

    Culture and the arts

    • Specialist music teacher and a Year 5 and 6 orchestra
    • Dance and drama shows
    • Year 6 musical
    • Worksop's mining history (Upper KS2)

    Healthy bodies and minds

    • Specialist PE teacher, Nursery to Year 6
    • After-school sports clubs
    • Free breakfast club and school food that meets the School Food Standards
    • Year 3/4 and Year 5/6 dance crews
    • Sports Crews
    • ELSA support and Bright Start play therapy

    Responsibility

    • World of Work paid jobs, including Play Leaders and Sports Leaders
    • House captains
    • A School Council elected every year, deciding charity donations, spending and which Rainbow Rewards we buy
    • Sports Crews leading festivals for other schools

    Belonging and moving on

    • Sparklers EPU and a SENCO in every phase
    • Careful handover from Nursery to Reception
    • Minecraft build to welcome new children
    • Year 6 to 7 transition, with extra staff-supported visits where needed

    Clubs to join

    Most of our after-school clubs are run by our own teachers in their own time. We check every term which groups of children are taking part, and act when anyone is missing out. Clubs change through the year, so check the club timetable on our website each half term.

    Sport and fitness

    FootballKS2 girlsFootballY5 and 6 boysGirls' cricketDynamos and All Stars cricketBocciaLKS2BocciaUKS2Roller skatingKarateNetballBasketballBadmintonTennisTable tennisSports hall athleticsQuad KidsChange 4 LifeClubercise

    Music, dance and drama

    OrchestraY5 and 6DanceLKS2DanceUKS2CheerleadingKS1Drama

    Making, thinking and growing

    ChessCodingGardeningKS1ArtKS1Outdoor artKS1CraftynoonKS1
    Competitions and festivals. Our teams take part in Bassetlaw School Games events all year, including orienteering, cross country, tag rugby, handball, gymnastics and inclusive festivals. In 2026 our pairs took four of the top five places at the Bassetlaw Orienteering Championships, and we hold the School Games Platinum Mark.

    Experiences and adventures

    We plan enrichment into every year so all our children get the same chances, whatever their background. Some trips run every other year to match our two-year topic cycle.

    Before and after school

    • Free breakfast club from 08.30, with an early session from 08.00
    • Quest After School Club, 3.305.30pm, with a healthy dinner
    • Holiday activities signposted by our Community team

    Outdoors

    • Our school farm: chickens, goats and guinea pigs
    • Young Farmers caring for our farm animals
    • Eco Warriors litter picking around school
    • KS1 gardening club
    • Bag End Books, our outdoor library in KS2

    Residential

    • Year 6 at YHA Castleton Losehill Hall in the Peak District: caves, climbing, abseiling, archery, campfire cooking and a visit to Peveril Castle

    Visitors

    • Sir Ian McKellen, who opened Bag End Books in November 2025
    • Former miners talking to Upper KS2
    • Coaches from Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
    • FAB Roadshow healthy eating workshop (Year 4)

    Visits and trips

    • Creswell Crags (Lower KS2)
    • Victorian Christmas at Newstead Abbey (Years 5 and 6)
    • Planned visits to a Worksop mosque and local churches
    • Remembrance poppies with Westwood Care Home residents
    • Worksop's coal mining exhibition (Upper KS2)

    Celebrations

    • Harvest Festival and Remembrance
    • Nativity plays and Christmas pantomime
    • Summer Dance Spectacular
    • Year 6 musical, leavers' videos and Prom
    Sparken Hill Academy Excellence and Enjoyment in Education for Everyone.

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