Personal Development
At Southill Primary, the personal development and well-being of our pupils sit at the heart of our ethos and our Bright Futures Curriculum. We believe that nurturing confident, resilient, compassionate and responsible young people is just as important as academic success. Through our carefully designed curriculum – enriched by our coastal location, strong community links and commitment to inclusion – we prepare children for life in modern Britain and for exciting futures beyond primary school.
Our Personal Development curriculum extends far beyond the academic. It equips pupils with the essential knowledge, skills and values they need to be active, thoughtful and informed citizens. Through rich experiences, leadership opportunities, character education, health and wellbeing learning, outdoor learning and a wide range of trips, clubs and visitors, our pupils learn how to contribute positively to their community and understand the wider world.
We are committed to developing the whole child. Pupils at Southill are encouraged to explore and reflect on their own values and beliefs, develop spiritual awareness, and show curiosity about themselves, others and the world around them. They learn to form respectful relationships, show integrity, celebrate diversity and appreciate the richness of different cultures, backgrounds and perspectives. High expectations of behaviour, kindness and responsibility underpin everything we do.
Through opportunities such as school council, eco leaders, Bronze Ambassadors, charity events, community projects and residentials, pupils develop teamwork, leadership, communication and independence. Our RSHE, SMSC, safeguarding and wellbeing programmes ensure that pupils know how to stay safe – online and offline – look after their physical and mental health and develop the confidence and resilience needed to thrive.
At Southill, every child is entitled to a broad and varied Personal Development programme, tailored to their needs and rooted in our values. We ensure that all pupils can access and participate fully in the opportunities we provide. In doing so, we aim to empower every pupil to become a healthy, happy, thoughtful and responsible member of society – ready for the next stage of their education and for their future lives.
Building Learning Power
At Southill, we are on a very exciting quest to help our children become better learners. As teachers, we can’t possibly teach children everything they need to know to be ready for the world by the time they leave us. But we can inspire within them a love for learning which will remain with them throughout their lives. We believe that, by teaching children how to solve problems and by encouraging them to persevere in the face of challenges, they will develop ‘learning powers’ which can then be applied to whatever skills or knowledge they choose to acquire in their adult lives. We are teaching children how to learn so that they are ready to choose the ‘what to learn’ part for themselves!
We believe there are four key attributes of independent, successful learners. With the children’s help we came up with fun, colourful characters to represent these characteristics and to help the children understand them better. Find out about them by clicking the image below.
Pupil Voice and Student Leadership
At Southill Primary, we believe that the views, experiences and contributions of our pupils are essential to continually improving the provision we offer. Pupil voice is a central part of our school culture, and we actively seek opportunities to listen to children and involve them in meaningful decision-making across the school.
To support this, we provide a range of leadership roles that enable pupils to develop confidence, responsibility and teamwork. These include:
-
School Parliament
-
Bronze Ambassadors
-
Reading Ambassadors
- House Captains
These roles allow pupils to play an active part in shaping school life and help ensure that Southill remains a community where every child feels valued, heard and empowered.
House Teams
Our house system is an important part of life at Southill Primary, helping to build community and encourage teamwork. Our four houses — Griffin, Phoenix, Dragon and Pegasus — reflect our school values and our commitment to helping every child grow into a confident, responsible and enthusiastic learner.
As part of our pupil leadership structure, we appoint House Captains in Year 6. These pupils play an active role in representing their houses, supporting events, and modelling the positive behaviours we expect from all Southill pupils.
Aims of Our House System
-
To strengthen relationships across the school, giving pupils the opportunity to work together across age groups and see themselves as part of a wider community.
-
To provide meaningful opportunities for healthy competition, including inter-house events in sport, academics, the creative arts and wider curriculum activities.
-
To build a strong sense of belonging, helping pupils develop pride in their house and confidence as valued members of the school.
-
To nurture leadership skills, with House Captains taking responsibility for organisation, teamwork and representing their peers - preparing them for future roles both in and beyond school.
Our house system is woven into our wider Bright Futures Curriculum, promoting character, collaboration and the belief that every child can thrive.
Careers and Enterprise
At Southill Primary, we recognise the vital role that primary schools play in helping children develop high aspirations for their future. Through our Bright Futures Curriculum, we give pupils opportunities to learn about the world of work, explore different career pathways and understand the skills and attitudes that will help them thrive as they grow.
We provide a wide range of meaningful experiences, visits and visitors that broaden children’s horizons and help them see the relevance of learning in the real world. Our aim is to help every child understand who they could become, develop a positive sense of self and build the confidence needed to reach their full potential.
Career-related learning is woven throughout our curriculum. We introduce children to real professions connected to their learning—for example:
-
in Reception, meeting “Local Heroes” such as firefighters, police officers, nurses and community workers as part of their topic work;
-
in Geography, exploring the role of cartographers, environmental scientists or town planners;
-
in Art, learning about illustrators, designers or ceramicists;
-
in Science, considering careers such as biologists, engineers or veterinarians.
These links motivate pupils, support aspiration and help them see how their strengths and interests can shape their future.
We continue to strengthen our career-related learning each year, ensuring that Southill children are curious, ambitious and aware of the wide range of opportunities available to them. Our approach promotes self-belief, ambition and a clear sense that learning opens doors—helping our pupils build bright futures from the very start of their education.