Developing our students’ character and helping guide them to become confident, resilient, independent young people is at the forefront of everything we do. We are committed to the personal development of our students: our educational provision goes well beyond the classroom.
We want students to have a voice and to be heard, empowering them to develop their confidence and to recognise how they can influence change in their school and beyond. This begins in Year 7 with the electing of form representatives to our active School Council. Together with our Sixth Form Management Team, the School Council helps to promote the ethos of the school and plays a key role in decision making. This represents just one of the ways in which students are encouraged to take on leadership roles and help shape the school’s future development. All our Year 12 students are enrolled onto our ‘Future Leaders’ programme, which allows students to develop their leadership skills, contribute to their community, and gain an accredited qualification.
As a school, we have fostered a volunteering culture and a genuine sense of community. Our students regularly make positive contributions to the school, the local and the global community, helping them become ethical, informed and active citizens. We run a successful Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, with large cohorts of students achieving bronze, silver and gold awards from Year 10 up to Sixth Form. Community involvement through a variety of projects and charity work is a real strength and a long-standing tradition of our school. Support for our local hospice through the annual ‘penny-pinching’ appeal, Remembrance Day poppy appeals, our Christmas hamper collection and our annual Charity Day are just a few examples of charitable and community events our students actively and enthusiastically support.
We have a clear overview of how our curriculum provision supports our students’ personal growth and promotes fundamental British Values, enhances students’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural awareness and promotes diversity, mutual respect and inclusivity. Our carefully planned PSHEE programme, which includes statutory RSHE provision, is taught in discrete lessons across all key stages, including in our sixth form. This is further enhanced by the messages delivered through our weekly assembly programme and, in addition, we offer a rich and diverse selection of extra-curricular opportunities catering for all interests and talents from art to acting, basketball to board games, calligraphy to computing.
For more information on personal development at HHS please contact Ms Edyvean at school.