At Ninestiles an Academy, Personal Development is taught through our Aspire (PSHE) lessons, assemblies and tutor time, each providing learners with a safe environment in which to discuss a range of world views and contemporary issues that affect them and their local and wider community. Regular extra-curricular events support learners’ understanding of faith, inclusion and citizenship amongst other themes, as well as providing important opportunities for collaboration and community building. Our goal is to empower and enable Ninestiles, An Academy learners to become responsible and informed young citizens who possess the personal and social skills to pursue their ambitions and play a meaningful role in society. To this end, Ninestiles, An Academy learners experience an engaging, thought-provoking and varied Personal Development curriculum which gives them the opportunity to develop a range of skills, namely emotional awareness, teamwork and the ability to articulate their thoughts.

Our timetabled Aspire  lessons enable learners across the age range to stay safe as they grow and become independent, taking responsibility for their own and others’ mental and physical health. Our curriculum has been planned to address the specific risks presented in our local community as well as the wider world. We seek to empower our learners to be curious about the world around them, and have the skills and confidence required to ask informed questions and be receptive to opinions which differ from their own.  Our curriculum is flexible to reflect the varying needs of learners’ development and readiness, whilst considering prior learning, experience and understanding. This is achieved through a spiral curriculum to develop knowledge, skills and attributes, where prior learning is revisited, reinforced and extended year on year. Through the Aspire curriculum, Ninestiles, An Academy pupils are supported to become self-reflective and active learners both within the local community and the wider world.