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Personal Development Learning (PDL)

At Hook Junior School, PDL is embedded throughout our curriculum to give depth to the children’s understanding and allow them to gain experiences in a range of contexts. PDL is a holistic term that includes:

  • Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)
  • Relationships and Sex Education (RHSE)
  • Citizenship

PDL helps to develop children’s self-esteem and emotional well-being. It helps them to form and maintain positive relationships with others, based on mutual respect, preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. We believe PDL enables children to become healthy, independent and responsible members of society. We encourage our pupils to play a positive role in contributing to the life of the school and the wider community. In so doing we help to develop their sense of self-worth. We teach the children how society is organised and governed. We ensure that they experience the process of democracy in school through teaching and the school council. We teach them about rights, respect and responsibilities and they learn to appreciate what it means to be a positive member of a diverse multicultural society.

Through our PSHE and RSE lessons, both embedded and discrete, our children explore their emotional and mental health and well-being, aspects of safeguarding and how to keep themselves and others safe, developing a healthy lifestyle (including healthy eating), develop financial awareness, learn about British values and citizenship, bullying (including cyber bullying) and drug, tobacco, and alcohol education. We recognise the value of our community in developing the children’s knowledge, skills and understanding of PDL.

Curriculum Enrichment

Children in London on the bank of the River Thames

At Hook Junior School, the curriculum is enriched and enhanced throughout the year through a range of visits such as to:

  • London (City)
  • Lepe Country Park (Beach)
  • Gilbert White Field Study Centre (Rivers)
  • Marchants Hill (Residential)

In addition, we host visitors, theatre groups and curriculum workshops. These include:

  • Anti-bullying art workshop
  • Local faith leaders from the Christian, Hindu and Islamic faiths
  • Iron Age and Viking Workshops
  • Samba Music Workshop
  • RAF coding workshops
  • Presentation from Thames Water
  • Fleet Scoop speaker
  • Astronomy Evening
  • Young Shakespeare Company
  • Science Career Fair
  • Mental Health talk – No Limits
  • NSPCC ‘Speak out Stay Safe’
  • Presentation from the Houses of Parliament
  • Water Safety Talk from Hart Leisure
Children showing their hand made illuminated safety wristbands

Each year group participates in termly Learning Events and/or Productions. Highlights include:


  • Showcases of learning
  • Year 3 Easter Production
  • Year 4 Christmas Production
  • Year 5 Science Presentation
  • Year 6 End of Year Production
  • Parent working alongside workshops

Within our school we encourage children to take on responsibilities such as:

  • School Council Reps
  • Sports Leaders
  • Digital Leader
  • Prefects
  • Eco Warriors
  • Junior Road Safety Officers
  • Art ambassador

We recognise the value of our community in developing the children’s knowledge, skills and understanding of PDL. Our school community fundraises and participates in a variety of charity events. This year our focused charities have been Guide Dogs for the Blind, Shooting Stars Children’s Hospice, Red Nose Day and Children in Need.

From June 2016 the Department for Education (DfE) announced a new assessment for Year 4 children called the “Multiplication Tables Check” (MTC).

The National Curriculum expectation is that by the end of Year 4, all pupils will be able to fluently recall their times tables up to 12, which is essential knowledge for children to further develop their mathematical fluency and enable them to reason more deeply as they do not have to process recalling number facts if these are secure. Times tables knowledge links to a wide breadth of the maths curriculum, including multiplication, division, fractions and problem solving. The purpose of the MTC is to determine whether pupils can recall their times tables fluently, which is essential for future success in mathematics. It will help schools to identify pupils who have not yet mastered their times tables so that additional support can be provided.

Our curriculum is designed to support all pupils to develop a secure understanding of these facts by the end of Year 4. This is developed throughout maths lessons, as well as separate times tables teaching and the use of the times tables scheme. Times Tables Rock Stars is also a platform that children have enjoyed to practise these number facts.

What will the assessment look like?

The MTC is an online assessment. At Hook Junior School, children will use the school iPads to carry out their check on an individual basis. Children will be presented with questions, one after the other, in the form:

N1 x N2 = A, e.g. 7 x 8 = __

There are no questions which will apply their knowledge of the inverse in this check.

There are 25 questions in total. The children get 6 seconds to type in their answer; there is then a 3 second pause before the next question. The test should take no longer than 5 minutes. There will be no questions from the 1x table. The test will have an emphasis on the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12x tables, as these are judged to be the times tables more appropriate to Key Stage Two.

How and when will the MTC be carried out?

Schools will have a 2-week check window in June to administer the MTC (a specified window will be provided to schools in March). Teachers will have the flexibility to administer the check to individual pupils, small groups or a whole class at the same time. At Hook Junior School, this will be carried out with children on their own iPad, working individually in a quiet space with a familiar adult to offer encouragement.

Can the MTC be adapted for children who may need extra support?

Children cannot be given extra time to complete the test. However, changes can be made which may help some pupils, such as altering the colour contrast and increasing the font size. Class teachers will allow all pupils to trial the check and will consider appropriate arrangements for each pupil on an individual basis to ensure that all children have appropriate arrangements to access this. Your child’s class teacher will be in contact if they are applying access arrangements for your child prior to June. If you feel that your child may benefit from these adaptions and you have not had a conversation regarding this, please discuss this with their class teacher.

Can pupils practise the MTC before June?

In school, we will be able practise the MTC in a ‘try it out’ area. Details of administration guidance will be given before the practice period begins. This will give us an opportunity to review the access arrangements and ensure that pupils are familiar with the check.

There is no expectation for children to do lots of extra work at home for the MTC. However, as always, we encourage parents to practise times tables with children at home, in line with their home learning focusing on their weekly times tables and through the use of Times Table Rock Stars. There are also a variety of resources available online. We have included some additional links below.

How will the results be reported?

The results are intended for school leaders and teachers so that we can compare our performance to those locally and nationally and identify any areas for improvement. The school will use this information to inform teaching and learning and as a further opportunity to assess pupils against the National Curriculum expectation for pupils to be able to fluently recall their times table facts by the end of Year 4. Using this data, we can also offer additional support where appropriate for individuals. You will also receive your child’s score out of 25 as part of their end of year school report.

If you have any queries about the MTC, please do not hesitate to contact me or your child’s class teacher via the school office or on Seesaw.

Further information

Useful links to prepare for the Multiplication Tables Check:

Other websites to support times tables:

Remote Learning

Remote learning is enabled with Seesaw, an online learning platform.

Our approach and delivery of home learning is introduced in our Remote Learning Policy .

To access home learning and remote learning, please login to Seesaw with your child using the username and password we have previosuly provided. Please contact the school office if you need us to send you the username and password again.

Personal Social Health Economic Education

Intent

Personal, Social, Health, Economic (PSHE) is a non-statutory subject; we believe that teaching PSHE (including the new statutory framework for Relationship Education) is vital to children’s personal development and to fulfilling Section 2.1 of the National Curriculum framework which states:

Every state-funded school must offer a curriculum which is balanced and broadly based and which:

  • promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society
  • prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life

Along with the National Curriculum framework, we teach the DfE’s statutory framework for Relationships Education (September 2019) which outlines that:

Today’s children and young people are growing up in an increasingly complex world and living their lives seamlessly on and offline. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks. In this environment, children and young people need to know how to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way.

At Hook Junior School, we teach to the National Curriculum expectations, but also aim to inspire children through our school values, to truly understand the values of respect, responsibility, empathy and inclusion in order that they may become well-rounded and responsible citizens in their future lives. We believe that supporting children in their personal and social development also has positive, wide-ranging impact on their academic lives. We want children to know that PSHE is much wider than the curriculum study area and that the skills they learn are essential to their daily lives, their relationships and interactions with others within a global community.

Hook Junior School are committed to providing a setting where the responsible choice becomes the easy choice. The personal and social development of young people is the responsibility of all. The school also provides a healthy school’s climate and culture and strong pastoral team who have systems in place to offer extra support to any child who needs it.

PSHE Implementation

We teach PSHE as a discrete subject so that the subject has importance and integrity. It integrates common concepts, skills, knowledge and understanding across subjects and topics. There is interconnectedness between the programmes of study from religious education and the aims of PSHE, this enables us to consolidate on PSHE conceptual understanding and learning through, PSHE, RE, collective worship and the Citizenship curriculum. We also develop PSHE through various activities and whole school events that promotes children’s community involvement, entrepreneurialism and positive activism to make a difference.

Our practice follows our Teaching and Learning Policy, adopting a range of styles and strategies to teach the PSHE Curriculum. We promote active learning by including the children in discussions, investigations and problem solving activities. We encourage the children to take part in a range of tasks that promote active citizenship, e.g. charity fundraising, the planning of special school events (such as assemblies and performances) or involvement in helping other individuals or groups less fortunate than themselves. We organise classes in such a way that pupils are able, through discussion, to set agreed classroom rules of behaviour, and resolve any conflicts. We offer children the opportunity to hear visiting speakers, such as health workers, police and local clergy, whom we invite into the school to talk about their role in creating a positive and supportive local community.

PSHE at Hook Junior School is organised around core, essential themes being taught in discrete, weekly lessons each half term in each year group. The themes are organised progressively so that each year the learning builds on the previous one as appropriate for the children’s age and development.

  • Growth Mind-set
  • Physical and mental wellbeing
  • Personal and E-Safety
  • Anti-bullying
  • Relationships
  • Community
  • Personal responsibility
  • Respect
  • Children’s rights and responsibilities (UNCRC)
  • Inclusion and equality
  • Social skills and play
  • Individual freedom
  • Resilience and change
  • Health prevention and first aid
  • Drugs, Alcohol and Healthy Lifestyles
  • Body changes and Puberty (Year 5 onwards)
  • Sex Education (Year 6)

PSHE lessons are linked closely with the school values, character values, British Values and SMSC education.

Where possible, PSHE lessons are linked to topic based work to provide clear contextual links (e.g. personal responsibility and environmental issues).

Additional theme weeks and charitable giving days are held on a termly basis – e.g. Mental Health Awareness, Children in Need and Anti-Bullying weeks.

Daily assemblies are based on the core values and support the delivery of PSHE education.

Pupils are given opportunities to develop their personal and social skills through roles and responsibilities such as: prefects, school council representatives, sports leaders, dinner monitors and playground buddies.

PSHE Curriculum – how we measure impact

Our teachers assess the children’s work in PSHE both by making informal judgements, as they observe them during lessons, and through formal assessments of their work, gauging it against the specific learning objectives set out in the Curriculum. We have clear expectations of what the pupils will know, understand and be able to do at the end of each year and at the end of Key Stage Two.

We do not set formal tests or examinations in PSHE. The assessments that we make of pupil achievement are positive and we report on these to parents in annual school reports and at Parent Learning Consultations. The PSHE subject and delivery is monitored at least termly by the PSHE subject leader and actions for improvement are fed into the school strategic plan and cycle of self-improvement.