“I have come that you may have life and have it to the full.” John 10:10
At St Joseph’s we are inspired by Jesus to assist all our students to become well-rounded, morally purposed individuals.
We ensure that we prepare our young people for their adult lives; teaching them to understand how to engage with society and providing them with many opportunities to do so. We ensure that our learning experiences extend beyond the academic in order that our students may develop the required skills, knowledge, habits and attributes needed in their futures.
The aims of our Personal Development programme are:
- To be faithful to the Catholic Church’s vision of ‘human wholeness’ but to also recognise the contemporary context in which we live today.
- To support students in becoming well-rounded, socially responsible young people.
- To equip our students with the ability to make practical judgments about the right and just thing to do in many circumstances they will encounter.
- To foster a growth mindset culture so that students will look to overcome barriers and better themselves.
- To expose students to the necessary knowledge and experiences required to embark upon a career in a wide range of sectors.
- To deliver the statutory RSHE (Relationships, Sex and Health Education) curriculum; making use of the ‘Ten Ten: Life to the Full’
- To provide students with a broad and engaging programme of extra-curricular activities which gives our young people the opportunity to pursue their passions.
- To underpin the content of our curriculum with opportunities to develop students’ character; their emotional resilience, self-esteem, self-confidence, creativity and determination.
- To fully prepare our students for modern British life.
We deliver these aims:
- Through the delivery of a broad, ambitious curriculum for all.
- By providing a rich and full programme of extra-curricular activities and trips throughout the year (including the Cumbrian Award and the Duke of Edinburgh Award).
- By delivering timetabled RHSE lessons through a combination of timetabled lessons and drop-down days.
- Through our programme of weekly worship.
- Through our work on mental health overseen by our named mental health lead.
- By delivering a programme of bespoke SEMH lessons fortnightly to KS3 students to develop their knowledge around the importance of mental well-being.
- Through delivery of timetabled philosophy, politics and economics lessons to all of our year 8 students.
- Through our careers programme which exposes students to a range of interactions with local providers of further education and training; as well as local employers.
- By engaging with national initiatives such as Mental Health week.
- Through instilling and exploring our school values of faith, hope and love.
- Through the work of our named Chaplaincy lead.
- Through development of oracy via debate and discussion in tutor time.
- Through the instilling and exploration of fundamental British values across the curriculum.
