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Personal Development Curriculum
At Harrogate High School, we promote personal development and wellbeing through a comprehensive Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship and Economic (PSHCE) education curriculum, our CARES Character Curriculum, educational visits, extra-curricular clubs and other enrichment opportunities. This is illustrated below:
PSHCE education is the curriculum subject that gives young people the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and practical skills to live safe, healthy, productive lives and meet their full potential. It is a statutory requirement that schools teach Relationships and Health Education to all students, as well as the National Curriculum for Citizenship. We can also meet emerging safeguarding and wellbeing needs through our PSHCEE curriculum, and we are always seeking to refine and tailor our offer to ensure our students are well-informed and prepared for as many life situations as possible. PSHCEE is a discrete curriculum subject in all year groups and teachers meet regularly to receive training on planning and delivery. Students are also supported to develop aspects of character through our CARES Character Curriculum, which is delivered as part of our tutor time programme through one session a week with form tutors. More information can be found on this below.
Subject Definition
The practice and development of the virtues, habits and emotional intelligence that will enable students to cultivate ethical intuition.
Personal Development Intent
We will, as a whole staff body, embody the culture and values of the school (Courage, Aspiration, Respect, Equality, Self-Control) so that are students are empowered to learn, grow, and develop into the best version of themselves. The Personal Development curriculum, particularly through the PSHCEE curriculum and CARES Character curriculum, aims to enhance students spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development as well as to equip students with the empathy and resilience required to be able to manage their emotions and communicate to succeed in the ever changing 21st century. We want our students to build their confidence, resilience, and self-esteem, to identify and manage risk, make informed choices, and understand what influences their decisions. Our curriculum will be continually responsive to our students, and we strive to equip them with the tools needed to understand boundaries and appropriate responses to a wide range of health, wellbeing, relationship, and other issues in the wider world.
PSHCEE Curriculum Overview
CARES Character Curriculum

To achieve excellence for all, our culture is founded on 5 core values which form the backbone of our CARES curriculum. These values are qualities we expect every individual in our organisation to display and strive towards.
Courage | We never give up! |
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Aspiration | We work hard to make our dreams happen. |
Respect | We treat others how we wish to be treated. |
Equality | We accept others for who they are. |
Self-control | We manage our behaviour and control. |
Our CARES Character Curriculum seeks to develop aspects of students’ character, such as shared positive values (all tied into our CARES Values), traits that help us to live well alongside others, virtues, and positive habits/behaviours. Students will have an assembly each week, as well as a session in form time (led by their form tutor), that develop their knowledge of these.