Personal Development at St Antony’s
At St Antony’s, Personal Development is about far more than academic success. Guided by our mission, “May the Light and Splendour of Christ Shine from Within Us All,” we are committed to helping every pupil become the very best version of themselves.
We believe that education should develop the whole person. Through a carefully planned programme of Personal Development, Catholic Life, leadership, careers education, enrichment, service and wider opportunities, pupils are encouraged to grow in confidence, character, resilience, faith and ambition.
Our Personal Development offer is rooted in our five core values of Respect, Love, Integrity, Service and Resilience. These values shape daily life at St Antony’s and help pupils develop the knowledge, skills and qualities they need to thrive in modern Britain and make a positive contribution to society.
Ms Doherty is part of the Senior Leadership Team at St Antony’s and she has strategic responsibility for our personal development offer across the school – her email address is e.doherty@st-antonys.com
Our Intent
Our Personal Development curriculum aims to ensure that every pupil leaves St Antony’s:
- Confident in who they are and what they believe.
- Equipped to make safe, informed and responsible decisions.
- Ready for the opportunities and challenges of adult life.
- Respectful of others and appreciative of diversity.
- Committed to serving others and improving their communities.
- Ambitious for their future education, training and employment.
- Prepared to contribute positively to society.
We want every pupil to flourish academically, socially, emotionally, spiritually and physically so they are fully prepared for life beyond St Antony’s.
Rooted in Our Mission and Values
Everything we do is inspired by our Catholic mission and values.
Our mission calls us to follow the example of Christ by showing love, compassion, service and respect to others. Personal Development provides pupils with opportunities to live out these values every day through leadership, service, prayer, charitable work, enrichment activities and positive relationships.
Our five core values underpin the entire Personal Development programme:
Respect
Treating others with dignity and kindness.
Love
Building positive relationships and supporting one another.
Integrity
Making responsible choices and doing the right thing.
Service
Using our gifts and talents to help others.
Resilience
Developing determination, courage and perseverance.
These values are woven throughout our curriculum, assemblies, enrichment programme and wider school culture.
We are proud that external Quality Assurance of our Personal Development (PD) provision reports that PD is good at St Antony’s. In June 2024, Ofsted judged this aspect of school as ‘Good’ and reported that:
- “Pupils benefit from the strengthened personal development offer available to them”
- “They have many opportunities to take part in an increasing number of extra-curricular activities….The school supports pupils to broaden their interests and talents”
- “The school ensures that pupils are suitably prepared for life in modern Britain…..they can recall a range of important knowledge about healthy relationships and how to keep themselves safe. Pupils have a strong understanding of the importance of tolerance and respect for those who are different to themselves”
- “Pupils experience a comprehensive programme of personal development that includes information about careers. Pupils benefit from carefully tailored opportunities to help them to make informed choices about their next steps”
In addition, the Emmaus Trust’s review in April 2025 reported:
- The PD Curriculum has “academic rigour, and students see the benefits of PSHE and its importance in their educational offer at St Antony’s”
- “The school has strengthened the careers education in PSHE by building this into the curriculum…… The school is engaging with a number of external opportunities to further strengthen opportunities for the students”
- “Governance is strong with regards to personal development”.
Our Personal Development (PD) Curriculum is designed to develop students’ self-worth, and an understanding of our school values and our mission. It is a spiral curriculum, starting in Year 7 with a focus on Who Am I? This develops to a Year 11 core question, in preparation for next steps, of Who Do I Want to Be in the Wider World? Further information about the PD Curriculum taught in dedicated lessons can be found in the Curriculum Information section under the Learning Tab.
Our Self-Evaluation: Current Strengths
We are proud of the impact our Personal Development programme is having on pupils at St Antony’s. Current strengths include:
Strong Catholic Ethos
Our mission and values are lived out daily through relationships, leadership opportunities, charitable work and service to others.
Wide Range of Leadership Opportunities
Increasing numbers of pupils take on meaningful leadership roles and actively contribute to school improvement and community life.
High-Quality Careers Education
Pupils benefit from personalised guidance, employer engagement, work experience and strong partnerships with Trafford Connexions and other external organisations.
Extensive Enrichment Programme
Pupils have access to a broad range of sporting, creative, faith-based and leadership opportunities beyond the classroom.
Strong Sense of Belonging
Pupils describe St Antony’s as a welcoming and inclusive community where they feel known, valued and supported.
Commitment to Service
Catholic Social Teaching is visible across school life through charitable work, social action projects, environmental initiatives and community engagement.
Responsive Curriculum
Our Personal Development curriculum is continually reviewed and adapted to meet the needs of our pupils and the challenges of modern life.
Preparation for Life Beyond School
Pupils leave St Antony’s equipped with the knowledge, skills, confidence and character needed to flourish in further education, employment and adult life.
This powerpoint is designed to give an overview of Personal Development broadly – the PD curriculum, including Careers, and PD more widely.
If there are questions relating to PD, the relevant contacts are at the end of this powerpoint.
Loading...
The overviews for Information Evenings and Parent/Carer evenings are below:
