Personal Development

We believe that developing life skills is important to the wider personal development of a child beyond the academic education they receive in school.  Developing the skills to be successful learners and engaged citizens is at the heart of our whole school culture and ethos and is shown through our everyday routines, the behaviour of staff and pupils and the teaching and learning in our classrooms.

We have established many links with our local community to support the development of skills for life including:

• Gregg’s Foundation – providing funding for our Breakfast Club enabling pupils to develop skills in the home – washing up, drying, household duties, health and safety knowledge.
• Marriot Hotel – Technology Cookery Day – visit to the hotel to gain insight into roles in the hotel industry including management, sports coaching, chef roles, hospitality.
• Amazon – visits to Amazon to explore roles in e-commence, operations, customer service, sales, IT, business management
• Penpal Writing Project/Care Home visits – choir and craft projects alongside residents – awareness of roles in the care sector.
• New Writing North Projects – 5 year residency working with pupils and parents/carers.  Opportunities to develop greater awareness of roles in creative arts/media including film makers, poets, theatre producers, animators, artists, musicians.
• Musicians in Residence Project – visiting musicians enhance learning across the curriculum through music and composition demonstrating career opportunities in the music sector.
• STEM opportunities provide through Success 4 All with visit from science specialists and even the Science Bus.

As well as developing life skills as part of curriculum offer and day to day running of the school we also provide life skills development opportunities through:

• Reading Buddies
• Prefect roles and responsibilities
• School Council 
• ECO Schools Committee
• Mini Health Champions
• Sports Crew
• Head Boy/Head Girl duties
• Larkspur Cafe Helpers
• We Love Larkspur Days (development of new skills across the school in mixed age groups alongside parents/carers often with a themed focus e.g. Diversity)

As a school we also actively promote the fundamental British values of:

• democracy,
• the rule of law
• individual liberty
• mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs

At Larkspur these values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways:

Celebrating local, national and global celebrations and events

As a school, we mark and celebrate local, regional, national celebrations and events such as: Remembrance Day, Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Olympics, Eid, Diwali, Chinese New Year.

We have excellent relationships with our two local churches which enhances opportunities including Y6 Leavers Service and SMSC workshop, carol service, experience harvest/Christmas/Easter workshops and we also participate in different religious events across the year organised by our Chair of Governors, Rev Danie.

As a school, we provide children and our community with clear opportunities to make positive contributions through direct involvement in charitable activities such as: Red Nose Day, Children in Need, FACT Cancer Charity and charities close to the hearts of families in our community.

Democracy

Democratic values underpin the ethos of the school. Children are listened to by adults and are taught to listen carefully to each other, respecting the right of every individual to have their opinions and voices heard. Our children have the freedom to make choices.

We hold democratic elections for different pupil committees such as School Council, Eco Team, Head Boy/Girl and decisions across our school are influenced by the work they carry out. This demonstrates to children democracy in action.  Democracy is also woven into our curriculum with many lessons in PHSE, RE, English and History provoking healthy debates and discussions.

Mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

In our school we believe everyone is special and unique. Mutual respect is a core value that is at the heart of our school ethos and behaviour policy.

Teachers are positive role models at all times.  Assemblies and collective worship teaches respect for all. RE lessons and themed days teach children about other faiths, culture and traditions, such as St. George’s Day, Eid and Chinese New Year. PHSE is an important part of our curriculum. Our strong links with our community are strengthened through a range of collaborative projects including: NWN Family Workshops where families from different backgrounds share their skills and cultures alongside their children.  Visits to Mosques, Temples, Churches are woven into our RE curriculum to help children gain insight into different faiths and traditions.

Through these activities, our pupils learn to combat discrimination and improve their understanding of the importance of respecting the many different faiths in Britain and the world today.

The rule of law

Our school rules are displayed in every classroom and are consistently reinforced throughout each day. Children are taught to understand the value and reason for national social laws; that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken.

The importance of having rules that we live by are consistently reinforced including when dealing with behaviour, through school assemblies and special curriculum projects.

Individual liberty

At our school we have an inclusive approach where all children are recognised as individuals. We encourage children to take responsibility for the choices that they make for example, behaviour choices, participation in extracurricular activities, sporting opportunities as well as through the PHSE curriculum.

We encourage children to have opinions and to discuss issues. This ensures pupils are given the freedom to make choices as well as knowing their rights and responsibilities.

Our whole school culture and carefully-sequenced, ambitious curriculum has been developed to teach our learners the knowledge and cultural capital which provide opportunities for them to flourish as modern British citizens. Our SMSC offer is fundamental to the culture and ethos of our school.

Spiritual: Explore beliefs and experience; respect faiths, feelings and values; enjoy learning about oneself, others and the surrounding world; use imagination and creativity; reflect.

Moral: Recognise right and wrong; respect the law; understand consequences; investigate moral and ethical issues offer reasoned views and have an appreciation of British Values.

Social: Use a range of social skills; participate in the local community; appreciate diverse viewpoints; participate, volunteer and cooperate; resolve conflict; engage with the ‘British values’ of democracy, the rule of law, liberty, respect and tolerance.

Cultural: Appreciate cultural influences; appreciate the role of Britain’s parliamentary system; participate in culture opportunities; understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity.

Please click on the links below to see our wide ranging SMSC offer

We run a variety of extra-curricular clubs for children in Years 1 – 6.  The choice of clubs changes termly and we aim to provide a range of clubs that will appeal to different children so that every child can find a club that interests them.

Examples of clubs include: Choir, Dance, Girls and Boys Football Clubs, Archery, Strategies Games, Booster (Y6 support), Calm Club, Art Club, Keyboard Club and Art Therapy, NWN drama club, Table Tennis and much more.

Larkspur House also provide childcare clubs for both KS1 and KS2 pupils alongside Youth Clubs and Summer holiday clubs.

In order to provide the children with opportunities to attend inter-school competitions, we run clubs in co-operation with our partner schools.  We also work with external organisations such as Gateshead SSP, Active Futures, New Writing North, Mish Mash Music, Gateshead LEA for music,