Impact in Practice

The impact of our Personal Development curriculum is seen not only in outcomes, but in the confidence, understanding and behaviours demonstrated by our students.

Internal assessment, including entry and exit knowledge checks, shows consistent and measurable improvements across all year groups, with typical confidence gains of +0.4 to +0.7 on a five-point scale across key safeguarding themes such as mental health, relationships, consent and online safety. At Key Stage 4, students demonstrate even stronger progress, with average gains of +0.7 or higher, reflecting a deepening of understanding and the ability to apply knowledge in real-life contexts.

This improvement is particularly evident in areas such as:

1. Applying coping strategies and managing mental health

2. Recognising healthy and unhealthy relationships

3. Understanding consent and boundaries

4. Evaluating online risks and media influence

Importantly, this increased understanding translates into real safeguarding outcomes. Over time, safeguarding data shows:

5. Earlier identification of concerns

6. Increased help-seeking behaviour

7. Reduced escalation to higher-level safeguarding thresholds

A three-year analysis of safeguarding data shows a 39% reduction in emotional and mental-health related concerns, alongside a 62% reduction in mental-health-specific cases, indicating that students are receiving support earlier and more effectively.

Student voice strongly reinforces this impact. The vast majority of students report that they feel safe, supported and confident in seeking help:

8. 92% of students report that they feel safe in school
9. 91% say there is an adult they can talk to
10. 97% know how to report concerns

Students describe the impact of Personal Development in their own words:

“I know who to go to if I’m worried.”
“Teachers take things seriously and actually help.”
“It feels easier to speak up now.”

This feedback is triangulated with safeguarding data, including CPOMS trends, which show stable and proportionate reporting, earlier intervention and no increase in safeguarding incidents following the teaching of sensitive topics. This provides strong evidence that the curriculum is functioning as a preventative safeguarding curriculum, equipping students with the knowledge, confidence and behaviours needed to keep themselves and others safe.