Our Personal Development Journey

Personal Development Curriculum Overview

At Admiral Lord Nelson School, our Personal Development Curriculum is at the heart of our mission to nurture well-rounded, balanced, and confident young people. We believe that education goes beyond academic achievement — it is also about developing the character, values, skills, and experiences that shape young people into thoughtful, resilient, and responsible citizens of the future.

Our curriculum is designed to support students’ growth in all areas of life. It includes key components such as Aspiring Futures (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) education, which equips students with the knowledge and skills to make safe, healthy, and informed choices. Alongside this, we place strong emphasis on British Values - democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect, and tolerance — helping students to understand and respect the diverse society we live in.

Careers Education is embedded throughout the curriculum to raise aspirations and prepare students for the world of work. From Year 7 onwards, students have access to a wide range of careers information, advice, employer encounters, and guidance to help them explore opportunities and make informed decisions about their future.

We are proud to offer a rich programme of trips, extra-curricular clubs, and enrichment opportunities that allow students to broaden their horizons, build new friendships, and discover new passions — whether through sport, the arts, STEM activities, or a breadth of other opportunities. These experiences develop confidence, teamwork, leadership and independence. We are aiming to give our students an in depth focus on developing their Cultural Capital, which helps develop understanding, knowledge, thoughts and opinions by trying new experiences.

Oracy Education is also central to our approach. We teach students to express themselves clearly, listen actively, debate respectfully, and develop the communication skills essential for success in life beyond school.

We highly value the role of the School Council and Student Voice. Students are encouraged to contribute ideas, express opinions, and take an active role in shaping school life. Their participation helps develop leadership skills, a sense of responsibility, and a deeper engagement with their learning community.

Ethics and Tolerance (Religious Education) is taught to Year 7 -9. Within the three years we cover Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism and Sikhism, alongside ethical issues of the Death Penalty, Forgiveness, Abortion and Assisted Dying.

Reports are collated termly which assess our achievements and focus on how to further improve our Personal Development offer. These reports are presented to the Senior Leadership team as well as the Governing Body.

Overall, our aim is to ensure every student leaves Admiral Lord Nelson School not only with strong academic outcomes, but also as a self-aware, socially responsible and confident individual, ready to thrive in further education, the workplace, and wider society.

↓ CLICK ON an image TO VIEW THE RELEVANT YEAR GROUP'S PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT TRACKER ↓