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Ridgewood School

Ridgewood School

Personal Development Programme

Our students are in form groups with a form tutor who is their first point of contact in the morning, and their mid-day point of contact during ‘Personal Development Programme’ (PDP) time. Form tutors know the students in their form groups extremely well – their interests, family arrangements, academic profile – and can use their knowledge of their tutees to ensure they receive first class support and guidance.

Each kept stage is also led by a Pastoral Leader. Our Pastoral Leader's monitor progress across their year groups, as well as ensuring that students’ behaviour is of the highest standards, and that success is regularly recognised.

It is our intent during PDP time to provide opportunities for our students to develop into responsible, respectful and active citizens.  Where they can explore, understand, promote and practice:

  • Reading
  • Fundamental British values of democracy, individual liberty, the rule of law and mutual respect and tolerance
  • Character and personal traits through the identification of positive characteristics
  • How to be resilient in order to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy
  • How to live and work in an inclusive environment that meets the needs of all students irrespective of age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation
  • How to recognise online and offline risks and the dangers of inappropriate use of technology and social media
  • Employability skills and being ready for the next phase of education where they are offered many varied opportunities to gain impartial careers advice, employer engagements and experience of work places and further and higher education, apprenticeships and other pathways