At Leigh Academy Milestone, our Personal, Social, and Physical Development (PSPD) curriculum plays a vital role in nurturing our students’ growth. We aim to develop their independence, confidence, and social skills, helping them manage relationships, emotions, and behaviors both now and in the future. Our PSPD curriculum ensures students are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and understanding to navigate their world independently and safely.
At Leigh Academy Milestone, we believe in providing an inclusive, holistic education. Our PSPD curriculum is aligned with core subjects and is specifically designed to help our students develop independence in their personal, social, and physical skills. We assess, track, and monitor students’ progress through bespoke assessment frameworks for each curriculum pathway and EHCP targets.
The PSPD curriculum is embedded across the day, promoting skill generalization and mastery through a variety of activities. Targets are integrated into daily learning experiences, reinforcing and consolidating skills in various environments. These targets are personalized to meet each student’s individual needs, ensuring they progress at their own pace.
Our curriculum integrates key elements such as Personal, Social, and Health Education (PSHE), Relationship and Sex Education (RSE), and physical health and well-being. It also supports the development of British Values (Democracy, Rule of Law, Individual Liberty, Mutual Respect, and Tolerance) and Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural development (SMSC). These values are embedded across all areas of school life, ensuring students not only learn essential life skills but also grow into well-rounded, respectful citizens.
The PSPD curriculum aligns with the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum’s emphasis on developing responsible, empathetic, and globally-minded learners. Through the IB’s transdisciplinary themes, such as ‘Who We Are’ and ‘Sharing the Planet’, students explore personal and social development within a global context, fostering a deeper understanding of themselves and their role in the world.
For more information on how we integrate the IB approach, please visit our IB Curriculum page.
Our PSPD curriculum is delivered across all pathways at Leigh Academy Milestone, ensuring that every student receives the support they need to thrive:
- Brook Pathway: PSPD sessions are an extension of Individual Learning Plans (ILPs), ensuring that personal and social skills are embedded across various settings throughout the day. Targeted areas such as ‘Building Relationships’ and ‘Managing Feelings and Behaviour’ are incorporated into daily activities to foster independence.
- Stream Pathway: Focused on ‘Functional and Citizenship’ skills, PSPD targets in this pathway help students to build social skills and engage in citizenship activities. These sessions aim to generalize skills across environments, supported by scaffolding to promote independence.
- River & Waterfall Pathways: Students in these pathways will focus on mastering self-help and social skills. PSPD targets are embedded across a variety of activities, with a focus on PSHE and RSE, ensuring skills are developed across environments and contexts.
In addition to PSPD sessions, students engage in a range of personal care activities, including handwashing, dressing, and eating skills. Classroom environments are sensory-rich and supported by high levels of adult interaction, using a variety of physical and sensory activities to reinforce learning. These sessions are in line with government guidelines for RSE, and students are provided with well-being support through the ‘Six Ways to Well-Being’ approach.
Regular access to physical education, including Aqualearn, Rebound Therapy, and physical activity during playtimes, is also provided, supporting students’ physical development and well-being.
The PSPD curriculum at Leigh Academy Milestone empowers students to develop resilience, self-esteem, communication, problem-solving abilities, and social skills. These qualities are essential for independence, personal success, and well-being. The skills learned in PSPD form a strong foundation for students to lead fulfilling, independent lives.
Through PSPD, students also gain a greater understanding of the world they live in and are well-prepared for adulthood. Participation in activities like the School Council and Eco Committee fosters active citizenship, while community visits and travel training help students develop practical life skills, including money management, social communication, and tolerance for diverse environments.
Our commitment to personalised learning ensures that every student’s individual needs are met, allowing them to make maximum progress. The integration of PSPD and IB principles ensures students not only develop academically but also grow socially and emotionally, preparing them for their futures.
We are proud to offer students the opportunity to engage in co-curricular activities like residential trips, which help them develop their independence, explore different communities, and experience new cultures.
Leigh Academy Milestone’s PSPD curriculum equips students with essential life skills while complementing their academic growth within the International Baccalaureate framework, ensuring they leave school as confident, independent, and well-rounded individuals.
The PSPD Curriculum and its promotion of the IB Curriculum at Leigh Academy Milestone
At Leigh Academy Milestone, the Personal, Social, and Physical Development (PSPD) curriculum works in harmony with the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum to provide a holistic and well-rounded education for all our students. The integration of PSPD within the IB framework ensures that students are not only acquiring academic knowledge but also developing the life skills, emotional intelligence, and independence needed for success in school and beyond.
Here’s how the PSPD curriculum promotes and complements the IB curriculum at Leigh Academy Milestone:
- Building Self-Awareness and Confidence: The IB curriculum emphasises inquiry-based learning and the development of critical thinking, while the PSPD curriculum fosters self-awareness and emotional regulation. By supporting students’ personal development, PSPD helps them become more confident in expressing their thoughts, asking questions, and engaging with the world around them, which are key components of the IB learner profile.
- Promoting Positive Relationships and Collaboration: A key aspect of the IB curriculum is collaboration and developing meaningful relationships. The PSPD curriculum provides opportunities for students to learn and practice social skills, such as communication, teamwork, and conflict resolution, in both structured and informal settings. These skills are essential for the collaborative projects and group activities within the IB framework, promoting a supportive and inclusive learning environment.
- Encouraging Active Citizenship and Global Awareness: The IB curriculum encourages students to become active, engaged citizens of the world, with an emphasis on developing international-mindedness. The PSPD curriculum complements this by promoting values such as respect, tolerance, and empathy. Through activities like community visits, cultural experiences, and enterprise projects, students are given opportunities to explore different perspectives, understand global issues, and actively contribute to their communities.
- Fostering Independence and Lifelong Learning: Both the PSPD and IB curricula share a commitment to fostering independence and lifelong learning. While the IB curriculum encourages students to take ownership of their learning through inquiry and reflection, the PSPD curriculum builds the necessary life skills for students to apply this independence in real-world contexts. These skills include personal care, self-regulation, and managing emotions, all of which are essential for students as they progress through their educational journey and beyond.
- Supporting Well-being and Resilience: The IB curriculum focuses on developing the whole child, including their emotional well-being. The PSPD curriculum plays a critical role in supporting this aspect by providing structured opportunities for students to learn about mental well-being, managing stress, and coping with challenges. These skills help students build resilience and adapt to the demands of the IB curriculum, ensuring they can thrive both academically and personally.
- Incorporating Transdisciplinary Themes: The PSPD curriculum at Leigh Academy Milestone is closely aligned with the IB’s transdisciplinary themes, which emphasise connections between different areas of learning. For example, the focus on self-care, social relationships, and community engagement in PSPD supports themes like ‘Who We Are’, ‘Where We Are in Place and Time,’ and ‘Sharing the Planet.’ These integrated themes help students to see the connections between personal development and global issues, promoting a more comprehensive understanding of the world.
By integrating the PSPD curriculum with the IB framework, Leigh Academy Milestone ensures that students not only gain academic knowledge but also develop the personal, social, and emotional skills needed to become active, responsible, and compassionate members of society. The combination of both curricula empowers students to reach their full potential, both as learners and as individuals, preparing them for success in their future academic and professional endeavours.
Cultural Capital in the PSPD Curriculum at Leigh Academy Milestone
At Leigh Academy Milestone, we believe that cultural capital understanding and participating in the wider world is vital to helping our students succeed both now and in the future. Through our Personal, Social, and Physical Development (PSPD) curriculum, we provide students with a wide range of opportunities to engage with different aspects of society, enriching their learning experiences and broadening their horizons.
Cultural capital is embedded throughout the PSPD curriculum in several ways:
- Community Engagement: Students have the opportunity to access local and wider community settings, such as visiting shops, parks, swimming pools, and sports centres. These real-world experiences enable students to develop essential skills like social communication, problem-solving, and using money, while also learning how to interact respectfully with people from different backgrounds and communities.
- Cultural Experiences: We ensure that our students engage with diverse cultural experiences, including visits to religious buildings, attending pantomimes, and participating in school-wide events like book fairs, assemblies, and themed dress-up days. These experiences help students explore different cultures, traditions, and beliefs, fostering mutual respect and broadening their understanding of the world.
- Enterprise and Work Experience: The PSPD curriculum includes opportunities for students to participate in business and enterprise projects, giving them hands-on experience in preparing for work and exploring potential career paths. Through activities like work experience and developing practical skills for employment, students gain an understanding of the working world and the skills required to thrive in it.
- Sensory and Multi-sensory Learning: We incorporate sensory stories, experiences linked to International Baccalaureate (IB) topics, and sensory routines to ensure that students with diverse learning needs can engage with cultural content in a meaningful way. These activities promote engagement, retention, and a deeper understanding of different cultural aspects.
- External Visitors and Special Events: Regular interactions with external visitors, including career professionals, enrich the PSPD curriculum by providing real-world insights into various careers and cultural practices. Special events and activities deepen students’ cultural awareness and help them draw connections between their learning and the broader world.
Through these varied and meaningful opportunities, the PSPD curriculum at Leigh Academy Milestone equips students with the cultural capital they need to become well-rounded individuals who can confidently navigate and contribute to the wider world. By experiencing different cultures, communities, and real-world settings, our students develop the skills, knowledge, and understanding necessary for success in life and future careers.
PSPD and Careers Curriculum at Leigh Academy Milestone
At Leigh Academy Milestone, our Personal, Social, and Physical Development (PSPD) curriculum is carefully designed to provide students with the skills and confidence they need to succeed both in their personal lives and future careers. By focusing on self-awareness, relationship-building, emotional regulation, and independence, we prepare students to live safely, independently, and confidently in the world around them.
Our PSPD curriculum is closely linked to the careers curriculum, ensuring that students are not only equipped with essential life skills but also prepared for their future careers. Through a variety of learning experiences, including enterprise projects, work experience, and community visits, students apply their PSPD skills in real-world settings. This integration helps students build transferable skills such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and resilience—qualities that are vital in any career.
We also ensure that students are ready for life after Milestone, by providing opportunities to engage in activities that mirror the expectations of the workplace. These include managing time, setting personal goals, and understanding workplace norms. All learning is personalised to meet each student’s individual needs and career aspirations, empowering them to achieve the maximum independence possible.
The PSPD curriculum at Leigh Academy Milestone is designed to be a springboard for our students’ future, giving them the tools to thrive in both their personal and professional lives. Whether through focused life skills training, work-related learning, or career preparation, we are committed to helping our students become confident, capable individuals ready to take on the world.