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Personal Development Curriculum

The Barnsley Academy Way

Votes For Schools                                                                                                 

Votes For Schools is an online voting platform designed to engage students in exploring and discussing the issues affecting them and allowing them to join with other pupils to let the world know what they think about these topics.

At Barnsley Academy we are dedicated to the promotion and development of Student Voice. Our Votes for Schools programme is a significant part of this initiative. Every week, students in Year 7-10 participate in a nationwide current affairs debate and voting session during the Tutor Time Character Curriculum. Each lesson is centered around a Vote Topic question that is relevant to young peoples' lives. To ensure that all students are able to engage with issues that matter to them, they are given time to discuss and debate the Vote Topic before casting their vote in person to mirror the democratic process. These votes are then counted, announced and logged online so that all our students' voices are heard nationwide. 

Our secondary students discuss a Vote Topic each week as part of their tutorial programme before then voting to share their personal and collective opinion.

Previous Vote Topics have included:

  • Are young people comfortable calling out misogynistic behaviour?
  • Are UK supermarkets doing enough to tackle food waste?
  • Should we blame influencers for online harm?

Information about the Vote Topics covered during Votes For Schools can be found by clicking here.

For further information on Votes for Schools or removal from this programme, please contact kelly.glendinning@barnsley-academy.org (Head of PSHE & RSE)

Read Aloud Programme

The Read Aloud Programme is delivered through Citizenship Reading to students in Year 7 to 10 weekly, alongside focused sessions to Year 11 students. The aim of this is to promote reading for pleasure with a focus on Non Fiction texts as well as to help inform our students about current events around the world. The programme promotes fluency, development of vocabulary and comprehension with form tutors leading these sessions and modelling excellent reading and comprehension skills.

Citizenship Reading

The weekly articles are taken from an online platform called The Day. The Day is a platform that turns news into lessons for global awareness, critical thinking and wellbeing. Articles vary in topics from politics, current events, science and technology and role models in society.

Previous articles have included:

“2024 set to be the warmest year on record” – exploring the social and global crisis of climate change and global warming.

“The five key morals of the OIympics” – reflecting on the character morals that were presented in the 2024 Olympic games.

“The Paralympian hero born without legs” – a character role model focus on the Paralympian Zion Clark and the character traits of determination and perseverance he showed in his journey to the Olympics

“The woman risking her life for science” – an introduction to astronaut Sunita Williams who was having to show extreme adaptability and courage while faced with an extended stay on the International Space Station.

“Lessons from a 100-year-old president” – a reflection on the life of former President of the United States Jimmy Carter who showed gratitude, dignity and service throughout his life.

The following books are part of the programme: 

Education with Character