About Personal Development
Personal development at Harris City Academy Crystal Palace is built upon the foundations of the Academy ethos – and its five key values of contribution, community, courage, co-operation and courtesy – and our motto ‘All Can Achieve’.
These values underpin the Academy culture and every student's daily school life.
We also actively promote and develop students' understanding and appreciation for the four core British values (tolerance and mutual, rule of law, democracy, and individual liberty).
The Academy believes in the holistic development of its pupils, offering them more chances so they have more choices in the future.
"The highest priority is placed on pupils’ personal development. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme is, like subjects, designed and implemented effectively." Ofsted 2025
Our personal development curriculum goes beyond the national curriculum. It offers unique learning experiences which provide students with enriched cultural capital. By offering a varied and diverse set of experiences, we help to prepare students for the culturally diverse nature of the society in which we live.
The Academy ensures students are resilient, self-assured and challenging learners, both to themselves and within any other cultural context. The Academy intends to ensure through a broad enrichment curriculum that students develop the key skills to feel motivated in the face of adversity and confident to take on any challenge.
In order for the Academy to meet its personal development intention, it implements a curriculum for students to have significant chances to learn and actively engage in the following key areas:
The personal development curriculum is developed in line with both statutory guidance and The PSHE Association's recommended curriculum.
Implementation
From Years 7 to 11, students engage in a 25-minute PSHE/RSE workshop each week, led by a senior, trained staff member. These sessions are further supported by tutors, who facilitate guided discussions with their tutees during the workshop. The knowledge gained is reinforced the following week during tutor time, allowing for consolidation of understanding and the nurturing of meaningful conversations.
Click here for the RSE and PSHE Curriculum.
Twice a week, students kick-start their mornings with Book Club during tutor time, where they read and explore an age-appropriate text alongside their tutor. These carefully chosen books not only foster a love of reading but also spark meaningful discussions on important themes related to SMSC, PSHE, RSE, SACRE and broader real-world issues. This shared reading experience encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper connection to the world around them.
In the Sixth Form, students benefit from two PSHE/RSE lessons with their tutors each week as well as bespoke study skills, mental well-being and career pathway sessions. Our programme of bi-weekly Year group assemblies also offers support through career-focused guest speakers, apprenticeship updates and UCAS preparation. In addition, we offer a vibrant and varied enrichment programme with a range of range of activities designed to support our core values of contribution, courtesy, cooperation, community and courage.
These sessions are further complimented by additional drop-down days, assemblies, activities, charity work, volunteering opportunities, external speakers, work experience and trips. The curriculum is constantly being adapted to suit the ever-changing needs of the students and social contextual issues that arise.
"The ambitious curriculum and the impressive array of trips and activities prepare pupils for the next stage of their lives extremely well." Ofsted 2025
Faculty assemblies
Every week students attend a Faculty assembly that is centred around important events, national events, celebrations, topical issues and
- Holocaust Memorial Day
- Black History Month
- US versus UK elections
- European Day of Language
- Remembrance Day
- Finance Matters
- Children’s Mental Health Week
- Comic Relief/Unicef club
- Safeguarding assemblies
These assemblies incorporate our core values, careers links, character value and always end with the reading of homily by a nominated student.
Click here to see our Personal Development Assembly Programme.
Well-being
At HCACP, our wellbeing vision statement is that we are committed to promoting positive mental health for every member of our staff and student body, as well as our wider community.
We achieve this aim using a whole-academy strategy for all and specialised, targeted strategies for students and staff who need additional support. We ensure a safe and supportive environment for all, particularly those affected, both directly and indirectly, by issues around mental health. We are supported in this by having several members of staff who are First Aid Mental Health trained.
We are aware that everyone experiences a range of day-to-day and unforeseen challenges which can make any of us feel vulnerable at one time or another. We work to ensure that everyone knows where they can find additional support and when they should ask for it. We take the view that positive mental health is everyone’s responsibility and that we all have a role to play. We believe that good mental health is vital to ensuring we can achieve our overall aim, that ‘All Can Achieve’.
Student Council
The HCACP Student Council is a group of students who act as the official voice of the student body.
We pride ourselves on having a culture that is built upon freedom and equality, where the student voice is heard on matters of importance such as how the school is run.
The Student Council is spilt into two sections: Faculty Cabinets and whole academy Student Council. The Council discusses and decides on issues that matter to the students and are important to the whole Academy, giving students the chance to make a real difference to the smooth running of Harris City Academy Crystal Palace. It encourages students to be active citizens by building self-confidence, learning how to treat others, making decisions and developing leadership responsibility on behalf of the student cohort.
The Faculty Cabinets feed into the overall Student Council. They meet every half-term, chaired by the Faculty President and overseen by Ms Owusu (Assistant Principal) and their Faculty Directors.
To be elected to the Faculty Cabinet students must first be nominated in their tutor groups. The three top nominees are then entered into a ballot, with the election usually taking place in October.
