Personal Development

Personal Development at The Coppice Academy

At The Coppice, we fully appreciate the importance of developing the whole child, particularly in preparation for adulthood. We provide a range of opportunities that help to develop students’ self-confidence and resilience, by creating a learning environment where students feel safe to try their best and ‘have a go’, even if that means making mistakes.

Our young people flourish here at The Coppice, developing from often shy, anxious students with low self-esteem who first come to us in Year 7, to students who are ready to embark on the next stage of their education with confidence.

We are committed to providing a rounded education in which we develop the citizens of the future through our PSHE, ILWS (Independent Living and Work Skills) and Citizenship programmes. Students are also prepared for adulthood in these lessons; other examples are in food technology (learning to cook as independently and healthily as possible), PE (learning the importance of physical exercise), Forest School (appreciation and enjoyment of the outdoors) and drama (oracy, self-confidence and working with others).

Careers’ Café events enable students to chat to post-16 providers in their known Coppice environment.

Students learn about current issues through our use of the Votes for Schools programme on Wednesday and Thursday mornings during tutor time. We also watch and discuss Newsround on Tuesdays.

Unfortunately, we cannot run after-school extra-curricular activities, as the majority of our students come to school on LEA taxis. However, we do have a programme of lunchtime clubs, such as football, basketball, girls’ sports, Makaton and choir.

Students enrich their learning by their choice of activity on a Friday afternoon. The choices on offer are currently sports, iPad skills, arts and crafts, social games, performing arts, Aspire and Coppice Challenge.

Our young people benefit greatly from learning outside the classroom, and a wide range of educational visits are organised each academic year. Last year, students participated in the following trips and visits:

Hockey Event Our Space Event