What is Personal Development?

Personal development plays a big part of our school ethos. It is reflected in our school motto of 'Be the best you can be'. We want every child to leave Kingfisher as confident, knowledgeable individuals who are resilient, determined and ready for the next stage of their learning, and have the skills necessary to contribute to positively in society.

At Kingfisher, our aim is to teach children how to navigate through life safely, happily and healthily. We teach children about the world around them, relationships, emotions and health, as well as give them transferable skills to help with life.

Engaging the community - Visit to a local Bee keeper

As part of our commitment to providing a broad, enriching curriculum and promoting pupils' personal development, the children enjoyed a truly memorable visit to local beekeeper Marvin and his wife, Susan. Long-standing members of our local community, Marvin and Susan have developed a strong relationship with the school over the years. Earlier in the academic year, Marvin visited the school to share his passion for beekeeping, biodiversity, and the natural environment, inspiring pupils through his enthusiasm and extensive knowledge.

Building on this learning, Marvin kindly invited the children to visit his apiary, providing a unique opportunity to observe working beehives and see bees in their natural habitat. During the visit, pupils developed their understanding of the vital role bees play within the ecosystem, exploring topics such as pollination, biodiversity, food production, and the hierarchy of a bee colony, including the distinct roles of the queen, worker, and drone bees.

This first-hand experience brought classroom learning to life and encouraged curiosity, respect for the natural world, and a greater appreciation of environmental sustainability. It also strengthened pupils' connections with the local community, demonstrating the value of learning from individuals who generously share their expertise and experiences. Opportunities such as these enrich our curriculum, broaden children's horizons, and support the development of confident, knowledgeable, and socially responsible learners.

RNLI and Water Safety

Water safety workshops were enjoyed by all classes in November as Tony, from the RNLI, came into Kingfisher to deliver very important messages about water safety at the beach and in general. Ensuring our pupils are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to keep themselves safe is something we are fully committed to doing.

RSPCA Workshops

Over two days in October, the RSPCA visited Kingfisher to offer advice on animal safety and how we can protect our pets and animals during bonfire night. Children learned about stress relievers in pets and how they can help their pets cope at home. In addition to this, every child made a conker comet – the concept behind this was to create a natural firework, which if thrown, could one day grow into a tree and benefit the environment.

World Mental Health Day 2023

On Friday 13th October 2023, Kingfisher turned yellow to raise awareness of World Mental Health Day. The entire day was dedicated to pupils learning about the importance of mental health as well as physical health and what to do if they felt their mental health was suffering. Razzamatazz Theatre School led workshops which focussed on developing and understanding well-being; Mrs Streetin visited every class and led learning on how to regulate emotions. All pupils in these sessions created their own ‘calming bottle’ which they took home. Mrs Francis led activities which were adapted from her Drawing & Talking therapy sessions and our Well-being champions across KS2 led sessions in Yr3/4/5/6.