Personal Development

We place a high value on the personal development of all our students in the VI Form.  Alongside their academic studies all of our students follow a personal development programme delivered through daily tutorial sessions, assemblies and specific events such as Mental Health Awareness where we are proud to be ambassadors for Place2Be, a mental health charity.

We know that for young adults the modern world can be very complicating and there are a multitude of issues for our students to negotiate.  At NCS we provide a safe and nurturing environment for all of our students so that they can feel supported in all areas of their VI Form life.  Each student has a personal tutor who will help them with any aspect of their VI Form life.  The tutors deliver the PSHE programme in line with current Government guidance.  The tutor role is a pivotal part of our VI Form.  All of our tutors quickly build positive relationships with members of their tutor group.  They are very approachable and highly skilled in delivering the PSHE topics as well as providing advice on a range of subjects.

We cover topics such as:

• Study Skills
• Emotional Wellbeing
• Diversity, Safety and Health
• Personal Finance
• Sexual Health Education
• Drugs Education
• Careers
• Dealing with Exam Stress

A key part of our personal development programme is to provide students the opportunity for leadership within the VI Form.  We value the voices of all our students and want to give them the opportunity to develop their ideas to continue to provide a positive atmosphere in the VI Form.  We have introduced a programme of VI Form Ambassadors who meet regularly to discuss ways that the VI Form can be improved.  They are responsible for organising charitable and social events within the VI Form.  We currently work with Doorway, a local homeless charity.

Each year we select new Head Students from Year 12.  They go through an application and interview process, much the same as when applying for jobs.  The Head Student is then selected to be the Head Student of the School.  They represent the School at events such as Open Evening and Remembrance Day.  These posts last for a year.

Enrichment

As part of our Personal Development Programme we offer all of the students in Year 12 an enrichment plan.  On a Wednesday afternoon students will be asked to volunteer in the local community.  Many work in local primary schools, some help out in residential care homes, others volunteer in charity shops. As well as this some students help out in lessons at NCS.  They use their skills from their academic studies to support younger students and help them to progress.  We also have a mentoring scheme where Year 12 students work with Year 7 students to help them with their transition into secondary school.

Work Experience

Some students in Year 12 and 13 organise their own work experience.  This is often in areas of work that they are considering going into after they leave NCS.  We have very good links with lots of local primary schools who are very keen to welcome our students and provide them with experiences of working in the classroom to support younger children.  We have lots of online opportunities too that give students then chance to experience many different aspects of work.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

The internationally renowned D of E programme offers the opportunity for participants to develop soft core skills acknowledged by employers; a study of high grossing companies in 2023 noted that they looked for communication, problem-solving and self-motivation when hiring employees among the hard core skills required to succeed in the roles they offered.

Students studying at Nicholas Chamberlaine VI Form can take up the opportunity to complete the Award at Silver level either as a direct entrant (with no previous experience of the programme) or as a progression having completed the Bronze Award prior to beginning their journey with us.

Completing the Award requires participants to engage with four sections: skill, volunteering, physical and an expedition element. Completion of each section takes dedicated time and effort – as you progress through each element you log your progress via an online platform, eDofE. Participants are expected to accrue approximately 74 hours of participation as a minimum while achieving their Award.

Please refer to the DofE website (https://www.dofe.org/do/) for further information, promotional material and guidance regarding the intricacies of the Award.

Sports Leaders Qualification

Students at Nicholas Chamberlaine VI form have the offer to develop their leadership skills through the medium of sport whilst completing a Level 3 qualification accredited by the Leadership Skills Foundation, formally the SLQ. The 6 unit course provides students with the necessary skills and confidence to lead in a variety of settings to various demographics, a key principle of the qualification.

Throughout the programme, students will develop a broader understanding of leadership, the importance of their role and the qualities which form a successful sports leader inclusive of accumulating hours observing, supporting and leading sporting activities; the culmination of the course requires pupils to organise and lead their own sports festival.

Upon completion of the course, students are presented with a recognised qualification and 16 UCAS points which may be used to apply for further study opportunities.