Personal Development

Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is an integral part of life at Ambleside; it is interwoven into everything that we do. Through PSHE, we teach the children how to be rounded individuals and how to be successful people within the world.

Our PHSE curriculum is a progressive document that builds on key skills and concepts as the children move through the school from the early years through to year 6. The curriculum deals with the diverse beliefs, values and attitudes that individuals and societies hold. They help pupils to develop themselves, their understanding of the world, and their ability to communicate their feelings. The PHSE curriculum aims to build on our school values of friendship, thankfulness, forgiveness, hope, trust and fellowship and gives the children the tools to become global citizens who are resilient, have the ability to question things, are empathetic and supportive of others similarities and differences and believe in their own power to change the world around them.

OPAL play

We are proud to be an OPAL Gold Award winning school! Here at Ambleside, we recognise that play has many benefits, is critical to children's health and well-being and is essential for children's physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual development. Playtimes are filled with a broad range of different activities for the children to help them to develop skills in a whole range of different play types from imaginative play to rough and tumble play, object play to communication play it’s all available for every child in every year group.

 

 

OPAL lunchtimes are fun! (Year 4 child)

Global Citizens – the FIDS programme

Back in 2024, Ambleside became the first school in Cumbria to launch the FIDS programme. We worked with CDEC (Cumbria Education Development Centre) to teach our children that they are one part of a much wider community of people: a local community and a global community. FIDS stands for ‘Feel, Imagine, Share, Do’ and empowers children to think about issues that matter to them – essentially, what ‘bothers’ them, and to develop ways to do something about that. The things that ‘bother’ them may be small or even large global issues but, through the programme, the children learn that everyone can make a difference in the world. Groups were established across the school (global, local, school and happiness) with every child, from Reception up to Year 6, allowed to choose the group that they would like to be part of. The issues that the children have raised have been wide ranging and have included: children living in countries affected by war, the pollution in Lake Windermere, food waste and the plight of some of the worlds most endangered animals. Together, the children have raised funds for chosen charities, written letters to people of influence, produced posters, introduced a school composting scheme and new plants to increase the biodiversity in our school grounds to name just a few.

We have been sharing our work with other schools in Cumbria to roll out this initiative further to create even more impact on issues bothering our young children in today’s ever-changing world.

 

 

Cultural Capital

We are blessed to live and work in such a beautiful part of the world and we use the landscape and facilities on our doorstep to bring learning to life for the children. We believe that by linking our curriculum closely with our local area we will also further foster the children’s sense of belonging and a commitment to respecting and protecting the locality on their doorstep.

Visits beyond our locality are also planned into each academic year with visits to the cities of Manchester, Liverpool and London to experience city life well beyond the fells of Ambleside.

  

 

Drama, dance and music can also play a vital role in a child’s sense of well-being and happiness. Throughout each academic year, we provide opportunities for children to experience live music performances, take part in school productions, visit the theatre, learn how to play a musical instrument or perform on stage in a professional theatre at both singing or dancing events.

 

Outdoor Adventure!

At our school, we believe that learning extends beyond the classroom and we engage in a progressive range of outdoor pursuits with all of our year groups every term. Through outdoor pursuits such as canoeing, climbing and ghyll scrambling, all children are encouraged to challenge themselves, try new experiences and develop important life skills.

These activities help children to build confidence, resilience and perseverance as they step outside their comfort zones and overcome new challenges. They also promote teamwork, communication and leadership, encouraging children to support one another and work together effectively.

Time spent outdoors also supports children's physical and emotional wellbeing, creating memorable experiences and a lasting appreciation of the natural world.

 

  

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