Personal Development at Moulsham High School

At Moulsham High School, we strongly believe that we have a responsibility to develop our students personally as well as academically. In particular we want students to:

• Grow into responsible, respectful and active citizens.
• Reflect wisely, learn eagerly, behave with integrity and cooperate consistently well with others.
• Possess confidence and resilience.
• Understand how to keep healthy (physically and mentally) and maintain an active lifestyle.
• Develop their individual interests and talents. 

To achieve these aims, students are offered a wide, rich set of experiences both within and outside the taught curriculum. These include: 

• Trips and visits, e.g. Stubbers in Year 7, the Battlefields in Year 9 and Tate Modern in Year 11.
• A wide variety of sports clubs.
• Music groups and our annual musical production (‘School Of Rock’ in 2019).
• Subject led clubs such as those in science and geography.
• Charity fundraising, e.g. the Thriftwood School Party and The Tenner Challenge.
• Leadership opportunities, including student librarians, prefects, sports leaders and school council representatives.
• Visiting speakers, e.g. a Holocaust survivor, our local M.P.
• Visiting theatre companies, e.g. Frantic Assembly, the Tudors workshop.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE) is all about going the extra mile – gaining new skills, pushing yourself physically, helping others and exploring new territories. At the same time, you’ll gather friendships, experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.

It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, as long as you’re 14 to 24, you can choose the activities that motivate you and go on your own personal journey. We know from other participants that the DofE helps you stand out from the crowd when you apply for college, university or jobs.

There are three levels of programme you can do which, when successfully completed, lead to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The main differences between them are the minimum length of time they take to complete, how challenging they are and the minimum age you can start.