If budget wasn’t a barrier, would you be completely happy with your school’s current Personal Development provision?
It’s an interesting question.
When school budgets are stretched, sticking with what you already have, or choosing the lowest-cost option, can feel like the sensible decision.
But what if the cost of not having the right Personal Development solution is actually higher?
Teacher planning time. Sourcing additional resources. Filling curriculum gaps. Keeping up with expectations. Evidencing outcomes. Identifying and addressing gaps in children’s learning.
Those costs aren’t always sitting neatly on an invoice, but they’re still costs.
Until now, many schools have looked primarily to their core school budget when investing in PSHE and wider Personal Development.
But the Inclusive Mainstream Fund may create another opportunity for schools to consider.
What is the Inclusive Mainstream Fund?
The £400 million Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF) has created a new opportunity for mainstream schools to consider how investment can support more inclusive practice.
And there’s an important connection with Personal Development that can sometimes be missed.
Personal Development isn’t simply another subject to fund. It brings together many of the areas schools are already expected to deliver, including:
- PSHE education
- Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE)
- Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development (SMSC)
- Fundamental British Values
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Protected characteristics
- Healthy relationships
- Personal safety and safeguarding knowledge
So could investment in Personal Development help your school achieve some of the outcomes the Inclusive Mainstream Fund is designed to support?
Find out how 1decision aligns with the Inclusive Mainstream Fund
Isn’t the Inclusive Mainstream Fund for SEND?
Understandably, many schools will initially look at the Inclusive Mainstream Fund through a SEND lens.
But its ambition is broader, with a focus on strengthening inclusive practice within mainstream settings.
The funding focuses on areas including:
- Early intervention
- Universal high-quality teaching
- Enrichment
- Creating a culture of belonging
- Collaborative partnerships
- Accessible environments
When we look at what high-quality Personal Development is designed to achieve, the connection becomes much clearer.
How Does Personal Development Support Inclusion?
Think about what effective Personal Development is actually trying to achieve.
We want children to understand and manage their emotions, develop healthy relationships, recognise unsafe situations, know how to seek help, understand difference and respect others.
We want them to build resilience, confidence and independence, and develop the knowledge and skills they need to make informed decisions.
Crucially, we also want schools to be able to identify when a child hasn’t developed the knowledge, understanding or skills they need, so additional support can be provided early.
That isn’t separate from inclusion. It’s an important part of creating an inclusive school.
Early Intervention Starts With Knowing Where the Gaps Are
Simply delivering a Personal Development lesson doesn’t tell us whether every child has understood it.
Two children can sit through exactly the same lesson and leave with very different levels of understanding.
When schools can identify gaps in an individual child’s knowledge and understanding, they are in a much stronger position to respond early.
This is particularly important when learning relates to:
- Relationships
- Emotional wellbeing
- Personal safety
- Responsibility
- Healthy choices
- Knowing when and how to ask for help
Teaching the lesson is one thing. Knowing the learning has landed is another.
High-Quality Personal Development for Every Child
Personal Development shouldn’t depend on how much time an individual teacher has available to find resources, create lessons or interpret guidance.
A structured and progressive approach can help create greater consistency across the school.
Children can build on previous learning. Teachers can understand what has come before and what comes next. Leaders can have greater confidence that important areas aren’t being missed.
This is also why clear skills and knowledge progression matters.
Personal Development shouldn’t be a collection of disconnected lessons. Children’s knowledge and skills should develop as they move through school, helping them become progressively more confident, informed and prepared for life beyond primary school.
Personal Development and Creating a Culture of Belonging
One of the strongest connections between the Inclusive Mainstream Fund and Personal Development is belonging.
Children need opportunities to explore identity, relationships, difference, respect, emotions and the communities they are part of.
This supports wider school priorities around:
- British Values
- SMSC
- Protected characteristics
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Positive relationships
- Respect and inclusion
Personal Development isn’t simply about what happens during a lesson.
It’s about helping children navigate school, relationships, their community and, ultimately, life beyond the classroom.
How Can 1decision Support Personal Development?
1decision brings the different elements of Personal Development together into one complete solution for primary schools.
Our provision supports schools with:
- A structured and progressive Personal Development curriculum
- Engaging teaching and learning resources
- Individual pupil assessment
- Clear skills and knowledge progression
- Staff development
- Targeted support
- Resources to strengthen engagement with families
Rather than having to piece together different resources and approaches, 1decision helps schools create a clearer and more consistent Personal Development journey for every child.
Most importantly, it helps schools move beyond:
“Have we taught it?”
towards:
“What has each child actually learnt, and what do they need next?”
Could the Inclusive Mainstream Fund Create an Opportunity for Your School?
If budget has previously prevented your school from investing further in Personal Development, now could be a good time to revisit the conversation.
The Inclusive Mainstream Fund provides an opportunity to think differently about how investment in inclusion, early intervention, belonging and high-quality teaching can support children across your school.
And Personal Development may be an important part of that picture.
So perhaps the question isn’t simply:
“Can we afford to change?”
Perhaps it’s:
“Can we afford not to?”
Find Out More About the Inclusive Mainstream Fund and 1decision
Discover how 1decision can support your school’s Personal Development priorities and explore the connection between our provision and the Inclusive Mainstream Fund.
Find out more about the Inclusive Mainstream Fund and 1decision
