Personal Development

"Every young person deserves an equal opportunity to be the best version of themselves with access to a fantastic careers programme, relevant resources, curriculum-based activities, with both educational and work experience, so they can fulfil their potential."  

"No matter what your ability is, effort, passion and belief are what ignite that ability and can turn this into an accomplishment." 

Careers Advisor – Miss A Koppoe

a.koppoe@oakwoodacademy.org.uk

Mission Statement
We are passionate about giving our students the best possible advice and guidance for their futures. We provide this guidance through a variety of ways, including from our own highly trained and experienced staff along with making use of expertise from other organisations.

We believe that students should have the opportunity to see the world of work; both within their curriculum providing real examples of work-based activity and relevance, as well as being able to speak to people from across a diverse range of different work settings.

We make use of online learning tools for career related guidance, and have provided links here to specific sites which we believe are informative and suitable for young people thinking about their futures.

Careers Documents
Please see below for key documents outlining Careers provision at The Oakwood Academy

• Careers Roadmap 
• Provider Access Policy 2025-26
• Year 11 Destination Data

Labour Market Information
We are keen to ensure that students have access to up-to-date information about the labour market, and provide them with access to a number of resources such as the online platform Unifrog.

Careers websites and tools

Assembly Programme

Student attend weekly house assemblies. Themes include:

• Rewards and recognition

• Behaviour, attendance and routines

• Mental Health and Wellbeing 

• Diversity and Inclusion (Black History Month, LGBTQ+ Month, Protected Characteristics and British Values)

• Remembrance, Anti-Bullying and resilience

• Health lifestyles

At the end of every academic term, we bring our school community together to for a whole school assembly. This is to celebrate the following:

• House competitions

• Student of the term

• Sporting achievements

• 100% attendance

• Attitude to learning 

• Oakwood Community. 

All students take part in RSHE lessons for one hour every three weeks, known as the Personal Development Period (PDP). These are age and SEN related sessions that allow specific content to be delivered effectively.

Our academy promotes activities that widen our students’ experiences through our Co-Curriculum programme. This includes opportunities to participate in sport clubs, the performing arts, trips abroad, cultural experiences and character-building challenges.

These experiences help to develop our students’ self-confidence, build their resilience, and feel a sense of belonging. They also challenge our students to learn new skills and find a passion that they can take with them throughout their life.

Students can take part in activities they already love or choose to try something brand new. We encourage all students to get involved and choose at least one or two Co-Curriculum activities.

CO-CURRICULAR BROCHURE 

At The Oakwood Academy, our Community ethos is centred around three key principles: Activate, Build, and Celebrate. We actively create opportunities to engage both students and staff in meaningful interactions, fostering positive relationships at the heart of our school. Through these connections, we aim to build a strong, respectful culture where every individual feels valued, supported, and motivated to succeed. By celebrating achievements—both big and small—we reinforce high expectations and a sense of pride across our community. Together, this approach strengthens behaviour, enhances the learning environment, and drives improved outcomes for all students.

This is what is involved in each key principle for The Oakwood Academy:

Activate

At the start of each academic year, students take part in our Activate programme. During this time, they are off timetable and engage in a range of activities with their tutors and teachers, helping them to build positive relationships and experience learning in a different environment.

Activities include:

• Getting to know your teachers
• Tug of war
• Inflatables
• Capture the flag
• Team-building challenges

Build

Following Activate, we host our Christmas Fair, where students enjoy time taking part in a variety of stalls throughout the day and into the evening. The event is also open to families, friends, and members of the local community, creating a festive and inclusive atmosphere for all

Our second Build programme begins in Half Term 3. This involves a school-wide problem-solving challenge delivered through tutor time, where students follow clues placed around the school and local community. Recent themes have included ‘Who Poisoned Mr Gilbert?’ and ‘The Oakwood Traitors’, both designed to promote teamwork, critical thinking, and engagement.

Celebrate

To bring our Oakwood community together, we mark the end of the academic year with a series of fun and engaging events.

These include:

• Sports Day – A house competition featuring Animus, Certus, Robus and Virtus, where participation and teamwork are key as students compete to win the Sports Day Cup.

• Activities Day – Students can choose from over 15 on- and off-site activities, giving them the opportunity to spend time with their friends and take part in experiences shaped by student voice. Popular options have included Alton Towers, rock climbing, surfing, bowling, football stadium tours, and much more.

• The Oakwood Carnival – Similar in format to our Christmas Fair, this vibrant event features stalls, inflatables, face painting, and dance areas. Led by our student leadership team during the school day, the carnival also opens its doors to the wider community, celebrating another successful year at The Oakwood Academy.

At The Oakwood Academy, our Pledge is built around the core values of the Oakwood Student: 

• On time
• Achieving highly
• Kind
• Working hard
• Opportunistic
• Organised
• Disciplined

Each week, students reflect on their progress by analysing their positives and negatives from their own individualised Class Charts, reviewing their attendance, and identifying what went well. They then set personal targets to help them grow and succeed in the week ahead.

Throughout the academic year, students are recognised and rewarded for the number of positives they achieve through our structured rewards system. These achievements are celebrated at the end of every term during House assemblies.

Our rewards system is designed to motivate and inspire, with students working towards Bronze, Silver, and Gold badges. Those who consistently demonstrate all the Oakwood Student values across the year will be honoured with the prestigious Pledge Badge, personally awarded by Mr Gilbert

Vertical Tutoring

Each House tutor group consists of a mix of students from Years 7 to 11. This provides a supportive, family focused environment and quickly builds relationships between all students across all years.

Below is an outline of some of the key aims we have in mind in choosing to move to a Vertical Tutoring structure, and some of the benefits attributed to it:

Key aims:

• Parents and families having one point of contact in the school
• The creation of a structure which would enable all students to support and peer mentor each other
• A culture where it is 'cool to learn' – high self-esteem and high expectations throughout the school community
• More effective tutoring and a clear focus on progress towards higher attainment
• Students contributing to their own individual learning plans and being part of setting and reviewing their own targets
• The creation of smaller tutor groups – so that the tutor can give more valuable time to students at certain stages during their learning journey
• Access to high quality study support and advice and guidance within the school, plus support from external agencies where needed
• A House system used successfully for sport and other activities to promote a sense of belonging and healthy competition

Key benefits:

• Providing a mix of ages which promotes a family ethos, active citizenship and positive relationships
• The release of the potential of the school's most important assets - teachers, students and parents
• The provision of a structure in which personalisation can be achieved
• Placing learning conversations and support for teaching and learning at the heart of the tutor system
• Providing student voice through opportunities for peer mentoring and student leadership

• Using tracking to identify and support appropriate intervention when needed

The Oakwood Academy fosters a strong culture of Student Leadership by giving pupils meaningful opportunities to influence school life and develop essential life skills. Through roles such as prefects, ambassadors, mentors, and members of the student council, learners are encouraged to take responsibility, represent their peers, and contribute to decision-making across the academy. Students are actively involved in organising events, supporting younger year groups, and working alongside staff to improve the school environment. This approach not only builds confidence and communication skills but also helps create a community where students feel valued, empowered, and motivated to make a positive impact.

We are committed to offering all Year 10 students an opportunity to take part in a one-week work experience placement. Such an experience offers many benefits and helps to promote the careers programme and employability skills.

All Year 10 students will be provided with guidance on the procedures and preparation for work experience in an assembly and the RHSE curriculum will focus on careers in the Spring term. We are encouraging students to find their own work experience placements. We would recommend they contact companies in order to secure a placement in an area they are interested in and that reflects their ability and aptitude. It is vital that students consider this carefully to find the most beneficial placement. Students should make such contact under the guidance of an adult, either at home or in school. We recommend students using their school email address and not contacting individuals via social media.

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