At Unity City Academy, we are passionate about pupils achieving excellent qualifications but we also recognise there is more to education than qualifications - qualifications may get you a job interview, but it is your character that gets you the job. Our Personal Development Excellence programme is designed to develop exceptional character, ensuring pupils are fully prepared to lead a remarkable life. In order to achieve this, we have 7 key elements to personal development at Unity City Academy:

• Personal Development and Character Education

• Core educational visits and residentials

• Careers programme

• Super Citizen Days

• Enrichment offer

• Motivational life coaching

• Student Leadership

PMNW has a vision where every young person leaves school with the knowledge and confidence to take control, make positive choices that avoid becoming involved in crime, stay safe and realise their full potential. They also work to help young people develop peer respect and realise the many dangers that they can inadvertently be subjected to.

The No Way Trust provides real-life learning experiences for children and young people between 8 and 18, to help reduce risky behaviour and prevent them from becoming involved in crime. They want young people to think carefully about the decisions they make throughout their lives, stay safe, positively manage the temptations of modern society, and increasing risks posed through social media, develop into law-abiding citizens, and achieve their full potential. Collectively helping young people and their communities to reduce crime, reoffending and anti-social behaviour and contribute towards creating safer communities for all.

With over 28 years of expertise and tens of thousands of children and young people experiencing our work each year their services are well established, credible and in demand. They aim to guide and encourage the young to understand that no matter what challenges life may throw at you; everybody has something great to give; you just need to find what that is.

Unity Newsletter

Character Education Curriculum

All pupils follow the character development programme which focuses on the development of 9 character traits. These character traits were selected based on the extensive research carried out by the Centre for Character and SMSC at Birmingham University. Their studies consider the additional information and skills young people need in order to be successful, empowered citizens. The programme is also based on research from the successful Harlem Children’s Zone and the London Challenge programmes. These programmes successfully develop pupil’s SMSC, whilst also raising attainment, progress and outcomes.

• Curiosity

• Empathy

• Resilience

• Courage

• Gratitude

• Self-belief

• Enthusiasm

• Integrity

• Self-control

Across the various Academy Year teams, individual events also take place in order to develop character further within the Academy including;

• First Give

• DofE

• Headstart

'Student Leadership' including Student Ambassadors and Sport Leaders

The Student leadership develops students that are positive role models within the academy by improving confidence, professionalism and leadership competencies. This also gives our students the opportunity to meet with school leaders and express their opinion and offer thoughts on how to improve their experiences within the Academy.

• Students are trained to be positive and professional role models in the Academy.

• Students are trained to mentor their peers, which develops excellent communication and empathy.

• Students represent the academy and are provided with regular opportunities to engage a wide range of external stakeholders including: leaders from other educational establishments, parents, Ofsted, interviewees and local dignitaries.

Other pivotal Leadership roles in our academy include Sports Leaders, Librarians and HeadStarters

Core Trips Offer

At Unity City Academy, an important part of our vision to instill a love of learning, is to ensure that our students leave with positive memories that last for a lifetime. With this in mind, we have created an exciting set of core trips for all students in Years 7, 8, 9.

All core trips are fully funded by the academy, ensuring all students have the opportunity to participate; no child misses out on the chance to enjoy the wide range of activities and experiences on offer.

Through our Core Trips Offer, our students build a curiosity and an awareness of the world around them which allows them to engage to a greater depth in lessons. They also provide learning through experience, allowing them to gain a practical understanding of the concepts they learn about in school.

This academic year, our students year 7 have visited The Centre for Life, year 8 visited Yorkshire Wildlife Park and Year 9 visited Northumberland Zoo and Tynemouth Aquarium.

Derwent Hill aspirations, confidence and teamwork residential

Our pupils on residential at Derwent Hill; developing their skills in teamwork, leadership and communication. Canoeing, gorge walking climbing and mountaineering filled the itinerary with incredible experiences for our students to test their #determinationtosucceed.

Tutor

Every student has their own tutor who is their main point of contact for help and advice in the academy. PSHE lessons take place daily and are delivered by our tutor teams. Alongside our Ethics curriculum, this is where ‘Character Education’ is delivered through PSHE lessons. Tutors also deliver topics such as anti-peer on peer abuse, digital resilience (staying safe online), a variety of religious festivals and key days of remembrance/celebration, in addition to topical based sessions such as;

• Votes for Schools. Topics based around current world news.

• Academic and personal goal setting

• SEND week

• Disability awareness

• Mental health week

• Parliament week

• Young carers week

• Dementia awareness

• Cyber safety and digital resilience

• Anti peer-on-peer abuse

• Behaviour and the Law

• Protected characteristics

Assemblies

Students will attend an assembly every week that is led by a member of the leadership team or their year team. External speakers will also deliver assemblies on key topics that will support our students with their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

This programme further compliments our robust PSHE, RSE and SMSC programmes of study; and reinforces key messages whilst also enriching our student experiences.

Students receive assemblies on:

• Prevent

• E-Safety

• Radicalisation

• LGBT

• Channel

• County lines

• British Values

• Religious celebrations

• Community

• Curriculum Options

• Anti-peer on peer abuse

• Rewards

• CEIAG

• Armistice

• Career options

• Character Education

• Revisiting the academy vision, mission and key drivers

The assembly programme is adapted to respond to topical issues as and when they occur.

PSHE Curriculum

This curriculum develops students’ understanding of risk and provides them with the knowledge and skills necessary to make safe and informed decisions.

Students develop a sound understanding of diversity, financial education, e-safety, sex and relationships, careers, keeping safe, criminal exploitation, drug education, a healthy lifestyle and first aid.

Curriculum

All areas of our curriculum have key messages to support our young people with their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. All students have timetabled Ethics Education to explore in further depth some really difficult topics that can only be delivered by specialists and external speakers.

Specialist Interventions

Retreat – The retreat is a team of highly skilled professionals that undertake a variety of different personalised interventions. These interventions range from a 12 week full time mentoring programme to a weekly bereavement session. Students who attend the retreat have a need that is not met through the curriculum and require in depth support to ensure they can enjoy their time at school.

Safeguarding Team

We are fortunate as an Academy to have a full time Student Welfare Officer who supports families who are under Children in Need, Child Protection or Looked After. Complementing the Student Welfare Officer. This team of staff work tirelessly to engage our most vulnerable families and students are support with the appropriate external agencies to really make a difference to those families and children.

School Counsellor

We have a full time counsellor who is a qualified child psychotherapist. This is the next step beyond the retreat interventions and is designed to really provide high quality therapy to our most vulnerable learners.

CAMHS

We have a weekly referrals meeting with our CAMHS support worker who informs school of any external support that our children are receiving. Some CAMHS team meetings are held in the Academy to reduce missed appointnments and hold the meetings in a safe familar envornment where students feel comfortable.

External Agencies

We work very closely with many external providers that provide a specialist support for students who demonstrate risky behaviours outside of the Academy. We work with Barnardos (Child Sexual Exploitation), Harbour (Witnesses to domestic violence), Youth Offending Service, Cleveland Police (Community Liaison Officer/Police Community Support Officer), Safer in Tees Valley (Anti-social behaviour), Social Care, Early Help (My Family Plan) and Stronger Families to name a few.