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Personal Development
Personal development at WBGS is an integral part of the values that we operate within and forms a framework for the provision of wellbeing, extracurricular activities and enrichment. We intend for all of our students to make wide-ranging positive contributions to school, the community and modern Britain and aim to provide a rich set of experiences through a broad and balanced academic, wellbeing and extra-curricular provision. Developing the character of our students, not just their intellect, is of vital importance, demonstrated with active links with our alumni who play an active part in our school community representing a true closing of the circle and journey our students take with us.
Years 7 - 13 Personal Development
Each year group has their own Personal Development Curriculum, led by the Head of Year, which includes assemblies, form time activities, the Character Curriculum, careers provision, service and leadership opportunities and key events throughout the year.
Clubs & Societies
Watford Grammar School for Boys prides itself not only on being a centre for academic excellence but also for having a vibrant and diverse range of clubs and societies which engage pupils and give them the opportunity to discover new passions or pursue their own intellectual interests.There is a whole range of clubs and societies available that will appeal to students with a range of interests. Many of these are organised and led by our sixth form students. More information about our clubs and societies offer:
Service & Leadership
Opportunities for student leadership are an important part of developing the character of students at WBGS. Students in Year 7-11 are encouraged to develop leadership skills by taking on roles in the Eco Council and Student Council. Student Council members attend meetings to speak on behalf of their peers about school matters that are important to the student community. Junior Prefects in Year 11 lead on the organisation of form time activities for younger students in addition to delivering assemblies and organising charity collections for Watford Foodbank and New Hope.
Leadership opportunities continue in sixth form with our Year 12 House Captains leading on termly House assemblies and events centred around each student’s House identity linked to their form names - Bushey, Casio, Fuller, Groves, New, Platt, Ree and Turner. In addition, every student in Year 12 gives one hour per week in Community Service for the school through lesson support, running clubs and societies and other student mentoring or support roles. In Year 13 the school elects its Head Boy who leads a team of Deputy Head Boys, supported by a wider group of students in the Head Boy team and Senior Prefects. These student leaders run the Student Council and organise a wide range of charity fund-raising activities for different Year groups in addition to mentoring younger students through subject-related activities.
Enrichment Week & Trips
Trips and visits provide experiences to enrich student learning and development. We are proud to offer students a diverse range of opportunities, some of which can be found listed here:
Trips and ExperiencesEnrichment Week takes place in the summer term after all exams have taken place. All students are off timetable for one week and have the opportunity to be involved in a variety of enriching activities including a school trip. This includes a residential trip to PGL for all students in Year 7 and a whole year day trip for year groups 7-10. Previous day trips have included Go Ape, Thorpe Park, Globe Theatre, Tate Modern & BeGripped. Activities during the week have included a visiting zoo, speakers, First Aid training, community work, team building activities, astronomy workshops and much more! In Year 12, there is a “next steps” focus to the week. Students either arrange their own work experience placement for the week, or participate in the school’s careers day with many alumni mentors advising, then spend the rest of the week on research or visits related to their next steps post-18.
Careers
Students of all ages need information and guidance to make informed decisions about their futures. There is a careers curriculum for each year group, more details about the careers provision at WBGS can be found here
PSHE
Persona, Social, Health and Economic Education is taught as part of a half-termly rotation in year 7, 9 and 10. In year 8, PSHE is run using 'Drop Down Days' with one in each term. In year 9, students will also have lessons which look at Philosophy, Religion and Ethics (PRE) built into the curriculum. In addition to lessons, a variety of external speakers and charities are also organised to help deliver an inclusive, diverse and relevant PSHE programme. The lessons are created in line with government guidelines with the inclusion of other topics relevant to our students.
More details can be found here:
In sixth form PSHE is covered in the Character Curriculum covered in form times together with our programme of Friday lectures. For these we invite a wealth of external speakers from a variety of disciplines and career backgrounds, many being alumni, who speak to the entire sixth form on an academic topic of expertise or simply to share their advice based on careers and life experiences.
Wellbeing
Our students’ wellbeing is our top priority and we aim to ensure our students are mentally healthy and that if they face any issues, the school has the resources and knowledge to help.
Extra Support for Parents Regarding Character
Juniper Education has a useful article for parents who are interested in learning more about what character education is all about, this can be found here:
The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues has some great resources for parents who are interested in character development and would like to know more. This information can be found here