Character Development
Personal development at Penrice Academy is unique and exceptional. Built on our core values of Pride, Respect and Success; students at Penrice experience a breadth of opportunities to help them to develop their character and flourish to become confident, well-rounded, independent young adults.
Our Three Core Values
Pride
Our students are proud to be part of this community. They take pride in how they present and conduct themselves, and in the quality of work they produce. Our staff take pride in their work with students to develop them both academically and socially.
Respect
We are respectful of each other and our beliefs, allowing individuals to grow into their own unique self without fear of prejudice.
Success
Students at Penrice are able to feel successful every day, not just through the outstanding academic results they achieve, but through small wins each time progress is made or an obstacle is overcome, knowing that being the best version of themselves is the ultimate quest and the only expectation we have.
Personal Development and Character-Building Opportunities
Enrichment
Penrice Plus
Our exceptional extra-curricular enrichment offer includes over 30 different clubs each term in sports, the arts, wellbeing and academia.
Curriculum Enrichment Week
For the final week of the academic year, our Key Stage 3 students have an unparalleled range of trips, visits and opportunities to develop their character and have new experiences.
Outdoor Education
Students can take part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme whilst at Penrice, gaining Bronze and Silver Awards. They can also take part in the Ten Tors Event.
Representation
All students have a broad range of opportunities to represent our school in sporting, academic and artistic events.
The Farm
Students take great pride in caring for the animals on our school farm, a distinctive feature of education at Penrice.
Unique Traditions
Ballroom Dancing
Every year at Penrice our Year 11 students are taught how to Ballroom Dance ahead of their Prom. This is one of our unique traditions that makes Penrice special.
The Mini Medics
We offer all of our Year 7 students the chance to develop basic skills in First Aid and Defibrillation. We then deliver refresher training throughout their time with us, ensuring that every student knows how to save a life.
Charity Work
Raising money for charity is at the heart of the Penrice community. All of our students have the chance to get involved in our fundraising efforts. In the last ten years we have raised over £50,000 for charity.
Celebration Assemblies
Each term, we hold a Celebration Assembly for each year group to celebrate students' hard work, efforts and achievements. Prestigious badges can also be won for students to proudly display on their ties and blazers.
Year 11 Guard of Honour
As our students leave us in Year 11, our Year 10 students take great pride in forming a guard of honour to pass the baton on as leaders in our school.
Developing Well-rounded Pupils
Careers Education
We deliver an extraordinary range of activities, workshops, meetings and events for our students to find their future career pathways.
Personal Development Tutor Sessions
Through our tutor time Personal Development Curriculum, students explore a range of virtues and character traits. There are cohesively planned with our tutor reading programme and assemblies.
Tutor Reading Programme
Students in Years 7 to 9 spend three mornings a week being read to by their tutor. This aims to develop reading skills and, through carefully selected texts, develop cultural capital and character.
CLASS Lessons
All of our students have a regular timetabled lesson in Culture, Lifestyle and Society Studies in which we deliver the Relationship and Sex Education curriculum as well as the PSHE curriculum. This is supported through a range of enrichment days.
Student Leadership
Throughout their time at Penrice, students have the opportunity to develop leadership skills. As well as being part of the Student Parliament, students in Key Stage 4 are able to apply for a range of prefect roles, receiving prestigious and distinguishable ties.