Why the school chose the award 

Ashmole Academy entered the Excellence in Pupil Development Award process with an already well-established personal development (PD) provision. However, leaders saw the Award as an opportunity to audit their existing systems, listen to stakeholder feedback, and refine and strengthen their approach even further. 

They wanted to ensure that PD was not just “present” but deeply embedded, consistently delivered, and rigorously evaluated, with every member of staff confident in their role in students’ wider development. 

The journey 

Despite starting from a position of considerable strength, the school made outstanding use of the Award framework to enhance provision even further. The verifier described their work as “brilliant use of the Award to audit their offer,” noting that significant improvements were made in response to both his own recommendations and stakeholder feedback. 

Key developments included: 

• A thorough audit of personal development provision, using surveys, committees, departmental discussions, and partner feedback. 
• Raising the profile of PD across the school via newsletters, the website, and displays. 
• Strengthening curriculum planning to ensure PD is referenced in detail across every subject area. 
• Conducting extensive analyses of behaviour, attendance, pastoral data, and student voice to inform decision-making. 

Leaders ensured that staff at all levels were engaged, informed, and confident, promoting a shared language and understanding of pupil development across the academy. 

Key achievements 

1. Pupil development central to school life 

Pupil development is not seen as an isolated strand but woven through everything Ashmole Academy does. 

• Every curriculum area maps SMSC, PSHE, careers, and oracy contributions. 
• PD has been strengthened based on student needs, for example through additional content on financial literacy, online harm, misogyny, discrimination and LGBTQ+ identities. 
• Daily structured PD sessions are delivered by trained tutors who receive regular, high-quality CPD, enabling them to lead sensitive and complex discussions with confidence. 

This whole-school coherence was repeatedly highlighted as a defining strength. 

2. Empowering staff through high-quality training 

Regular CPD ensures staff are fully prepared to deliver effective PD. 

• Training includes strategies for safe discussions, responding to discriminatory behaviour, and supporting neurodiverse pupils. 
• Staff share approaches to ensure all students are actively involved in learning, such as cold-calling and structured group work. 
• CPD sessions encourage reflection and help staff align their practice with the school’s values: Endeavour, Reflection, Professionalism, Responsibility, Respect and Co-operation. 

3. Hearing every voice 

Stakeholder engagement is a major strength. 

• Student committees, pastoral discussions, online reporting tools, and surveys ensure leaders fully understand learners’ needs. 
• Parents are well informed via newsletters, curriculum updates, and a highly informative website, and frequently consulted. 
• The school responds quickly to feedback, demonstrating accountability and responsiveness. 

4. A rich, purposeful enrichment offer 

Students have access to: 

• A broad enrichment programme covering sport, arts, debating, and community engagement. 
• The Scholar Programme, promoting oracy, critical thinking and leadership. 
• Community mentoring, volunteering, and events with local partners, who praised students’ maturity and engagement. 
• Enrichment days and competitions that deepen learning beyond the classroom. 

5. Safe, inclusive and supportive culture 

• A large pastoral team, including mentors, supports behaviour, wellbeing, and restorative practice. 
• Staff confidently respond to incidents such as racism and online harm. 
• Students report that they feel safe, respected, and able to access help. 
• Displays, interactions and relationships show a strong culture of belonging. 

Impact 

The impact of this work is clear and wide-ranging: 

• A coherent, strategic PD curriculum now underpins every subject and every stage of school life. 
• Staff confidence and consistency have increased dramatically due to targeted CPD. 
• Students can articulate their learning, describe leadership opportunities, and explain how PD shapes their identity and aspirations. 
• Parents better understand what their children learn, and external partners recognise the school’s commitment to personal development and wellbeing. 
• Enrichment has expanded in scope, variety and quality, supporting students academically, socially and emotionally. 

The verifier summarised the school’s achievement simply: 
“Pupil development is central to everything they do.” 

In their words 

“I am delighted with the energy, passion and determination Nicola has shown leading this award. The support she has received has helped shape the strength of the written evidence. Our verifier was very complimentary and I am proud of our school’s accreditation for this prestigious award.” 
Balbinder Dhinsa, Headteacher, Ashmole Academy 

Next steps 

Ashmole Academy plans to: 

• Expand staff development further to strengthen specialist areas of PD. 
• Deepen community outreach opportunities across year groups. 
• Continue to refine the curriculum using stakeholder feedback. 
• Maintain their highly reflective, evidence-driven approach to PD strategy. 

Conclusion 

Ashmole Academy has shown how the Excellence in Pupil Development Award can elevate even strong existing practice to an exceptional standard. Through rigorous self-evaluation, sustained CPD, and a genuinely whole-school approach, the academy has created a pupil development model that is strategic, responsive and deeply embedded in everyday teaching. 

Their work demonstrates that when personal development is placed at the centre of school life, the result is confident, thoughtful, ambitious young people who are fully prepared for the future. 

Interested in achieving the same impact? 

The Excellence in Pupil Development Award (EPDA) helps schools embed a strategic, whole-school approach to pupil development, allowing staff to strengthen curriculum planning, enhance wellbeing, and empower every learner to thrive. 

👉 Find out more about the award and how your school can begin its journey today: