Personal Experience
From Donna Hodgson – Trust Lead for Personal Experiences including Careers, Sports & Creative Arts
Shires MAT Personal Experiences Team
At Shires Multi-Academy Trust, we believe that education is about more than academic success alone. Alongside high-quality teaching, we are committed to providing every child and young person with a rich programme of personal experiences that broaden horizons, raise aspirations and help pupils discover their talents, interests and future pathways.
The Personal Experiences Team leads and coordinates this work across the Trust, ensuring that pupils benefit from high-quality opportunities in Careers, Sport and Performing Arts, alongside wider cultural, leadership and enrichment experiences.
A Trust‑Wide Personal Experiences Offer
Our Trust has developed a shared Personal Experiences Entitlement, ensuring that every pupil, from EYFS through to post‑16, has access to a coherent and ambitious programme of opportunities, regardless of background, school or starting point.
This offer is built around four core Trust values – Nurture, Equity, Service and Wisdom – and is designed to ensure that personal development is inclusive, purposeful and progressive across all phases.
Schools retain their own identity and local strengths, while benefiting from the scale, expertise and shared opportunities that come from being part of Shires MAT.
Careers: Raising Aspirations and Opening Pathways
Careers education is a central strand of the Personal Experiences offer. Across the Trust, pupils experience a carefully planned programme of career-related learning, beginning in the early years and developing in depth and sophistication through secondary and post‑16 education.
This includes:
- Encounters with employers, universities and training providers
- Careers events and Trust-wide initiatives that challenge stereotypes and raise aspirations
- Work-related learning, mentoring and workplace experiences at key stages
- Opportunities to connect classroom learning with real‑world pathways
The Personal Experiences Team works with schools to ensure careers education is inclusive, aspirational and clearly linked to pupils’ future destinations.
Sport: Participation, Confidence and Teamwork
Sport plays a vital role in promoting wellbeing, resilience and teamwork. Through Trust-wide coordination and events, pupils are encouraged to participate in a wide range of competitive and inclusive sporting opportunities, regardless of ability or experience.
Our sports offer includes:
- Trust competitions and festivals
- Opportunities for leadership, coaching and officiating
- Inclusive participation for all pupils, including those with additional needs
- Pathways for pupils to develop confidence, commitment and teamwork
Sport is used not only to develop physical skills, but also to strengthen character, self-belief and a sense of belonging.
Performing Arts: Creativity, Expression and Confidence
The Performing Arts are a powerful part of the Trust’s personal experiences programme. Pupils across Shires MAT are offered opportunities to perform, create and express themselves through music, drama and the arts.
These experiences include:
- School and Trust-wide performances, showcases and festivals
- Opportunities to work with artists and practitioners
- Performance experiences at different scales, from class to Trust level
- Celebrating creativity, effort and achievement
The Performing Arts enable pupils to build confidence, collaborate with others and experience the joy and challenge of performance.
Celebrating Experiences and Keeping Families Involved
Personal experiences are regularly celebrated across the Trust through newsletters, website updates and social media, allowing families, pupils and partners to see the breadth and impact of opportunities on offer.
The Personal Experiences Team works closely with schools to ensure that these opportunities are:
- Visible and well‑communicated
- Celebrated consistently
- Reflected upon by pupils
- Evaluated for impact and inclusion
This ensures that personal experiences are not add‑on activities, but a valued and integral part of Trust life.
A Shared Commitment
Through the work of the Personal Experiences Team, Shires MAT is committed to ensuring that every pupil:
Has access to a broad and ambitious range of experiences
Develops confidence, aspiration and transferable life skills
Is prepared for future education, employment and life beyond school
By bringing together Careers, Sport and Performing Arts under a shared Trust vision, we ensure that personal experiences are meaningful, inclusive and transformative for all.
Personal Experience – Newsletters
Spring Term 26 Newsletter
Summer 25 Newsletter
Spring Term 25 Newsletter
Autumn Term 25 Newsletter
Autumn Term 24 Newsletter
