Our use of tutor time at Furze Platt is intended to enrich the core curriculum and plays a key role in supporting our character education programme. Tutor time provides a valuable opportunity to model positive and healthy relationships between students and staff, reflect on behaviour and wellbeing, and create a safe forum for discussion. Through structured activities and conversations, students are encouraged to engage with current affairs and wider issues, helping to deepen their understanding of the world around them.

Topics covered during tutor time and personal development sessions include:

• British Values and SMSC

• E-Safety and Media Literacy

• Languages Week

• Visually Impaired Artists

• Black History Month

• Careers in the Curriculum 

• Diwali

• Anti-Bullying Week

• Armistice Day

• Careers Fortnight

Seasonal and themed learning includes:

• Christmas

• New Year’s Resolutions

Personal development and wellbeing topics include:

• Mental Health and Wellbeing

• Psychology and emotional wellbeing

Cultural and global awareness themes include:

• Ramadan

• World Book Day

• British Science Week

These ACHIEVE activities are designed to promote healthy competition between the Houses while developing teamwork, leadership and a strong sense of belonging. Through a wide range of events, students are encouraged to challenge themselves, support one another and take pride in representing their House. Some activities focus purely on enjoyment and community spirit, while others explore important themes, celebrate creativity and reinforce the school’s ethos and values.

Many of our House activities are led by our House Captains, providing students with valuable leadership opportunities and a meaningful voice within the school community. Through planning, organising and delivering events, House Captains develop confidence, responsibility and teamwork, while acting as positive role models for their peers. This student-led approach strengthens House identity, encourages participation across year groups and supports the development of leadership skills that align with the school’s values.

Live Events

Whole-school, high-energy events where Houses compete live and earn points in real time.
Examples include: Halloween Challenge – Pumpkin Toss, Christmas Challenge – Reindeer Relay

Mini Competitions

Smaller, targeted competitions often run within year groups or subject areas, allowing focused participation and quick opportunities to earn House points.
Examples include: Chess Tournament, Penalty Shootout, What's in the box?

Main Competitions

Larger-scale competitions that showcase skill, knowledge and teamwork.
Examples include: English – Spelling Bee, Maths – Turing Challenge, House T-Shirt Competition

Mass Participation

Inclusive events designed to involve as many students as possible, encouraging collective engagement and House spirit.
Examples include: FPL (Fantasy Premier League), Football Predictions, Strictly Prediction Game

Sporting Challenge

A termly House sporting competition that encourages teamwork, participation and physical activity.
Examples include: Football, Benchball, Dodgeball and Sports Day

The tutor groups lend themselves to activities where social and emotional themes can be explored. Students often take a lead in these and are given the opportunity to articulate their views. Often current affairs at a local, national and international level are the focus of activities, helping students broaden their horizons. Many activities follow on from material discussed during assemblies. Social, moral, spiritual and cultural aspects of education are central to many of the activities covered.

Tutor time also includes activities which support our behaviour curriculum and teaches students the expectations and routines that create a safe, respectful, and positive learning environment. These sessions help students understand the importance of accountability, responsibility, and the habits that lead to success both in school and in life.

These are run by either the Head of Progress, Head of House or a member of the Senior Leadership Team.   

Assemblies are an integral part of the tutor programme and are used to complement the tutor sessions which are delivered daily.  A broad range of themes is covered during the year which supports our ethos.  Assembly formats and topics throughout the year are used to keep students up-to-date with school policies, school events, health and wellbeing and other calendar-related topics.  

Sessions throughout the year include celebration assemblies at the end of each term and the academic year which celebrate the successes of students’ attendance, academic progress and extra-curricular progress.

Our assemblies aim to engage students on an intellectual, moral, emotional and spiritual level. They also help to celebrate the sense of community and belonging, which we think are important strengths of our school.