Intent 

To prepare students for a world we can’t envisage so when they’re stuck with something they’ve never seen before they choose to think instead of remember” 

The Character Education curriculum is intended to help our students develop a robust set of skills and attributes that will enable them to confidently face life’s challenges and opportunities, now and in a fast-changing future. Our students’ ‘character’ will develop over time and in a range of contexts and will be shaped by unknown and unpredictable events.  

What are we hoping to achieve by the time out students leave us? 

• Love for Learning:  Our students build in character, and seek new experiences.  Our students develop a general survival kit to tackle challenges they face currently and will do later in life as adults by using the knowledge gained in Character Development across the curriculum to help themselves and others. 
• Be Resilient: Our students will have a growth mindset and high aspiration for their future pathways.  Our students will be fully equipped to make well informed choices and be armed with all the information they need to lead an exceptional life. 
• Value Everyone: Our students will be responsible confident citizens who treat everyone with respect and kindness.  Our students will celebrate their differences and build healthy relationships of all kinds. 

Our planned approach to providing opportunities to develop character-based skills and attributes  will make a difference to outcomes for our students. This subject is an integral element of a whole-school approach to developing ‘character’, providing a curriculum which focuses on the development of these essential skills and attributes. 

• interpersonal and social effectiveness (Self-awareness, Values, Resilience)
• effectiveness within a wider community
• risk management strategies

To achieve this the Character curriculum focus these core themes: Health and Wellbeing, Sex and Relationships, Careers, British Values and Citizenship 

Impact  

Students will be able to develop the vocabulary to articulate their thoughts and feelings in a climate of openness, trust and respect. Character Education will impact on the wider school ethos, culture and climate for learning.  Students will be able to improve their resilience and self-efficacy, and supporting the well-being of those around them.  Whilst the impact is difficult to measure, the curriculum should have a positive impact on the happiness and lives of all students, empowering them to overcome barriers. 

The impact of the curriculum will be evident in the number of safeguarding referrals made to the safeguarding team and pastoral staff, and the evidence of students’ resilience.  These impacts will also be evident in self-referrals to safeguarding staff.  Referrals for bullying behaviour, racist or homophobic incidents and all manner of equality and inclusion related incidents will be kept to a minimum and reduce over time.   

A2L grades will be monitored, as will the impact of Character Challenge engagement. 

The impact of the curriculum can also be felt through the schools’ behaviour and welfare systems, with student’s ability to self-reflect, and complete restorative practice.