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All schools should consider character education and development for pupils. The document below is Priory’s rationale for character education and some wider aspects of personal development, and the practicalities of provision and delivery.

Education for character is already integral to the work we do here at Priory. We believe in providing both rigorous and stretching academic education and outstanding wider personal development. These and other aspects of the school’s work all contribute to forming well-educated and rounded young adults ready to take their place in the world.

The Six Character Benchmarks

These benchmarks summarise the most important features of good provision for character education:

• What kind of school are we?
• What are our expectations of behaviour towards each other?
• How well do our curriculum and teaching develop resilience and confidence?
• How good is our co-curriculum?
• How well do we promote the value of volunteering and service to others?
• How do we ensure that all our pupils benefit equally from what we offer?

The Definitions of ‘Character’

A wide variety of curricular and extra-curricular activities at Priory provide character education, including: assemblies, subject lessons, dedicated character education lessons, sports, performance arts clubs, outward bound activities, hobby clubs, and subject learning clubs. These opportunities help young people to explore and express their character and build the skills they need for resilience, empathy and employability.

There are four important aspects to character, which can inform the way our school shapes our wider provision for our pupils.

• The ability to remain motivated by long-term goals, to see a link between effort in the present and pay-off in the longer-term, overcoming and persevering through, and learning from, setbacks when encountered.
• The learning and habituation of positive moral attributes, sometimes known as ‘virtues’, and including, for example, courage, honesty, generosity, integrity, humility and a sense of justice, alongside others.
• The acquisition of social confidence and the ability to make points or arguments clearly and constructively, listen attentively to the views of others, behave with courtesy and good manners and speak persuasively to an audience.
• An appreciation of the importance of long-term commitments which frame the successful and fulfilled life, for example to spouse, partner, role or vocation, the local community, to faith or world view. This helps individuals to put down deep roots and gives stability and longevity to lifetime endeavours.

Research suggests that there are enabling character traits which can improve educational attainment, engagement with school and attendance.

• High self-efficacy, or self-belief, is associated with better performance, more persistence and greater interest in work.

• Highly motivated children (linked to tenacity) driven internally and not by extrinsic rewards show greater levels of persistence and achievement.

• Good self-control (or self-regulation, the ability to delay gratification) is associated with greater attainment levels.

• Having good coping skills (part of being able to bounce back) is associated with greater well-being

Other studies have suggested that:

• schools which develop character well help drive equity and social mobility for their pupils
• Access to character development opportunities in schools can lead pupils that take part to be highly motivated, report fewer absences and have lower levels of emotional distress, amongst other outcomes.

As with other aspects of education, the best character education does not happen by chance, but is the product of clear and purposeful leadership, a strong ethos and high expectations of pupils, a good curriculum and co-curriculum and strong evidence-based teaching methods.

Character Education

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