Character and Culture - What's it all about?

Last year we embarked on introducing a new personal development curriculum for pupils, known as Character & Culture, which seeks to develop pupil's character attributes and foster a greater culture of kindness, respect and keeping each other safe. 

The school sees great value in the personal development curriculum and in the new school year pupils will have three 20 minute sessions a week to explore and develop their own character and culture.  

In character units, pupils will explore character attributes of Leadership, Organisation, Resilience, Initiative and Communication (LORIC) as it is widely acknowledged that these areas not only raise achievement in youngsters but are highly sought after in candidates applying to colleges and places of employment. 

All pupils at the school are provided with the opportunity to engage in LORIC activities and receive certification for doing so through the PiXL Edge Award. Past pupils in receipt of the award have included details in college and apprenticeship applications, have been asked to interview and have discussed this achievement further with college staff and employers, who have been impressed that such skills are now formally recognised. 

Mrs Hopes, the Leader of Character & Culture, said: “My new role has evolved over the academic year, as we decided as a school, to have a greater focus on developing pupils holistically. We know as educators and parents ourselves that our main role is to ensure pupils leave us achieving their best in academic currency.  However, our vision is to ensure that we also develop well-rounded pupils who can go out into the world and make it a positive place".

Mrs Hopes is also Leader of Personal, Social, Health, Education (PSHE) and co-ordinates the curriculum of the five drop-down days. She said: "The Character & Culture lessons will also include units on Physical and Mental Well-Being, 'Orate' (reading and listening skills), E-safety, and Futures (career pathways), which interlink with our PSHE curriculum, ensuring thorough coverage, foster informed debates and decisions now and in the future. 

We are aware the sessions have had immediate impact as we have already heard students debating topics around school which stemmed from the session content".

In the coming year Mrs Hopes is looking to:  

Further opportunities in volunteering in the community, create greater links with local cadet groups, provide extra curricular health and wellbeing activities, and to introduce a Mental Health Week to complement last summer's Healthy School Week.