School of Character

Why School of Character?

As an outstanding school we have always educated students in so called ‘soft skills’, skills which fundamentally underpin achievement, motivation and aspiration. The underlying concept of School of Character is that everyone can choose the type of person that they want to be and then take steps to achieve it.

School of Character formalises and further develops what we already do: group activities, presentations, extra-curricular opportunities, performances and teams all contribute to students developing into the people they want to become.

Through the School of Character programme students explore aspects of personal safety and well – being, national and global concepts and issues, British values and Citizenship which aim to support students in their personal development. Our logo has been designed as a cog to show that Character fits into the many other aspects of our school:

The Characteristics

Curiosity

Asking questions, researching and discovering are central to making progress; curiosity is a critical catalyst in reaching goals.

Communication

Being able to communicate is a central skill to every human life. This embraces all forms of communication including written, spoken, technical, numerate and non-verbal.

Commitment

Committed people persevere with tasks, own failures and embrace a ‘growth mindset’.

Compassion

A compassionate person is able to empathise and show kindness, however challenging that may sometimes be. They will move through life showing empathy, grace and benevolence.

Courage

Courage is the ability to stand by your own beliefs, to resist the pressures of peers and oppositions and to stand strong. It is being able and willing to take risks, to step beyond comfort zones and boundaries.

Confidence

Confidence is a critical skill to realising dreams. Confident people own their mistakes and continually move forward regardless of challenges. Confident people are more likely to be successful in a range of situations.

Creativity

Creativity is the power to think, to problem-solve and to come up with ideas, solutions and processes. Creativity is applicable across subjects and skills and is certainly not limited to traditional arts based subjects.

Consideration

Thoughtfulness is a core skill in teams and community cohesion. Consideration of the self is also critical to achievement.

What does it mean for our students?

The Polesworth School of Character gives our students time and space to reflect upon their lives, choices, actions and characters. It enables them to identify where they would like to make changes and it will support them in achieving their personal goals. It also serves to guide them through transitional phases from school into the wider worlds of further education, higher education or work.

What content will be taught to students?

Age dependent content will be taught in off timetable sessions throughout the year Subject specific content that will be taught through School of Character includes:

Mrs C Grattan
Assistant Head Teacher
c.grattan@thepolesworthschool.com