Character Development

Character development involves caring for and respecting others as much as caring for and respecting oneself.

“The aim of our studies is not just to know what virtue is, but to become good.”

Aristotle, c340BC

Our Character Pillars: Learn, Participate, Serve and Lead

Our Trust schools aim to educate our students by providing them with a wealth of opportunities, both inside the classroom and beyond the classroom. Our ultimate goal is to enable all of our students to develop a strong moral code so that they are able to take their place in society as active citizens, ready to contribute positively to their communities, the workplace and the wider world around them.

We aim to ensure that our students develop into confident and compassionate young adults, who are effective contributors to society, successful learners, and responsible citizens. We encourage our students to serve others, participate in a wide range of activities (both in and outside school), develop the ability to lead others and of course, the skills to learn effectively.

The four Character Pillars are the columns that support our school cultures. We teach all our students to demonstrate strong character at apprentice, graduate or master level in:

• Learning – “the acquisition of powerful knowledge through teaching, study and practice.”
• Leadership – “the action of leading well a group of people or an organisation.”
• Service – “a helpful act in the service of others, beyond oneself”
• Participation – “taking part in a purposeful activity in school, the community or further afield”.

Students are recognised and rewarded throughout their time at the schools in our Trust for demonstrating good or great character. For instance, a student may show service by helping others in an organised community event or they may participate in a school production or sporting fixture. Likewise, a student may demonstrate great learning by making strong academic progress in a range of subjects, or they may show leadership by organising and leading other students in an activity.

“My children will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Martin Luther King, Jnr (abridged), 1963.