What is Character?

The DfE define Character as ‘a set of positive personal traits, dispositions and virtues that inform motivation and guide conduct so that students reflect wisely, learn eagerly, behave with integrity and cooperate consistently well with others. This gives students the qualities they need to flourish in our society.’ The Maltby Academy Key Drivers are the conduit for realising this definition.

Intent - Character Education

1. To raise achievement through increased motivation (Aspiration, Confidence).
2. To promote inclusion and equality of opportunity (Community, Responsibility).
3. To encourage participation in, and commitment to, extended learning (Resilience, Aspiration, Community).
4. To develop and enhance employability skills, attitudes and attributes (Confidence, Responsibility).
5. To contribute to personal, local, regional, and national prosperity (Community, Responsibility, Aspiration).

Implementation – Character Education

The building blocks of character and the delivery of our Key Drivers should always be accomplished through the consistent praise and acknowledgement of following framework of virtues.

The implementation of Character Education at Maltby Academy will be Caught, Taught and Sought.

Caught

The Academy community, inclusive of staff, students and parents / carers will model inspirational influence of the framework of virtues and key drivers and challenge or raise awareness where there are deficiencies. Short fallings in these virtues and key drivers leads to an organisation devoid of positive culture and climate. Only by modelling the expectations and behaviours, will good virtues and character building be, ‘caught’.

Examples

1. The Academy Conduct Cards are used to reinforce, and reward, the civic and moral virtues of community and responsibility Key Drivers.
2. The Academy rewards system has the Key Drivers at its core and rewards are issued for commitment to these.
3. Behaviours for learning are reported to parents / students and referred to in episodes of learning within classrooms, through the Academy Investment in Learning pillars.  Attitude and Effort, response to Feedback, Homework and Oracy help fulfil the Key Drivers: Aspiration, Resilience and Confidence (intellectual and performance virtues).
4. The Academy staff relentlessly over communicate expectations and standards, from uniform and presentation of work to the need for courtesy and consideration.

Taught

The Academy provides educational experiences in and out of the classroom that equip students with the language, knowledge, understanding, skills, and attributes that enable character development. We commit to high quality Character Education, which is explicitly taught as part of the Academy tutor programme.

Examples

1. Weekly tutor time Character Education sessions for all year groups are designed and created to address all facets of personal development and deliver personal growth of our key drivers, and all the character virtues, in all our students.
2. Dedicated curriculum time for KS3-5 for our personal development offer through Life Skills.
3. Assembly programmes coherently link personal development (Tutor Time and Life Skills and topical, cultural events / dates) together to continuously re-visit our Key Drivers.

Sought

The Academy provides varied opportunities that generate the formation of personal habits and character commitments. These help students, over time, to seek, desire and freely pursue their character development. The voluntary and passionate engagement is for fun, learning and to give back to the academy and wider community.

Examples

1. A vast and varied enrichment / extra-curricular programme that allows character development in all academy Key Drivers.
2. Careers Advisor (Careers Inc) providing CEIAG for all KS4/5 students, which is an extension to the statutory career programme in KS3-5.
3. Engagement in charity work, such as the recent Comic Relief fundraiser, building character through the civic and moral virtues and the Academy Key Drivers: Community and Responsibility.
4. Visits and residentials allow students to develop the civic virtue and hone the Key Driver: Confidence.
5. Opportunities for leading through student leadership, the student council, and ambassadors, to grow confidence.