What is character education?
At Oppidan, we talk a lot with schools about character education. But what actually is it?
According to Ofsted, there are six areas that schools should tackle in order to develop effective character education.
School's educational philosophy
Type of school
Clearly define the school's mission, vision and values
Ensure that these are communicated effectively to all stakeholders
Communication of educational aspirations
Regularly communicate the school's educational goals through various channels (meetings, newsletters, website, etc.)
Provide training or informational sessions for staff, parents and students
Creating a sense of pride and belonging
Foster a positive and inclusive school culture
Recognise and celebrate achievements within the school community
Expectations of behaviour
Importance of discipline
Clearly communicate the importance of discipline and good behaviour
Implement a consistent and fair disciplinary system
Promotion of respect and good manners
Embed values of respect, empathy and courtesy in the school's culture
Implement character education programmes
Promotion of positive character traits
Integrate character education into the curriculum
Recognise and reward positive character traits
Curriculum and teaching
Ambitious curriculum
Ensure the curriculum is challenging and aligned with educational standards
Provide professional development opportunities for teachers
Logical organisation and effective pedagogy
Develop a well-structured curriculum with clear learning objectives
Implement effective teaching strategies that promote student engagement and understanding
Co-curricular activities
Diversity of activities
Offer a wide range of co-curricular activities
Regularly assess and update offerings based on student interests
Quality and challenge
Ensure that activities are of high quality and provide opportunities for skill development
Acknowledge and celebrate achievements in co-curricular activities
Equitable opportunities
Identify and address barriers to participation
Encourage and support diverse participation in all activities
Value of volunteering and service
Clear expectations
Clearly define expectations for volunteering and service
Provide opportunities for reflection on the impact of service
Varied and meaningful opportunities
Offer diverse and meaningful service opportunities
Encourage long-term commitment to service activities
Equality in access and provision
Reducing barriers
Identify and address barriers to participation, ensuring inclusivity
Provide support systems for students facing challenges
Tailored provision
Customise provisions to suit diverse student needs
Regularly assess the effectiveness of tailored approaches
Furthermore, the Association for Character Education, more ‘poetically’ defines the need for character and its general status:
The choices an individual makes determine their future, and the purpose of developing good character is the ability to make good choices. Character allows us to flourish as individuals, and as a wider society. This is why the development of character, as well as achieving academic attainment, should be the purpose of education.
At Oppidan we partner with schools to develop and integrate their character education especially through mentoring programmes for both junior and senior schools.