Character Education
Good moral character is not something that we can achieve on our own. We need a culture that supports the conditions under which self-love and friendship flourish. Aristotle
Schools within the Quantock Educational Trust have always valued the development of a young person’s character, years before we knew it had a title - Character Education. Since developing our understanding of Character Education through professional research, we have created a policy that combines pedagogy with the very best current practices and habits of our Trust schools.
Our vision is: To enrich life opportunities for all members of our Trust community, working and learning together with aspiration, ambition and care, in our schools and wider society
Our values are:
- Uniqueness; We commit to respecting and protecting the diverse and unique qualities of each individual and of each school in our Trust community, celebrating the similarities and differences between our Christian and non-Christian schools.
- Community; we listen to, influence and play an active role in our communities
- Aspiration; we raise standards and provide opportunity for developing talents in all areas of life
- Respect; we respect and celebrate the value and preciousness of each individual
- Equity; we aim to enrich the unique life opportunities of all, overcoming barriers and achieving goals
Students throughout the Trust benefit from a broad range of continual exposure to Character Education; as it is taught, caught and sought throughout every school day. Character Education is woven into the curriculum, integral to our pastoral provision, at the heart of every extra curricular opportunity and modelled by the adults in the Trust.
Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education. Martin Lurther King, Jr
In 2019 Quantock Educational Trust held their first Character Conference. The event embraced collaboration across the Trust, firstly celebrating creativity and enabling students from key stage 2, 3 and 4 with an opportunity to build confidence and resilience as they opened the event with a brilliant performance. The event provided colleagues with an opportunity to share best practice and showcase what they had been doing to develop a child's character, including the Duke of Edinburgh Award and Global Goals. Most notably the event gave staff an opportunity to develop their practices learning and hearing from keynote speakers Andy Wolfe (Deputy Chief Education Officer, Leadership Development – C of E Education Office) and Dame Alison Peacock.