Character Education

‘The aim of our studies is not just to know what virtue is, but to become good.’ Aristotle

Character Education is a phrase that refers to the explicit teaching of intellectual, moral, civic and performance virtues that are the building blocks of character ad the cornerstone to being able to flourish. Virtues are like a compass; when you know what’s important to you in your work and personal life you have a better sense of direction, can feel more grounded, make better decisions and feel, overall, happier. 

 ‘In a broad sense, character education permeates all subjects, wider school activities, and a general school ethos; it cultivates the virtues of character associated with common morality and develops students’ understanding of what is excellent in diverse spheres of human endeavour.’ www.jubileecentre.ac.uk

At the John of Gaunt school, we support and facilitate the development of the holistic skills and knowledge of character through our curriculum, tutor programmes and extracurricular programmes. We are currently revisiting the structure and content of the Character Curriculum offer and are working with our community to ensure it effectively reflects our values of Kindness, Positivity and Belonging. These core values are at the heart of the whole school ethos; to be excellent every day. We are working on developing a reflective tutor programme, students leadership structures and school councils as well as celebration events to reward our learners in their journey to being well-rounded community members ready for the world beyond our school.

Kindness

At The John of Gaunt School we nurture, recognise and celebrate the important quality of being generous, helpful, and caring towards other people that is essential in our society today.

Positivity

Being optimistic in attitude is crucial for any person to be successful at any stage of their life. We believe that positivity breeds positivity, and so we foster this trait in all members of our school.

Belonging

All our staff and students must be happy and comfortable within our community at The John of Gaunt School. We want every member to feel welcome and accepted so that they can flourish.

Please see the link for details regarding our Character education awards programme.