Character Education

Curriculum Intent and Character

Our curriculum aims to build on what has previously been taught and learned to ensure that academic achievement, physical and mental well-being, growth of character and personal development are intrinsically linked for the purpose of equipping our pupils with firm foundations of the requisite knowledge, skill and strength of character needed to be successful in life. Our ‘SMART’ Values’ are set out to drive the curriculum and provide all stakeholders with explicit understanding of the school’s vision in securing quality of education for all pupils. The HCAT signature and its five strategic pillars, underpin the core values for all stakeholders in our community and our SMART values harness all the core values for pupils.

S – Social

A pupil who is social is confident, able to use their initiative and act both independently and alongside others to embrace diversity, take advantage of opportunity and navigate adversity to the best of their ability. We recognise that social skills vary from one individual to another. Eastfield promotes its pupils to be social by providing planned opportunities for pupils to interact socially, chances to find and develop their own interests and feel part of a community, as well as being recognised as an individual. As well as developing basic skills such as sharing, turn-taking, manners, patience, understanding diversity and celebrating difference, our commitment to pupil leadership at a range of levels will lead to pupils recognising and acting upon the power they have, to make a positive difference to their community. Pupils will develop initiative and independence whilst fostering self-belief, in order to build social intelligence and demonstrate humanity.

M – Motivated

Knowing ourselves is true wisdom. A pupil who has a better understanding of themselves is more likely to feel empowered and build on areas of strength as well as reflect on where improvements can be made. This ability to self-reflect contributes effectively to strong mental well-being. Being motivated or empowered to make significant changes for a more positive outcome is at its best when motivation is intrinsic and not reliant on external factors such as rewards or necessity. At Eastfield, creating the right community is the most important part of promoting determination, courage and perseverance, all of which are needed to demonstrate motivation by being curious, creative and open-minded. We believe getting to know the interests of pupils and harnessing these interests are key to success, as well as promoting pupil responsibility, collaborative working, enrichment opportunities and encouraging pupils to take risks whilst providing the right amount of support.

A – Ambitious

Being ambitious, no matter how big or small, is important to recognise in order to unlock a child’s potential. Ambition at Eastfield is celebrated across the curriculum; it contributes to pupil’s mental well-being and is an important factor in developing and maintaining pupils’ self-motivation and ambition. Achievement is at its highest when clear expectations are set and goals are high but meet the specific needs of the individual. Across the school, staff promote resilience, enthusiasm and risk-taking in order to create the right conditions to achieve. Understanding that we all have a part to play in society, and that no dream is too big promotes a stronger understanding of social responsibility.

R – Resilient

Restorative Practice is at the heart of our curriculum and a reason for enabling our pupils to be successful learners. A restorative school is one, which takes a restorative approach to resolving conflict and preventing harm. Restorative approaches enable those who have been harmed to convey the impact of the harm to those responsible, and for those responsible to acknowledge this impact and take steps to put it right. By being a restorative community, we believe that pupils are equipped to self-manage their behaviours. Pupils will learn about the importance of justice, compassion and honesty and the difference between punitive justice and restorative justice by being involved in the process of resolving conflict. In a restorative community, pupils will also develop resilience, mutual respect, empathy, consideration, emotional intelligence, and taking responsibility. They will also need to draw on their courage and bravery to demonstrate their resilience.

T – Thoughtful

Creating a thoughtful child needs support from the community. A person’s character traits are not developed in isolation, but within and by the communities to which he or she belongs. At Eastfield regular opportunities are identified for pupils to work collaboratively, both inside and outside of the classroom, with the intent of developing thoughtfulness through learning about and practicing respect, humility, gratitude and positivity. Team or group work in a classroom teaches pupils the fundamental skills associated with working as a collective unit toward a common goal. This type of teamwork introduces a variety of skills that will be valuable for pupils later in the workplace, such as communication, compromise, moderation and collective effort. It will also help pupils to be tolerant of others in our increasingly diverse society.

Our curriculum is designed to:

• Ensure each and every one of our pupils understands and embraces fundamental British values.
• Empower our pupils to be self-regulating, self-motivated individuals who are equipped for later life, through the values of Restorative Practice. Pupils will have a moral purpose and are confident that what they do will contribute to change in the world.
• Be ambitious and extensive with a clear focus on developing basic skills in order to access the full curriculum on offer.
• Offer a high-quality teaching and learning experience based on the acquisition of key knowledge and skills where across the school and in all subjects, knowledge is progressive and concepts are sequential. The skills and knowledge they acquire will help them develop a love and appreciation of every subject, both in itself and alongside other subjects, making links and comparisons to deepen understanding. Pupils know more and remember more.
• Encourage pupils to nurture, develop and extend their interests beyond school to a high standard.
• Provide opportunities to extend learning beyond the classroom and at times involve the wider community, in order to enrich the curriculum offer. The curriculum also provides opportunities to continually apply skills and knowledge in different contexts to develop depth of understanding.
• Promote the necessary characteristics for future employability, centred around enterprising skills such as innovation, creativity, teamwork and strategic thinking.