Research shows that pursuing a character-driven approach to education, based on a firm set of values, produces a high-performing culture and ethos.
Character education is more than just a subject. It is about helping students grasp what is ethically important in situations and how to act for the right reasons, so that they become more autonomous and reflective. Students need to decide the kind of person they wish to become and to learn to choose between alternatives. In this process, the ultimate aim of character education is the development of good sense or practical wisdom: the capacity to choose intelligently between alternatives.
Character education at King’s is not an educational programme. It is an approach that, implicitly and explicitly, permeates all subjects as well as the general school ethos; it cultivates the virtues of character associated with common morality. Character is both taught and caught through our ASPIRE code and curricula.
To fulfil our mission of improving the future life chances of our young people we ensure that all students leave us with a strong sense of mission and moral purpose. When they are ready to enter the outside world, we want them to have the skills and experience to become young leaders and influencers, determined to produce a fairer society. To achieve these qualities we have developed a strong series of leadership opportunities which will allow our young people to gain the self-confidence to lead others.
We develop a young person’s character through the opportunity to lead others. This is not just seen in our combined cadet force, but as sports leaders, classroom leaders and greeters, school parliament and a host of other opportunities to lead. These opportunities are further enhanced through annual residential experiences at our partner outdoor pursuit centres and the Duke of Edinburgh Award being a compulsory part of each young person’s curriculum.
When they are ready for the outside world, we want them to have a desire to serve and become the next generation of leaders. It is the uniqueness of our specialisms that helps mould these behaviours.