Character Education

 

Character is a set of personal traits or dispositions that produce emotions, inform motivation and guide how we behave. Character education includes all educational activities that help young people develop positive personal strengths called virtues. Children are encouraged to decide wisely the kind of person they wish to become and to learn to make positive choices about their behaviour.  Our ultimate aim of character education is the development of good sense; knowing how to choose the right course of action in different and often tricky situations, something we are sure you will also be doing all the time at home.

 

What does this look like at WPPA?

Our approach at WPPA is based on the program designed by the University of Birmingham and the Jubilee Centre (https://www.jubileecentre.ac.uk/432/character-education). We will be teaching character education both in class and through whole school assemblies.  Each month we will learn about a new virtue and children will be encouraged to think about how they can make positive choices linked to each virtue.  Children will be rewarded when they demonstrate each virtue.  We would you to support us by talking to your children about the monthly virtue and thinking about why it is important.  We will support you by sharing resources and activities with you, mainly via Seesaw.  You can find out more by visiting the website and clicking on the Curriculum tab - http://wardenparkpa.sites.schooljotter2.com/curriculum/character-education.

 

Month

Value

EY

Y1

Y2

Y3

Y4

Y5

Y6

September

Courage

Trying new things

Coming to School

Saying Hello to new people

Learning from mistakes

Sports  and competition

Facing our Fears

The Knightly Virtues

October

Respect

Showing Respect in the classroom

How does the Ugly Duck Feel?

Classroom Rules that help us show respect

Showing respect at home

Powerful Respect

Similarities and Differences

Human Rights

November

Cooperation

Working together to help Little Red Hen

Working together to achieve a challenging task

Encouraging one another

Bury the hatchet!

Team building skills: the human knot

Understanding Aesop’s Tale: The Bundle of Sticks

Coaching younger children: hula-hoop help

December

Fairness

It’s not fair/fair shares

Fair shares for others

Fair shares for others

Two sides to every story

School rules

Seeing another point of view

Justice

January

Self-discipline

Speaking and listening

Controlling our feelings

Active listening

A bubbly challenge!

Can you wait?

Knowing the limits

e-safety: being SMART online!

February

Determination

The strength of a superhero!

Reach for the stars

Aim high

If at first you don’t succeed/ I’m a believer

Never give up!

People who inspire us

Achieve your potential

March

Forgiveness

Saying sorry

Help me to forgive

Mending a friendship

Why should I forgive?

Feelings of forgiveness

Positive role models

Solving conflicts fairly

April

Honesty

Telling the truth

Not stealing

Telling the whole truth

Scenarios

Being honest with yourself

Being tactful

The Knightly Virtues: El Cid

May

Patience

Patience in my class

The pencil of patience

Busy adults

Patient hands

A patient survivor

Patient snowflakes

Let me teach you!

June

Gratitude

Picture journals

Thank you cards: writing

A visit from a school staff member

Writing a class thank you letter

A visit from a school staff member

Writing a class thank you letter

A visit from the school cook

Writing a class thank you letter

Where did that come from?

Reflecting on gratitude

July

Reflection

Virtue shields

Virtue shields

Virtue shields

Aristotle’s bottles

Aristotle’s bottles

Aristotle’s bottles

Aristotle’s bottles

Respect

 

Respect is:

An attitude of caring for others with dignity and kindness.
Acting with the needs, feelings and rights of others in mind.
Speaking with politeness and acting with courtesy.
Honouring the rules of our family or school.

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

EARLY YEARS

For children to associate the word ‘respect’ with ‘being kind’. Children will be able to list things that demonstrate ‘being kind’ to people in their class.

KEY STAGE 1

Children understand what it means to show respect in the classroom and can describe the school’s classroom rules to encourage this.  Children can describe why this is important.

KEY STAGE 2

Children will understand that they can show respect to lots of different people in different ways. Children will be able to describe the different ways that they can show respect based on their needs.

Children will consider their reactions and answers to a number of challenging questions that get to the heart of showing respect for people, even if they are different from you.

Courage

Courage is:

Trying new things even if we feel afraid of doing them.
Being able to face our fears.
Having the inner strength to be the best that we can be.
Being brave.
Standing up for something that you believe to be right.

Without courage:
People would miss out on trying new things.
We would not challenge or bring about change.
We would not reach our full potential.
Society would never change.

Resources

Click below for resources to help your child understand about courage:

EY

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Reading

Courage means having the strength and will to know what you should do even though you may be afraid. Below is a collection of books that contain characters that have shown courage as well as stories which acknowledge how difficult it can be to show courage when something scares or frightens you. The books are grouped by 4 different age ranges but these are only a rough guide, your child may enjoy the books from a younger or older age group.

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

  

 

 

 

 

Writing

The Courage Shield gives children an opportunity to think about what courage is and the ways in which courage can be shown.

of
Zoom: