‘Character education is like the writing in a stick of Blackpool rock, it runs through the core of everything we do at the Trust’                                                       

Sir Iain Hall, CEO

Every week the academy dedicates over 2 hours to allow time for dedicated staff reflection and professional development. All professional development is determined by the outcomes of each individual teacher’s formal lesson observations and personalised to individual need. On at least one weekly session using each of the five Learning Cycles, we realign staff with the ASPIRE code through our leadership development programme so as to ensure a constant and consistent approach to the character development of our pupils.

The Trust outlines its approach to character education to staff in a publication called ‘Character Counts’.  The publication outlines the core beliefs to character education, such as that character is best developed through dialogue and role modelling.  The Trust places a great deal of emphasis on the constant application of regular routines and rituals that help to codify behaviour.  It uses the phrase ‘structure liberates’ to describe the distinct set of routines that punctuate the school day and that it believes is the basis of positive habits and behaviours in all students.  One such routine is the daily line up, which is completely managed by the students themselves and helps to ensure the students are focused and ready for class after break and lunch times.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]