Best Practice

Character education: What does it look like?

Teaching resources Curriculum
The virtues and traits that are developed through effective character education have never been more important as young people navigate their way through the Covid-19 pandemic. Drawing on the Schools of Character Kitemark, Tom Haigh looks at what it means place character at the heart of your school

Never before has character education been so relevant. Resilience can provide children with the strength to navigate through the adversity caused by Covid-19; compassion can create a culture of understanding and empathy for how others have been affected.

And as we retreat to our small social bubbles to ensure our safety, a sense of civic duty will ensure that the vulnerable are not out of sight nor out of mind.

The character virtues that underpin a school’s ethos and culture (such as trust, respect, perseverance or courage) will help to positively galvanize a school community as it starts to come back together.

However, despite the role character education can play in response to the current crisis, teachers and schools report that they require much more support in this area.

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