Five Acres achieves Character Education Kitemark Plus

Having been awarded the Character Education Kitemark in 2019, achieving the Kitemark Plus recognition was the next step for Five Acres High School to show that development and creating opportunities for its students goes beyond them gaining excellent academic results. 

On Tuesday 27th September, CEO of the Association of Character Education Tom Haigh and Kitemark Assessor for the association, Andrew Pettit, paid an evaluative visit to the school. The assessors were welcomed and had the opportunity to meet with students, staff, parents and governors to talk about the place of Character Education here, and see the school in action.

The school’s Character Education programme, led by Ms Smith, encompasses all five of our school values - ambition, confidence, creativity, determination and respect - and is embedded in both its curriculum and extra-curricular academies and societies. Students earn badges and certificates for their achievements, which range from reading books from the Greenshaw Learning Trust canon, representing the school in sports fixtures, to taking part in theatre trips and overseas visits. 

Students can achieve a total of 45 badges, bronze, silver and gold, followed by a value shield for earning two gold badges in each value category. Character Education is an integral part of its students’ journey at Five Acres, with Year 7 students earning their Bronze Adventure badge for taking part in the Year 7 residential trip just weeks after they have joined the school. 

The assessors reported that: "It is always reassuring to visit a school where values and a genuine commitment to character education are at the core of all activities and threaded through the 'DNA' of the school.

"The school's values are placed at the heart of all activities and by aligning these with core components of character education such as the tutor time reading programme, rewards system and subject-based character challenges, the school continues to ensure that pupils and staff benefit from an authentic and ambitious commitment to character education which is built-in rather than 'bolted on'."

Simon Phelps, Headteacher, commented: "Character Education is of vital importance to Five Acres High School. Our commitment to Character Education is founded on the belief that to be successful students require a healthy balance of academic ability and an understanding of the values that are required to succeed in all walks of life. 

"Within our school context we ensure that students live and breathe the values we collectively aspire to and also have opportunities to demonstrate them through action. The result is a thriving school full of students, parents and staff who are fully invested in becoming the best versions of themselves. 

"We are delighted to be the first school within Greenshaw Learning Trust to be recognised by being awarded the Character Education Kitemark Plus. We understand our duty to be trailblazers for those that follow on and also to ensure that our commitment to developing character sits firmly at the centre of all that we do."