New Character Education Guidance

At the end of 2019, the Department for Education (DfE) issued new non-statutory guidance for schools on character education for pupils. This guidance applies to all types of school, including independent schools.

It introduces six benchmarks for schools to measure their character education against. These benchmarks are non-statutory and the DfE will not require schools to submit data about how well they meet the benchmarks.

The guidance defines character as encompassing, amongst other things, social confidence, respect for others, a strong moral conscience, a focus on long-term goals and the cultivation of virtues such as courage, honesty and humility.

What is the current position?

The Independent School Standard Regulations require independent schools to promote the spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development of pupils (SMSC), and character education contributes to this duty to promote SMSC.

From September 2020, all schools (including independent schools) will be required to teach Relationships Education for primary pupils and Relationships and Sex Education for secondary pupils.  The DfE has published separate statutory guidance (here) in relation to this. This statutory guidance makes clear that schools should actively promote positive character traits and personal attributes such as honesty, integrity, courage, humility, kindness, generosity, trustworthiness and a sense of justice.

Both Ofsted and the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) will look to see how schools develop their pupils’ character and prepare them for life in British society.

What is the purpose of the character education guidance?

The character guidance aims to provide schools with practical advice for improving their provision of character education, with six benchmarks acting as a checklist to assist schools with self-evaluation. Similarly, the annexes to the guidance list organisations which provide advice to, and partner with schools on, the delivery of character education. It also provides a set of case studies of schools which successfully nurture positive character traits in their pupils.

The guidance also explains the rationale for character education, and explains the main barriers to character development in schools (such as the difficulty that disadvantaged pupils face in accessing extracurricular activities and excessive staff workloads), and how best to overcome them.

What are the six benchmarks?

1. What kind of school are we?
2. What are our expectations of behaviour towards each other?
3. How well do our curriculum and teaching develop resilience and confidence?
4. How good is our co-curriculum provision?
5. How well do we promote the value of volunteering and service to others?
6. How do we ensure that all our pupils benefit equally from what we offer?

 

Full details of the benchmarks can be found in the DfE guidance.

What is the practical effect of the guidance?

The guidance does not impose a new legal obligation on schools, although it signals an increasing emphasis on promoting character education, and the guidance sets out what schools should consider to help comply with their existing legal duties. It therefore provides a useful tool for all schools, particularly those seeking to strengthen and expand their provision of character education.