Character Education: Girls of Steel

In Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3, our three core values of courage, positivity and kindness alongside the Growth Mindset 5Rs are explored through a series of challenges as our pupils build their Bronze, Silver and Gold Values Awards Portfolios.

During the year, pupils add their work and records of their experiences to their scrap book portfolios and we take time each term to celebrate these achievements as a group. At the end of each year, our pupils who have lived our school values and the 5Rs and explored each theme at school and at home are presented with the relevant Values Award.

Moving into Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 pupils spend more time developing essential life skills and attributes which are transferable and will equip them well for the challenges of Seniors School. We focus on:

• Social skills
• Rights and responsibilities
• Understanding society
• Valuing and respecting others
• Communication skills
• Setting Goals
• Decision making
• Appreciating success and recognising mistakes

In their upper years in Juniors our pupils complete a variety of challenges, linked to our Fusion Curriculum core competencies: creativity; independence; morals and ethics; confidence; appreciation; and curious cognition and the School’s values of Courage, Positivity and Kindness. Evidence of participation in these challenges, in school, at home and in the local community is added to the pupil’s portfolios. Each student takes ownership of how their portfolio looks and is individual to them.

Successful candidates will receive the Girls of Steel Bronze, Silver or Gold Awards at the end of each Year on completion of the required number of challenges.

Our commitment to character education and personal development is supported by our dedicated approach to pastoral care within our small all-girl classes.

Research shows that success and happiness go hand in hand, with the most productive individuals excelling in careers they are passionate about. The future of work is evolving—traditional career paths are being replaced by ‘squiggly careers’, with most people expected to have up to twelve different jobs in their lifetime, many of which don’t yet exist.

Academic success alone is no longer enough. With 80% of graduates leaving university with top grades, employers are increasingly looking for evidence of essential character skills, including those we develop though our Girls of Steel Senior programme:

• Leadership
• Communication & interpersonal skills
• Collaboration & teamwork
• Independence, motivation & resilience
• Critical thinking, curiosity & continuous learning
• Self-reflection & improvement
• Kindness, courage & positivity

The Girls of Steel programme helps students develop and track these vital skills, ensuring they stand out when applying for future opportunities. By using their Girls of Steel Character Education Senior Portfolio, alongside resources like Morrisby and Firefly, students can build a comprehensive profile that showcases their strengths and growth.

This is a living document, evolving throughout their time at school, providing a powerful tool for future applications to university, apprenticeships, and careers.