Approach
At Tyndale Primary, we define our Character Curriculum as education for the heart. We support every child in our care to be the very best version of themselves through nurturing talent, channelling creativity, exposing ambition and competing for excellence. Our Character Curriculum is a deliberate attempt to teach good qualities, skills and traits. We have the ‘Magnificent Seven Character Habits’ which are: Ready, Respectful, Safe, Ambitious, Collaborative, Independent and Resilient. Our Character Curriculum is integral to our academic and behaviour work and provides children with a wealth of knowledge. We sequence, build, and consolidate progressive skills to prepare children for their transition to secondary and beyond.
We support our children through:
Developing Character - Full of Character
The idea of developing character relates to children finding what matters to and interests them, and helping them become the best version of themselves A person described as ‘a character’ or ‘full of character’ may have a particularly obvious distinctiveness. We provide a broad range of opportunities for children to try something new and support our children to pursue them further.
Having Character
To develop character in this sense is to develop the drive and resourcefulness to succeed alone and with others, balanced with astute judgement and self-awareness.
Being of Good Character
To say that someone ‘has good character’ is to say that they have a strength or integrity, which may prevail over self-interest, social pressure or attractive but poor choices. To develop character in this sense, we develop virtues and the ability to ‘do right when no-one is looking’ which is linked to our motivation levels below.
Our children are supported through their motivation, and we develop this through the following levels:
Our vision is by the time children leave our school they have acquired our Magnificent Seven Character Habits:
In order to achieve our vision, our Character Curriculum is designed through a taught, caught, sought approach.
Our Character Curriculum includes:
Within the Curriculum
Our whole school curriculum (academic, behaviour and character) has been developed with a focus on our seven character habits. As children progress through school, they will have access to a curriculum that supports them to develop resilience, ambition, and how to work collaboratively and independently. Our behaviour curriculum and whole school routines support children to be safe, ready, and respectful. This is in line with our vision for children to have acquired the seven character habits throughout their time with us. Our Learning for Life (PSHE) curriculum also supports the delivery of our Character Curriculum.
We offer our children a range of provision to ensure all our children have The Best Chance of Success.
School and Class Family Time
At Tyndale, we understand the importance of belonging. We believe controlling and changing ourselves is possible and has a profound impact on others. We see conflict as an opportunity to teach. Our school and class family time provides connectedness which governs behaviour. This time promotes connection, contribution, community, and internal self-regulation. Our school and class family time is built on a healthy family model with the goal of providing optimal development for all its members. Our School Family builds connections that foster the following:
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Impulse control through co-regulation skills
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Cooperation and willingness to learn through a sense of belonging
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Executive skills through modelling, scaffolding and direct teaching
Our Behaviour Curriculum
Our Behaviour Curriculum aims to teach children our Magnificent Seven Character Habits and prepare them to be good citizens in the future. At Tyndale, we want exemplary behaviour to be an unspoken expectation. We ‘make it easy to behave and hard not to’ through:
● Having clear and concise rules, routines, rewards and consequences that everyone follows;
● Teaching, not telling, children how to behave;
● Ensuring all adults are calm, consistent and fair in their response to behaviour;
● Focusing explicitly on positive behaviour: recognising, describing and explaining what we want to see;
● Adapting our approaches, where needed, for specific children with additional needs
At Tyndale, we develop children’s character through our Behaviour Curriculum. To build character, we define the behaviours and habits that we expect our children to demonstrate. We want to support our children to grow into adults who are respectful, resilient, collaborative, independent, ambitious, and who always consider others. We believe that as children practise these behaviours, over time they become automatic routines that positively shape how they feel about themselves and how other people perceive them.
Assemblies
Through our Assembly Programme, we teach children our character curriculum. This includes deliberate practice, explanations, discussions, and role models. Our assemblies are opportunities for the whole school to come together and develop our shared character habits and celebrate our achievements.
Our Assembly Programme includes a wide range of content from world events and celebrations to our school's Magnificent Seven, Singing, British Values, and PSHE focusses. Our assemblies are delivered to the whole school, in key stages, and in classes.
Our weekly Celebration Assemblies are a chance for the whole school family to come together and celebrate our achievements, recognise children for their effort and connect each other together. At the end of each term, we hold a Celebration Ceremony where parents and carers are invited in to join in and witness their children receiving their trophies.
Class Passports - Character Challenges
Our Class Passports provide opportunities for children to practise our character habits and provide concrete examples for children to be of character.
Enrichment Programme
Our enrichment programme enables children to participate in events, trips, and experiences to develop their character through our Cultural Capital Map. We also have a key dates document which outlines a range of experiences that we provide children. In addition, children have the opportunity to join the Children’s University.
Extra-Curriculum Programme
We are so passionate about the benefits of extracurricular clubs that we are offering an extensive programme of after school clubs (including clubs delivered by sports coaches) FREE OF CHARGE.
Extra-curricular activities boost young people's confidence to interact socially with others; extend their social networks; and provide them with new skills and abilities. Above all, they offer an important space to have fun and relax away from the pressures of academic work.
- Department of Education and Institute for Policy Research
Child Societies
We have a range of child societies which promote leadership in every role. Child voice is extremely important at our school and therefore we have created the following child societies:
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School Council and Captains
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The Learning Army
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Class Ambassadors
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Anti Bullying Ambassadors
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Sports Ambassadors
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Eco Warriors
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Event Planners
Service Programme
Our service programme supports children through volunteering opportunities. We support children to develop gratitude and develop a mindset of giving back.