Our Character Curriculum

Ally Sprakes, headteacher at the Belham Primary School sitting on the steps of the school

Our character curriculum is essential for nurturing safe, happy and valued children and a thriving school community.

Our character curriculum goes beyond academic learning, focusing on nurturing qualities such as empathy, integrity, resilience, and ethical decision-making. These qualities support children to become responsible and compassionate members of their communities and equips them with the skills needed to navigate life's challenges and opportunities.

Our character curriculum instills values that promote positive interactions, reduce conflicts, and foster a sense of community. It prepares children to make the right choices, even in difficult situations. Our character curriculum is crucial for supporting a harmonious and inclusive society, where children can thrive and make a positive contribution to their communities.

By the end of their time at The Belham, children will be kind, caring and confident. They will have experienced lessons that help develop their character and support their development and understanding of:

  • the relationship between effort now and pay off towards long term goals
  • the importance of a moral standard in interpersonal relationships
  • how to develop their social confidence

At The Belham we ensure:

  • That all pupils, regardless of ability, are provided with consistent  learning experiences that lead to consistently excellent levels of pupil achievement 
  • That a positive, caring attitude, where achievements at all levels are acknowledged and valued, is prevalent throughout the school 
  • That all pupils, from the earliest opportunity, are encouraged to develop independence, self-discipline, responsibility and the ability to build resilience 
  • That a shared sense of purpose amongst pupils, staff and parents is fostered from the very start
  • That all children and adults are respected, regardless of race, ethnicity, socio-economic background or ability
  • That learning should not be constrained to the classroom and that we make use of our wider community (such as our school garden) as a classroom

Our Offer

Our school values of Brave, Equal, Loving, Helpful, Ambitious, Modest, Inspirational, Trustworthy and Enthuasiastuc support the teaching of character by giving us a child-friendly shared language with which we can tackle more abstract concepts from Early Years to the top of the school.

We will achieve all this by finding opportunities to teach children about self-control, coping strategies, internal motivation and self-belief.

Our co-curriculum supports this through our provision of competitive sports fixtures, sporting clubs and practices, musical performances, dramatic performances, artistic exhibitions, leadership roles within the school, after school clubs and charity events. 

Through our character curriculum, we exemplify what our values look like in relation to our school community.

There are some examples below:

Belhamite Value

Character Learning

What this looks like

Brave
Equal 
Loving
If someone doesn’t want the same as you 
Agree to disagree
Compromise 
Acceptance
Talk through concerns 
Listen to views
Brave
Equal
How to disagree politely
Do we always agree?Understanding different viewpoints
Listening to others
Accepting that you won’t always agree 
Moving on
Brave 
Equal 
Helpful
Resolving issues on the playground
Dealing with conflict
When and how to deal with it yourself
Know when to get support – play leaders and adults
Brave 
Modest 
Enthusiastic
Greeting a visitor
Showing yourself at your best
Confidently say ‘hello’ and ask how they are
Polite