At Forest Park, Character Education has been at the heart of life since the school started educating children. Long before the phrase became a ‘buzzword’ in education, Forest Park has nurtured children to grow into confident, curious, and responsible young people who are ready to make a positive difference in the world. It’s integrated through curriculum, assemblies, and activities, aiming to develop moral compasses, good behaviour, motivation, and social skills for success for every pupil here and into adulthood.
> What is character education?
Shaping Tomorrow’s Thinkers and Leaders
Character Education at Forest Park transcends simple etiquette; it is the intentional cultivation of the whole child. We focus on developing the essential virtues that sharpen the mind, steady the heart, and empower our pupils to navigate the complexities of the modern world with intellectual courage and purpose.
Our Vision in Action
At the core of our school vision is a commitment to fostering secure, self-assured, and inquisitive individuals. We don’t just teach children what to think, but how to think, equipping them with the critical mindset needed to evaluate the world around them and the confidence to find their own voice within it.
Our Core Values
Our foundation ensures that every Forest Park pupil graduates as a resilient, well-rounded individual defined by these pillars:
- Confident and Articulate: Empowered to express ideas clearly and stand by their convictions with grace.
- Curious and Analytical: Driven by a lifelong love of discovery and the desire to ask “why” and “how.”
- Reflective and Critical: Capable of thoughtful decision-making and understanding their role as active, informed citizens.
- Kind and Collaborative: Recognizing that true intelligence is paired with empathy and a positive contribution to our global community.
> How we build character at Forest Park
Research suggests that virtues, the building blocks of character, can be:
- Caught
Our school culture encourages kindness, respect, and thoughtfulness in everyday interactions, such as holding a door open for others, or comforting another child who may look sad in the playground. When children are surrounded by politeness, empathy, and integrity, these qualities naturally spread across our community, these positive behaviours are reinforced at Forest through rewarding good behaviours with our house point scheme. - Taught
Character is embedded across our curriculum. In English, pupils may write poems about kindness. In Science and Geography, they learn about caring for the environment and the importance of sustainability. In every subject, we weave in opportunities to reflect on values and moral choices. - Sought
Beyond the classroom, children experience character in action. From visiting local care homes to sing with residents, to hosting Grandparents’ Afternoon Tea Parties so that the children can express their gratitude to their grandparents who help them, to hearing from community role models such as doctors and police officers—our pupils learn gratitude, service, and respect through real-world experiences.
> The future of character education at Forest Park
We see Character Education as essential in preparing children for life beyond school. In addition to their outstanding grades, these good values help our pupils to really stand out and shine. By abiding by the ‘caught, taught and sought’ ethos, it gives our pupils the edge to securing their chosen secondary school destination and, in the near future, their dream job.
One of our 2025/26 school priorities, centres around Character Education, with the target of evaluating the extent to which the school’s culture and ethos, provision and community foster engaged, responsible citizenship in all our pupils.
