At King’s we believe that education is not just about academic success. We believe that it is also about developing excellent character qualities in our students. We believe that in developing these qualities you will become a much better person; a person who can balance academic success with personal and social responsibility; a person who understands the need to be truthful and honest; a person who will work hard and never give up; a person who fully understands his or her own strengths and areas for development and becomes, eventually, a leader within our future society.’
Each new school year starts with two days of re-orientation as the seven pillars are revisited through character education programmes specifically written for each of the year groups and based on the work of Stephen Covey’s ‘seven habits of successful people’ and Carol Dweck’s concept of the ‘growth mind-set’. Each of the programmes encourages students to think critically about the academy’s pillars; reflect on how they may have changed as a person over the last twelve months and set themselves personal targets for their ‘aspirational flight path’ over the next twelve months.
At the heart of King’s is our ASPIRE code. We believe in encouraging our students to use a moral compass to guide themselves through life. ASPIRE is an acronym of the values of aspirations and achievement, self-awareness, professionalism, integrity, respect and endeavour. It’s embedded in school life, even in the language we use.
Each learning cycle will focus on one value in depth and students will take part in linked assemblies and Character lessons which include PSHE and Leadership. Additionally each learning cycle has a bespoke Super Learning Afternoon for each year group that links to the ASPIRE focus. World of Work workshops take place each learning cycle, ensuring our students are equipped for tomorrow’s world and every 7 weeks our Parliament Ministry meetings take place. Every student attends a Ministry of their choice and so feel they have a voice at King’s.
We have also created a bespoke Character curriculum that allows students to understand PSHE topics and link them to our values. Here we are able to discuss a variety of important topics from British Values to Relationships and Sex Education. All of our Character lessons allow students to reflect on their overall wellbeing and place in the world. We also invite guest speakers and local charities to help deliver workshops to promote the importance of personal and economic wellbeing.
In the Foundation years, students have an hour a week studying PSHE topics and will link them to the targeted value (please see the learning plan link). For example, when focusing on the ASPIRE value of respect, pupils will look at smoking and discuss how smoking shows a lack of respect for their physical wellbeing.
As students’ progress into the Senior years they will continue to discuss topics such as LGBT rights, careers and democracy in Britain. This takes place once a week. Relating these PSHE topics to our values encourages our students to grow into well rounded young people, ready for living in the wider world.
Additional to this, our Year 7 and 8 students study Public Speaking, Philosophy, and Ethic (PPE). This curriculum is linked to the Character programme and ASPIRE values. It promotes tolerance of different faiths and relates ethical topics to their world and their own wellbeing.
Our ASPIRE values permeates everyday life here at King’s and prepares our students to be resilient and respectful citizens.
The careers programme is fully integrated into academy life, inspiring all students to have high aspirations and providing them with skills and encounters through our integrated careers programme linking to develop employability skills.
| Strategic Objective 1 | Strategic Objective 2 | Strategic Objective 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
Equip students with access to a diverse range of careers for each subject. Embedding careers in each curriculum area, allowing all staff to support with tailored career guidance. |
The careers programme is fully integrated into academy life, inspiring all students to have high aspirations and providing them with skills and encounters through our integrated careers programme linking to develop employability skills. |
To provide opportunities for students to develop their essential skills through the taught and wider curriculum, thoroughly supported through guidance interviews and accessible action plans. Increase and utilise their network effectively by meeting a diverse range of employers and education providers. |
| Benchmarks 2,4, 7 & 8 | Benchmarks 1, 3 & 4 | Benchmarks 2, 4, 6 & 8 |
| Benchmark | How we are currently doing this |
|---|---|
| A stable careers programme |
Year 7 induction week and greeter system- aligned flight paths (Years 7-11) Operation Reset with career focus Concept of World of Work aligned with contributing to successful citizens and social mobility Beautiful work with inclusion of ‘My World of Work journey’ Our ASPIRE Programme helps students to understand more about themselves (self-development), know where to look for useful information (careers exploration) and plan for the future (career management). |
| Learning from career and labour market information |
In-house talks every learning cycle on subject-based careers Guest speakers every learning cycle based on student survey feedback and LMI (medicine, engineering, sport) Research tasks in ASPIRE curriculum to gain awareness of career market |
| Addressing the needs of each pupil |
Mentoring notes for tutors to monitor and address career options Priority students with career disengagement are referred and support provided to stage intervention 1:1 career appointments when needed with careers liaison 5 Regular WoW feedback surveys and adaptations to programme based on needs Career readiness surveys to be completed before and after career events to measure impact |
| Linking curriculum learning to careers |
Using lead practitioners as subject experts in careers Linking life skills (such as budgeting, cooking, finances) in ASPIRE curriculum SOW to have an element of career focus promoted by Wow Subject Champions Subject champions to promote links between curriculum learning and careers Staff training to upskill all on how to link curriculum to careers |
| Encounters with employers and employees | Year 7 and 8 Business Enterprise Days. |
| Experiences of workplaces | If students are interested in an industry which we already have contact, workplaces could be arranged through Wednesday enrichment |
| Encounters with further and higher education | Universities working with students on revision and wellbeing • Using employer links to support vocational courses |
| Personal guidance |
Mentoring notes for tutors to monitor and address career options Tutors to target/identify students at risk of being NEET Tailored guidance given to student from Careers Leader and support from external providers also available Whole school approach is taken to provide personal guidance to students through utilising tutors, heads of year, heads of achievement, TAC, SLT and super learning afternoons Promoting National Citizen Service to develop student skills to strengthen employability skills such as team work, decision making |
All staff to share their flightpath journey in their assemblies on rota, linking careers to their specific field alongside University choices and famous individuals from that field.
All staff to share their flightpath journey in their assemblies on rota, linking careers to their specific field alongside University choices and famous individuals from that field
All mill rooms to have a legacy board and pupils to be confident in their future flightpath
Subject specific career boards
LMA to link careers to enrichment sessions
Link careers to each SOW and employability skills
Character curriculum to address and support pupils needs- Linking to PSHE, World of work, PPE, Leadership (Character lessons)
All staff CPD to explain the Gatsby benchmarks and rationale behind importance of careers
All departments to have a 10minute started Do now linking to a new career each learning cycle. First lesson of gap week looking at the skills required, qualification and salary.
NCW Assembly
Careers for the future and skills required during mill time
Using Careers in Culture sessions
Unifrog for ks3 in LC3
Culture week career sessions on networking and enterprise skills
Higher Education University trips to Edge hill and Manchester Metropolitan University
Section A: Internal and external stakeholders are to be discussed and plan moving forward is to create a careers team.
Giving other members of staff affiliated roles to plan and delegate guest speakers, university visits.
Section A: Internal and external stakeholders are to be discussed and the plan moving forward is to create a careers team.
Giving other members of staff affiliated roles to plan and delegate guest speakers, university visits.
Careers Lead- Lois Martin
Character Curriculum & External speakers - Netesha Butt
Greg Robbins- PSHE
Ben Jones- Higher education and University leads
Transition lead- Kelly Williams
Cultural trips – Lucy Allen Baines
King's Leadership Academy Bolton opened in September 2019. Therefore, there is no pupil destination data available at this current time.