positive education for the future
King Solomon Academy
King Solomon Academy in London belongs
to the dynamic ARK group, in which you,
Michael Wilshaw, were a head before your
translation to Ofsted. King Solomon has
one of the most energising atmospheres I
have ever witnessed in a school. Character
education lies at its heart. The distinguishing
characteristic is perhaps the singular
emphasis on high academic aspiration, with
the school promising their pupils a place at
an academically rigorous university and a
successful life.
The school is clear that excellent exam
grades are necessary. But so too is character
and the confidence to make the students, a
disproportionately high number who are on
free school meals, believe that they have a
right to achieve these aspirations.
From the moment children enter the
school, teachers talk about university and
graduation. Class names and year group
names reinforce this by using university
names. Pupils are spoken to about their
‘jobs’ as learners and as scholars. Careers are
regularly discussed. A smart uniform code
underlines how they will be expected to
dress. Corporate identity is immensely strong,
with most interactions and all transitions
following set routines and behaviours.
Working for the greater good is constantly
underlined. All pupils learn ‘Philosophy for
Children’, used as a vehicle to help the young
question life/themselves/others critically,
to listen to others and how to manage
disagreement. Weekly celebration assemblies
reward those who exemplify school values.
Pupils are offered a variety of prestigious
positions, including being a school
ambassador, a class ambassador or
participating in the ‘Learning Council’.
The school believes that its emphasis on
character and values has already made a
marked impact on good behaviour in and
outside class. Their evidence suggests that
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the pupils have imbued much of the culture
of high aspirations, though it is too early
yet to assess whether the dreams of high
performance at university and beyond will be
realised.
West Kidlington Primary School
West Kidlington Primary School in
Oxfordshire is a national leader in values
education, has featured on BBC television
and gave evidence to Jim Rose in his review
of the primary curriculum in 2009.
Good character, or ‘having good values’
as the school puts it, is the principal thrust
and motivation of the school. Values are
described as ‘beliefs that shape