Wyre Forest education leader helps formulate nationwide citizenship campaign
A director of a Wyre Forest multi-academy trust was invited to Windsor Castle to help create a new nationwide approach to promoting good citizenship amongst schoolchildren.
Adrian McLean, director of inclusion and safeguarding at the Severn Academies Educational Trust, joined 21 education leaders to discuss how embedding ‘civic character’ in schools can help pupils achieve their potential.
Civic character is the 'knowledge, skills, virtues, and commitment necessary for engaged and responsible citizens' is being developed by the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues.
Mr McLean, who was made an Ambassador of Character for the centre at a ceremony at the House of Lords last year, said: “The aim of civic character is for young people to understand their responsibility to their community locally, nationally and globally, by deepening their understanding of who they are, why they exist and how they can serve their purpose.”
He added: “We’re not looking to give something new or additional to add to teachers’ plates, but to make it part of the whole school ethos.
“It can be taught through all lessons, is interconnected with PSHE, citizenship lessons and British Values, can pervade the school environment, culture, customs and practice and create opportunities to make positive change such as through school councils.”
The Jubilee Centre is planning to publish a statement on Embedding Civic Character in Schools later this year.
SAET chief executive Chris King said: “To have one of our leaders at the heart of shaping such an important new educational strategy will be of enormous benefit when the time comes to integrate it into our schools.”
The SAET family of schools includes Baxter College, The Stourport High School and Vlth Form College, Wilden All Saints CE Primary, St Bartholomew’s CE Primary, Hartlebury CE Primary, Stourport Primary Academy, Wolverley Sebright Primary Academy and Far Forest Lea Memorial CE Primary Academy.
