Education with Character

At Hartshill Academy we understand that there is more to a good education than just academic success.

Our academy aims to develop character, compassion and service. Pupils are expected to show Respect and contribute to their academy and to society; to show Heart and try things which they think they cannot do; to show Tenacity and persist in the face of difficulty; to become resilient in overcoming obstacles; to manage themselves; to show Ambition and work independently on things which challenge them; to work with others and in teams; to be courageous and caring; to lead. 

We want young people to look back on a joyful schooling which has inspired and challenged them, given them wide opportunity and prepared them for the ups and downs of life. We are therefore committed to providing all our pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum as well as cultural and social experiences that broaden horizons and support the development of character. 

A School of Character

In June 2026, Hartshill Academy received the School of Character Quality Mark from the Association for Character Education. The final report highlighted so many of the strengths of our character provision:

• “Pupils demonstrate high levels of ‘virtue literacy,’ when discussing character.”
  
  
• “Pupils confidently spoke about virtues beyond HART, demonstrating that the shared language of character expands beyond the school’s core values. This is testament to a character curriculum which purposefully weaves in a range of traits.”
  
  
• “The ‘Character Ladder,’ is an innovative tool that has helped cement the importance of intrinsic motivation in the cultivation of ‘good character.’ Pupils refer to it often and connect with the associated characters and their behaviours for each level.”
  
  
• “Pupils have a clear understanding of their own character and are able to articulate the virtues that they feel they ‘live well,’ and the virtues they want to focus on developing further. This shows that pupils are encouraged to ‘look inwards’ and apply what they learn in terms of character, to their own flourishing.”
  
  
• “Participation in extra-curricular activities and pupil leadership is a ‘normalised way of being’ at the school. This has helped develop pupils who habitually seek out opportunities that will cultivate virtue.”
  
  
• “Values-based leadership has played a pivotal role in the school’s impressive journey of school improvement.”

This is a significant achievement and a wonderful reflection of the collective commitment to our school vision to empower our pupils to explore and transform the world.