Chiswick (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Chiswick School has been officially recognised for delivering outstanding character education, highlighting its commitment to developing well-rounded students.
As reported by Chiswick Calender, helping students acquire personal qualities, or “virtues,” that allow them to develop good sense or practical wisdom—the ability to make wise decisions—is what character education, which is a component of students’ personal development rather than their academic growth, entails.
The Association for Character Education (ACE), an educational nonprofit that honors schools’ dedication “to nurturing students of strong character and integrity,” has given the school a Quality Mark.
It means, practically speaking, promoting critical thinking as well as virtues like courage, justice, honesty, compassion, gratitude, humility, integrity, and respect.
Along with personal qualities that help students efficiently manage their lives, such as resilience—the capacity to recover from adversity—determination, confidence, and teamwork, it also encompasses civic virtues like politeness, service, citizenship, and volunteering.
In order to learn more about how character is “caught, taught, and sought” across the school, two independent assessors from the Association spent the entire day at Chiswick interacting with students, faculty, and a school governor.
“The assessors were deeply impressed,’ said a spokesperson for Chiswick School, “not only by the school’s clearly defined and thoughtfully implemented Character Curriculum, but also by the warm and inclusive ethos that underpins daily life at Chiswick.”
According to them, Chiswick is a joyful place where pupils are encouraged to thrive in all facets of life.
In response to the school’s ACE designation, Miss Kitteringham, the Character Education Lead, said:
“This recognition marks a significant milestone in our journey. Building a culture of character has been a collective effort, and I couldn’t be prouder of our staff and students. It’s been an incredible team journey.”
The school tracks kids’ character development progress using tools like Trackit. The value of these characteristics is emphasized within the school community by rewarding accomplishments with badges, awards, and other incentives.
Character education at Chiswick School is integrated into the curriculum, extracurricular activities, and everyday routines to guarantee that students continuously exercise and consider important values, fostering their personal development and preparing them for life after school.
The school spokesperson said:
“At Chiswick School, character education is not an add-on—it’s at the heart of everything we do. We believe that helping young people become kind, resilient, and responsible citizens is just as important as academic success. Our mission is to prepare students not only to succeed in school but to thrive in life.”
He added that this national recognition affirms the school’s belief that when character is prioritised, students grow into the very best versions of themselves—ready to make a positive difference in the world.
How does Chiswick school integrate character education into daily activities?
Students consider these principles and talk about how they apply to their experiences during form time and school-wide assemblies, which serve as regular opportunities to reinforce character qualities. At special assemblies with a theme, characteristics like thankfulness and resilience are better understood.
Through discussions, exercises, and case studies, Personal, Social, Health, and Citizenship Education (PSHCE) classes delve deeply into character qualities and assist students in making the connection between virtues and practical circumstances.
Students are encouraged to develop and exhibit character characteristics outside of the classroom through clubs, sports, volunteer work, and other extracurricular activities, which promote responsibility, empathy, and teamwork.
Students use character traits in practical settings and foster social responsibility by taking part in community events including sporting competitions, charity baking sales, and gatherings for senior citizens.