The recruitment, induction and retention of staff is an essential part of any school. When schools have a focus on character education, character is given prominence during the recruitment process. Selecting new staff based on their understanding of the importance of character education, as well as their pedagogical expertise, ensures that potential new staff recognise the moral dimension of teaching as being equally as important as subject knowledge. School leaders in ‘Schools of Character’ aim to recruit staff who will: embrace a schools’ ethos and culture; share in the same common values of the school community; and who can bring new ideas and enthusiasm to the school’s character education approach. To support school leaders through the recruitment process the Jubilee Centre undertook the ‘Recruiting for Character’ project.
Working closely with six schools/multi-academy trusts and the Association for Character Education the Jubilee Centre has produced four short films, focussing on the four key areas of recruitment:
- ‘The Advert’
- ‘The Application’
- ‘The Interview’
- ‘The Induction’
The overall aim of these short films is to:
- Explain and provide examples of how ‘Schools of Character’ make it explicit to candidates throughout the recruitment process that they are a school who has an explicit and intentional focus on character education;
- Explain how ‘Schools of Character’ ensure that candidates have an understanding of what character education is, why character education is important and how character education can be implemented;
- Explain and discuss how ‘Schools of Character’ ensure that candidates have an understanding and knowledge of the school’s character education approach; ensuring that candidates have a deeper understanding of the school’s vision, mission, and ethos and how this contributes towards character development;
- Explain how ‘Schools of Character’ ensure candidates and the staff they employ are of ‘good’ character.
The Jubilee Centre has worked with each of the six schools/multi-academy trusts involved in this project in recent years, in supporting and profiling character education. Links to each school’s website can be found below:
- Alumnis Multi-Academy Trust, Devon
- Nishkam Primary School Birmingham, Handsworth, West Midlands
- Northampton Academy, Northampton, Northamptonshire
- Reading School, Reading Berkshire
- University of Birmingham School, Birmingham, West Midlands
- Wise Owl Trust, Manchester