Civic values are the character traits essential for active, responsible citizenship and for contributing to the common good. These values help young people grow into thoughtful, compassionate, and engaged members of society. They encourage us to think beyond ourselves and consider the needs of others and the wider community.

Key Civic Values Include:

Service

• Participating in charity drives
• Supporting younger students through Positive Peer mentoring

Neighbourliness

• Welcoming new students and helping them settle in
• Taking part in anti-bullying campaigns and competitions

Citizenship

• Being an active member of the School Council
• Engaging in discussions during PSHE lessons about rights and responsibilities

Community Awareness

• Learning about local issues through assemblies and guest speakers
• Taking part in local events or awareness campaigns

Volunteering

• Volunteering and supporting community projects
• Participating in the National Citizen Service (NCS)

Social Justice

• Exploring equality and fairness in KS3 & KS4 lessons
• Supporting campaigns that promote inclusion and diversity

At our Academy, we are committed to nurturing these values through a range of meaningful initiatives, including:

• House Charity Collections – supporting those in need within our local community
• National Citizen Service – encouraging leadership, teamwork, and social action
• Community Leaders – engaging students in community-based projects
• School Council – giving students a voice and promoting democratic participation
• PSHE Programme – exploring personal development, rights, and responsibilities
• Assemblies – reinforcing key values and character education themes
• KS3 & KS4 Lessons – embedding civic values across the curriculum

Intellectual virtues are the character traits that support wise decision-making, thoughtful reflection, and a lifelong pursuit of knowledge, truth, and understanding. These qualities help students become independent thinkers, effective learners, and responsible contributors to society. They are essential for success in further education, future careers, and personal growth.

Key Intellectual Virtues Include:

• Reflection – thinking deeply about experiences and learning
• Focus – maintaining attention and effort over time
• Critical Thinking – analysing information and arguments carefully
• Reason and Judgement – making thoughtful, informed decisions
• Curiosity – a desire to explore, ask questions, and learn more
• Resourcefulness – finding creative solutions to challenges
• Open-Mindedness – being willing to consider different perspectives
• Wisdom – applying knowledge with insight and compassion
• Creativity – generating original ideas and approaches

How We Promote These at Our Academy:

• KS3 Lessons – embedding intellectual virtues across subjects
• Stonewall Champions – encouraging open-mindedness and critical discussion
• Positive Peer Mentoring Programmes – developing reflection and judgement through guidance
• STEM Clubs – fostering curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving
• Student Council – developing reasoning, critical thinking, and open-mindedness
• Reading Challenges & Book Clubs – encouraging reflection, curiosity, and imagination
• Project-Based Learning – nurturing creativity, resourcefulness, and independent thinking
• Future Me Day – helping students reflect on their aspirations, explore future pathways, and develop curiosity, judgement, and long-term thinking about their goals
• Spelling Bees & Quizzes – promoting focus, reflection, and knowledge recall
• Creative Arts & Design – encouraging creativity, focus, and reflection
• Homework & Revision Strategies – building focus, resourcefulness, and self-discipline
• Assemblies & Guest Speakers – inspiring curiosity and intellectual engagement

Moral values are the character traits that guide us to act ethically and responsibly, especially when faced with difficult decisions. They help students understand the importance of doing what is right, even when it’s not easy and encourage them to become kind, principled individuals who contribute positively to their communities.

These values are central to developing a strong moral compass and resisting negative influences or external pressures.

Key Moral Values Include:

• Courage – standing up for what is right, even in the face of fear or challenge
• Compassion – showing empathy and care for others
• Gratitude – appreciating what we have and expressing thanks
• Justice – treating others fairly and standing up against injustice
• Honesty – being truthful and trustworthy
• Humility – recognising our limitations and valuing others
• Modesty – showing self-respect without seeking attention
• Self-Discipline – managing impulses and staying focused on what matters
• Tolerance – respecting differences and promoting inclusion
• Integrity – doing the right thing, even when no one is watching
• Friendliness – being kind, approachable, and supportive
• Respect – valuing others and treating everyone with dignity
• Trust – building reliable and respectful relationships

How We Promote These at Our Academy:

• Anti-Bullying Assemblies – reinforcing respect, compassion, and courage
• PSHE Curriculum – exploring ethical dilemmas and moral decision-making
• Positive Peer Mentoring – modelling trust, humility, and friendliness
• Restorative Practices – promoting justice, forgiveness, and accountability
• House Competitions – encouraging fairness, teamwork, and respect
• Student Leadership Roles – developing responsibility, self-discipline, and integrity

Performance values are the character traits that support and strengthen all other virtues, intellectual, moral, and civic. They are essential for success in everyday school life and beyond, helping students to stay motivated, overcome challenges, and strive for excellence.

These values equip our young people with the mindset and behaviours needed to achieve their goals, both academically and personally, as they prepare for future education, careers, and life.

Key Performance Values Include:

• Resilience – bouncing back from setbacks and staying strong under pressure
• Perseverance – continuing to work hard, even when things get tough
• Determination – staying focused and committed to achieving goals
• Leadership – guiding and inspiring others with confidence and integrity
• Teamwork – working effectively and respectfully with others
• Confidence – believing in oneself and one’s abilities
• Motivation – having the drive to succeed and improve
• Ambition – aiming high and setting meaningful goals
• Problem-Solving – thinking creatively and logically to overcome challenges
• Communication – expressing ideas clearly and listening actively

How We Promote These at Our Academy:

• Focus on Determination and Ambition – two key values embedded in our school culture.
• House Competitions and Events – encouraging teamwork, leadership, and resilience
• Sports and Performing Arts – building confidence, perseverance, and communication skills
• Student Leadership Opportunities – developing responsibility, motivation, and initiative
• Careers and Aspirations Programme – supporting ambition, goal-setting, and problem-solving
• Future Me Day – helping students reflect on their ambitions and plan for success
• Mentoring and Coaching – nurturing self-belief, resilience, and personal growth

Staff Expectations

At Stockport Academy we believe that character development is fundamental to a student’s personal growth and success. Character can be both explicitly taught through structured lessons and implicitly caught through the everyday ethos and culture of the school. Our approach places strong emphasis on the quality of relationships between staff and students, and the importance of all adults in school acting as positive role models.

Form Tutors

During registration and tutor time, form tutors play a key role in reinforcing our school values. Expectations include:

• Upholding standards of uniform, manners, and courtesy.
• Actively praising and recognising values such as Aspiration, respect, and Community.
• Monitoring academic progress and mentoring pupils in line with our core values.
• Supporting the weekly delivery of assemblies that align with character education and promote core values within the form group.
• Role-modelling respectful behaviour at all times, including avoiding shouting or confrontational language.
• KS4 Delivering one PSHE session per week, linked to character development from the specified programme.

Subject Teachers

In the classroom, subject teachers are expected to:

• Promote and reinforce our core values, using praise and house points to acknowledge positive behaviour and attitudes.
• Role-model respectful and professional conduct, including calm and constructive communication.
• Take opportunities to praise students for demonstrating intellectual and performance virtues, such as curiosity, resilience, and independence.
• Deliver explicit character language in lessons at KS3 and KS4, embedding the focus value both implicitly and explicitly.
• Integrate character discussions naturally within subject content, encouraging debate and reflection where appropriate.

All Staff

All adults in school contribute to character education through their daily interactions and supervision. Expectations include:

• Setting and maintaining high standards of uniform, manners, and courtesy.
• Actively supervising students and using the language of character to guide behaviour.
• Monitoring the school environment and encouraging respect for shared spaces (e.g. discouraging littering or graffiti).
• Addressing any behaviour or language that contradicts our core values.
• Consistently role-modelling respectful behaviour, including avoiding shouting or public confrontation.

Stockport Academy delivers a Character Education under the umbrella of the school-devised Future Me self-assessment framework.  The framework/graphic was created to help students articulate their personal development, both in and out of main curriculum, and has been embedded in the Academy for 5 years.  Serving a community with 40% of our students identified as being from disadvantaged backgrounds, our mission of Creating Opportunity to Succeed drives our exciting and engaging co-curricular offer.  The Academy has applied for the Character Kitemark.

The Assistant Principal for Character Education is responsible for the management and delivery of:

• PSHE including CEIAG and Enterprise,
• Co-curricular
• Student leadership
• Community
• Extra-curricular trips to embed knowledge and learning
• An assembly schedule that looks to celebrate national and international events

PSHE

Student in Years 7-9 have specialists delivering content in curriculum time in both bespoke sessions and through RSE topics.  PSHE is assessed for these years in our normal exam cycle. 

All year groups cover PSHE in a series of Future Me days, Assemblies, Enterprise days and trips.  Specialists in subject matter, both internal and external, deliver workshops to students against a pre-planned curriculum programme.  The school has close affiliation with a number of key businesses in the local area who support the school in making our offer relevant and valuable to employers.

Enterprise

Students in years 7 to 10 take part in a full day Enterprise activity covering all basics of business management, from concept to marketing and delivery.  Student business leaders in the upper years support lower year events, expanding upon their management,  relationship and financial planning skills.

Co-curricular

With over 60 clubs offered to students of all years, opportunities are available to broaden horizons and embed knowledge.  Clubs are varied and are both curriculum and interest/hobby based and are linked to Future Me attributes.  Attendance is tracked and engagement promoted by the Co-curricular lead.  Students receive records of achievement showing activities they have participated in and the skills these have helped develop.

Student Leadership

Leadership opportunities are available to student in all years with a ladder of growing responsibility culminating in our Prefectural Board in Year 11.  Leadership opportunities are by application and interview, allowing staff to prepare students for college, university and work interviews.  Students are expected to use the language of the Future Me to articulate the skills gained through their experiences in school and out.  Student voice is sought through our Student Council cabinet and through T&L initiatives requiring feedback on practice.

Assemblies

Whole year and house assemblies follow a robust schedule linked to key messages, days of interest, safeguarding and mental wellbeing, co-curricular interest, curricular based content and external speakers.  Student leaders are encouraged to contribute and participate in assemblies where relevant as they develop their presentation skills.

Trips

With over 50 trips running last year staff are encouraged to offer experiences from embedding curricular content to just good fun.  A selection; students visited Auschwitz, climbed Snowdon, visited Museums and Mosques, attended sport fixtures, studied geographical features, had a mass picnic in the park and went to the cinema for a treat. 

CEIAG

Careers advice and guidance runs to a comprehensive and progressive programme tracked against the Gatsby benchmarks.  2022 shows 97% of our cohort participating in learning after leaving school.

Community 

Our school community is vibrant and enthusiastic and students engage in whole school activity with vigour.  Our street party celebrations for both the Jubilee and Coronation are fondly remembered by our student body with our student leadership teams taking the lead in devising and delivering these with honed project management skills.  Remembrance activities such as our long standing Poppy-Drop and Manchester Bee see our student body reflecting with respect and empathy on lessons to be learnt. 

Our house system, introduced in 2023 to promote a sense of belonging and to understand the impact that one person can have one others, has been warmly embraced by all and weenjoy over 30 house challenges throughout the year.

We consider Future Me to be the language of success, and work with our students to understand how they can use this vocabulary to link back to their experiences at Stockport Academy as they prepare to enter the world of work.

Students take part in a Future Me Day in school once per term, which supports their development into conscientious, fully-rounded individuals who have all the skills they need to succeed in whatever path they choose.

The four pillars of Future Me are Powerful Knowledge, Character, Personal Skillset and Place in Society. This is explained in more detail in our prospectus.