Best Practice

Character education at the heart of a high-performing school

Ryburn Valley High School was one of the first in the country to be awarded the Character Education Kitemark Plus. Emma Lee-Potter finds out about how character has been placed at the heart of this high-performing school


David Lord had a tear in his eye as he read the letter from the Association for Character Education.

His school, Ryburn Valley High School in Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, had just been awarded the prestigious Character Education Kitemark Plus in recognition of its best practice in developing good character in its students. It was only the third such award to be given in the country.

“It vindicated absolutely everything we’ve been doing,” said Mr Lord, who is chief executive headteacher at Ryburn Valley. “It was a real pat on the back and touched me more than anything that somebody else had come in and recognised the outstanding work that our staff and pupils have been doing.”

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