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Character Development

Rose Baker — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 11:23:37 +0000

Character Development

Character Education

Character Education can be defined as the active development of character strengths or virtues in young people. The practice of character education is based on the view that these strengths are not merely given but can be developed through instruction and practice.

Our work in this area is premised upon two ideas. First, that character is both ‘taught’ and ‘caught’. Taught because pupils need to learn directly about character strengths and virtues, and to be given opportunities to practise them. Caught because students need to be exposed to the concepts and language of character throughout their experience of school. This is best delivered through the One Driffield ethos of the school, by all staff in school acting as role models, by empowering students to be role models and recognising them publicly as such, and by engineering enrichment activity so that it emphasises character development.

The second idea is that there are four core dimensions to character: intellectual, performance, moral and civic. These are shown in the diagram below. A complete character education seeks to develop pupils along all four dimensions, and in this broad conception, character encompasses academic achievement as a route to the development of intellectual character strength.

Our curriculum is infused with opportunities for students to develop their character strengths and virtues. These are complimented by a weekly Character Trait of the week delivered during form time which teach students explicitly about character virtues and their importance. Together, discrete and embedded learning gives the students the knowledge, language and moral exemplars to help them continue strengthening their character.

At Driffield School we strive to cultivate good character alongside our behaviour curriculum (Cornerstones). Character is about helping young people to become thinking and caring people who can flourish throughout their lives. A concerted effort to help the members of our school community live by the values outlined in our character virtues will not only strengthen the Driffield Community, by placing a focus on how we treat others, but will also contribute to the overall success of the students. Students at Driffield School are encouraged to consider who they are and how they treat each other; this supports high expectations of behaviour and high standards of achievement, both academically and personally.

INTENT

Our vision at Driffield School is to enable students to flourish in all areas of their lives, by supporting their development into well-rounded, empathetic beings who are able to contribute and shape society and the wider world, whilst respecting and supporting those who live in it, though the teaching and modelling of good character.

We believe that character is “caught and taught” and students need to be given opportunities to put the learned knowledge and modelled skills into practice. The form time programme is intended to be the principle taught element of this character curriculum.

IMPLEMENTATION

Character education at Driffield School is all-encompassing and is uniquely threaded through all areas of curriculum and personal development opportunities that the students receive. We take character education seriously as we believe it is fundamental to the development of our students.

IMPACT

Happy children
Good attendance
Improved results
Continued excellent destination data, no NEETs
Increased student leadership and participation in volunteering/ fund raising, etc
Student accomplishments – either within school or often independently
Past students – accomplishments
Visitor and local – feedback about our students

Each week, a character trait is chosen to discuss. Examples from the wider world are shared.

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School Policies & Privacy Notices

admin — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 09:41:05 +0000

School Policies

Driffield School and Sixth Form Policies

Please find below the current School Policies for Driffield School and Sixth Form. Links open in a new window in PDF format.

Trust Policies

The following policies can be found on The Education Alliance website:

Admissions 2026-2027
Allergy Safety and Anaphylaxis Policy
Complaints
Data protection
Equality and Diversity
Exam Access Arrangements
Freedom of Information
Intimate Care
Prevent
SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability)
Suspensions and Exclusions Policy
Whistleblowing

Privacy Notices

Under data protection law, individuals have a right to be informed about how we use any personal data that we hold about them. We comply with this right by providing ‘privacy notices’ to individual’s where we are processing their personal data, and by having a Data Protection Policy.

Privacy notices can be found on The Education Alliance Website.

Website Cookies & Analytics

What do we use cookies for?

We use cookies so that:

We can distinguish you from other users of our website and provide a good experience.
We can remember the information you’ve provided us with while on our website, so you don’t have to keep re-entering the information whenever you visit a new page.
We can look at how you use our website so that we can improve it for other users.

We do not use cookies to:

Monitor your usage of other websites (privacy intrusive cookies).
Collect any personal information about you (without your express permission).
Collect any sensitive information.
Pass data to any advertising networks.
Pass personal data to third parties.

Consent for cookies

When you first visit our website using a new browser, we will provide you with a cookies permission banner, seeking your consent for the use of certain cookies.

Not all cookies require consent. Those which are needed for the operation of the website, known as ‘strictly necessary’ cookies, do not require consent. Without these cookies, the website cannot work as designed.

We also use other cookies which do not require consent, such as those that enable us to collect information for statistical purposes about how you have used our website, or cookies that allow you to choose the website’s appearance and functions.

You can change your cookie preferences at any time through our cookie banner, but please be aware that opting out of cookies may affect your user experience on our website.

Web analytics

Web analytics is the collection and analysis of the data generated when people visit and use a website. This helps the website owner know such things as the number of visitors to various parts of the website, the time they spend on the website and if they return to the website. Various tools are used to produce web analytics, such as Google Analytics, which uses a set of cookies to collect data.

This website uses the following web analytics:

Google Analytics

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Admissions

admin — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 15:04:03 +0000

Admissions

Each year, Driffield School has 240 places available to new Year 7 students. Places are allocated in line with the East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s co-ordinated admission scheme, and we prioritise as follows:

Applications for Year 7 entry should be made through the local authority responsible for the area where you live, even if you want a place for your child at a school in another local authority’s area.

Places are prioritised for:

Children who are looked after by a local authority and to children who were previously looked after, including children who were previously looked after outside England, but ceased to be so because they were adopted or became subject to a child arrangement order or special guardianship order.
Children who live in the school’s designated catchment area.
Children who have a sibling attending the school in Years 7 to 11 at the time of admission.
Children who have attended the school’s named feeder junior or primary schools since the beginning of National Curriculum Year 3.
Children of members of staff working at Driffield School and Sixth Form.
Children who live closest to the school. The distance from the child’s home to the school will be measured and priority will be given to those living nearest to the school.

There are two different types of admissions – those to start school at the ‘normal’ time for the start of the Year 7, and those for places in other year groups or at any other time – these are called ‘in-year’ applications for school places. In-year applications are made for example when a child is already attending one school and the parent/carers wish to move their child from one school to another, and when a family moves to a different area and needs a new school place for their child(ren).

The admission authority for our school is the East Riding of Yorkshire Council and admissions applications are co-ordinated by the Local Authority.

If you would like to visit the school when considering making an application, please call 01377 253631 to arrange a visit.

How do I apply for a ‘normal’ school place for my child?

Applications to start our school for the first time, for the start of Year 7 should be made direct to the Local Authority in which you live by the deadline for applications. Late applications will be considered after those submitted by the deadline, often when there are no places available so it is important that you apply on-time. If you live in the East Riding of Yorkshire Council area, then you can find more information about ‘normal’ admissions processes, deadlines, details of the appeal process and other information at www.eastriding.gov.uk/apply-for-a-school-place. If you live outside the East Riding, you should apply to your ‘home’ Local Authority and not East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

There is no supplementary information form when applying for a place at our school.

How do I apply for an ‘in-year’ school place for my child?

Applications for ‘in-year’ school places are made through the local authority’s co-ordinated admissions scheme for in-year applications, and should be made direct to the Local Authority no earlier than one term before the place is required, and it is recommended that you apply no later than a period of twenty school days, that is four weeks in term time, before you wish for the place to be available for your child. Applications are considered in the order that they have been received, for example if there is one space available in a year group, the parent/carer who applied for their place first will likely be allocated the place for their child. Proof of residence may be required before places can be allocated, and the school fully adheres to the East Riding Fair Access Protocol. Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application as soon as is possible, though this is commonly ten school days after an application has been received, but may be later in certain circumstances.

If you live in East Riding of Yorkshire Council area, then you can find more information about ‘in-year’ admissions processes, and details of the co-ordinated admissions scheme at www.eastriding.gov.uk/school-admissions where you can also find and download an application form along with details of how to appeal for a school place where you have been refused. If you live outside the East Riding, you should apply to your ‘home’ Local Authority and not East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

There is no supplementary information form when applying for a place at our school.

To find out more about the East Riding Of Yorkshire Council’s coordinated admission Scheme, please use the links below:

ERYC – Co-Ordinated Admissions Scheme Information

Sixth Form Admission Arrangements 2024-25

Who makes decisions on school admissions applications?

As we are an Academy, the admissions authority for the school is the Academy Trust. It is the admission authority, and not the Local Authority who determines whether there is an available place based upon the capacity of the class/year group and the number of pupils already on roll. As the admissions authority we delegate the actual allocation of individual school places to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, based on the admissions criteria set out in our admissions policy.

Who should I contact with queries on school admissions?

You can contact the East Riding School Admissions Team by email at schooladmissions@eastriding.gov.uk by writing to School Admissions Team, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, County Hall, Beverley, HU17 9BA. You can also call 01482 392100 in school hours

Admission Arrangements for the 2026-27 academic year

See our Admissions Policy.

The trust board of The Education Alliance Multi Academy Trust determined the admission arrangements (Admissions Policy 2026-2027) for the 2026-27 school year in March 2026.

Admission arrangements for the 2027-28 school year

From September 2027 our Pupil Admission Number is 240.

Please use the East Riding Citizen Portal to make your application.

East Riding Citizen Portal

Further information about applying can be found in our admissions policy and on the East Riding Council’s school admission website: https://www.eastriding.gov.uk/learning/schools-colleges-and-academies/schools-and-school-places/school-admissions-and-catchment-finder/school-places-and-admissions

If you wish to contact the East Riding School Admissions Team, their email is schooladmissions@eastriding.gov.uk.

Objections to these determined admission arrangements should be sent to the Schools Adjudicator by 15 May 2026. Information about how to lodge an objection is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-admissions-arrangements.

You can contact the Office of the Schools Adjudicator by email at osa.team@schoolsadjudicator.gov.uk.

Appeals

Appeals for ‘in-year school admission requests are normally held within 30 school day of the date your appeal is received. You will be notified of the date of your appeal no later than ten school days before the appeal is due to take place.

Appeals for entry into Reception or Year 7 to start primary or secondary school for the first time – what are called ‘normal’ admission requests – are usually held in the summer term after parents / carers have been notified of the refusal of a school place, commonly in June and July.

Starting school in September 2027

For applications to start a primary school for the first time in September 2027, appeal forms should be submitted by the parent / carers by 21 May 2027 and appeals are planned to be held in June and July 2027.

For applications to start a secondary school for the first time in September 2027, appeal forms should be submitted by the parent / carers by 16 April 2027 and appeals are planned to be held between May and June 2027.

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Cornerstones/Behaviour for Learning

admin — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 13:12:31 +0000

Cornerstones/Behaviour for Learning

Our four Cornerstones of Care, Respect, Responsibility and Perseverance are at the heart of all we do at Driffield School and Sixth Form. They permeate the life of the school and are the foundation on which we build our expectations of each other. This proactive approach to behaviour is supported by the reactive Behaviour for Learning Policy, outlined below.

Cornerstones

The four Cornerstones are referenced regularly in and out of lessons, with students receiving rewards in their planner whenever they demonstrate them. Displayed prominently around the school, they are visible to all members of our community, reminding us of their importance as we work as ‘One Driffield.’ Staff, students and parents recognise the importance of the Cornerstones, with visitors often commenting on the ways in which our school community shows them in action.

In order to further embed the four Cornerstones as the foundation of daily life at our school, they have been subdivided to help us establish the exact behaviours we want to see from all members of our school community and the steps we will all take to ensure this is the reality of day-to-day life at Driffield School and Sixth Form. We as staff understand that students cannot be simply told to “behave” – they need to be taught what this looks like through clear explanations, concrete examples and consistent messages from all staff.

Seven collaboratively designed routines are implemented by departments across the year, with Form Time and Assemblies also being used to establish social norms and provide clarity as to what we want to see from our students. Staff across the whole school have worked hard together to develop and refine these routines. We teach our students how to behave so that they, and we, fulfil our ‘One Driffield’ vision together, working side by side to develop the culture we all want to be a part of.

Student feedback has been sought regularly since the introduction of Cornerstones in 2022, via an open forum in which students are asked questions and can share their opinions on issues related to school life. Our students can always name the four cornerstones and understand the values that they each instil across the school. Notable comments from students include:

‘They are the sort of things you need in real life’

‘I like that they’re about more than just schoolwork and subjects because it’s important to get rewarded for the important real-life stuff too’

‘It’s about the sort of people we want to be and how we want to be with each other’

‘They are there to help make us into good people as well as do well in exams’

The routines are a bit like primary where we had set ways of doing things, but we do it in all our subjects now’

‘It’s good to be told exactly what you’re supposed to do because now we just do it automatically in different lessons too, you don’t have to guess what someone wants. It saves loads of time’

We are proud of the four Cornerstones at Driffield and the way that students and staff demonstrate them every day. Should you wish to learn more regarding this area of school life, please contact the school via office@driffieldschool.org.uk We are always happy to welcome visitors to the school where you will see the Cornerstones in action.

Behaviour for Learning

Our Behaviour for Learning Policy is based around the four Cornerstones expectations of Care, Respect, Perseverance and Responsibility.

All members of staff within the school are expected to recognise, praise and reward all students as a matter of agreed policy. Students’ achievement, effort and behaviour will be recognised and celebrated at every opportunity as we work together as One Driffield.

For the Behaviour for Learning Policy to be successful, it is crucial that when any student makes a poor choice and demonstrates unwanted behaviour, an identified sanction or range of sanctions must follow both in and outside the classroom. Where a student has a recognised special educational need or disability that requires reasonable adjustments to be made, this will of course be taken into account.

The Behaviour for Learning Policy is available to read here

Should you have any questions regarding the policy, please contact your child’s Head of Year in the first instance.

Student Planner

The Student Planner is central to the success of this policy. The Student Planner is distributed to students in September. It contains all the house points and written warnings gained by a student within a week, enabling swift and easy communication between home and school.

Mobile Device Guidance

The term ‘mobile device’ is used to cover all mobile phones, tablets, smart watches, music players and ear or headphones, including wireless accessories.

As part of the launch of the Be Well Programme, we have reviewed our guidance for the use of mobile devices in school.

You can view and download a copy of the guidance here: ‘Mobile Device Guidance’

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Year 6 Transition

Mike Evans — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 12:25:25 +0000

Year 6 Transition

Thank you for considering Driffield School and Sixth Form for your child’s secondary education.

Driffield School is dedicated in supporting a smooth and successful transition from primary to secondary school. Our transition team will work alongside primary school staff, parents/carers and pupils to provide support throughout Year 6.

Autumn Term of Year 6

Driffield School offers a Year 6 Open Evening every September. allowing enough time for an informed choice to be made on your child’s secondary school. We welcome all prospective Year 7 pupils to Driffield School on this evening and it provides the opportunity to meet our staff, tour our site and visit our subject areas and ask any questions.

The deadline for secondary school applications can be found on the East Riding Council website.

The Spring/Summer Term of Year 6

During the Spring and Summer term Year 6 staff will complete a data collection on all pupils, including a more comprehensive SEND document where appropriate and all of this information is shared with the relevant secondary school. This information allows us to identify any additional support that pupils may need and allows us to sort pupils into their tutor groups and teaching groups.

The Transition team will visit our feeder primaries to talk to Year 6 pupils about their transition to Driffield School and answer any questions they may have.

Towards the end of the summer term, your child will attend Driffield School for our induction day. Pupils will meet their tutor and teaching staff, learn to navigate their way around the site, go to a variety of lessons and have the opportunity to make new friends

On the evening of the induction day all parents/carers are invited to hear a talk from the Headteacher, meet staff and ask any questions they may have.

Autumn Term of Year 7

Early in the first term, there is a Year 7 Settling In Evening, where you can meet with your child’s tutor and discuss how well your child is settling in.

Please see below links to further information about our Y6 transition.