Moral development framework
Our curriculum is built on a single, consistent account of character: three virtues, each with an inner and an outer form, carried through the language children use every day.
Overview
Schools are expected to develop pupils’ character, yet are rarely given a structure for doing so. Character education is often delivered as a standalone lesson, an assembly theme or a set of values on a wall, separate from the subjects where children spend most of their time.
Our framework takes a different position. We hold that moral development is carried by language: through the stories children hear, the ideas they discuss and the words they choose when they speak and write. Character therefore belongs inside the curriculum, and specifically inside English and oracy.
Heroism, as we use the word, is the conscious choice to be in service of others through humility, honesty and kindness.
The Heroic Formula
Each virtue has an inner form, a disposition toward oneself, and an outer form, a behaviour toward others. Pupils learn both, in the words below.
Humility
- Inner humility
- I know I am not perfect. I understand that I have things to learn, I make mistakes, and there are areas where I need help.
- Outer humility
- I don’t show off. Even if I am good at something, I treat others with respect.
Honesty
- Inner honesty
- I tell the truth to myself, even when it is difficult to accept. I try to understand my feelings, actions, and choices honestly.
- Outer honesty
- I tell the truth to others. I speak truthfully and am open about what I can and cannot do.
Kindness
- Inner kindness
- I am kind to myself. I know that I am more than my weaknesses, and I use them to fuel my desire to learn and become better than before.
- Outer kindness
- I care about how others feel. I try to understand others and choose actions that help, support, and include them.
How it runs through the curriculum
The framework is not an add-on. It shapes the curriculum at every level:
- Every term carries a moral theme, explored through that term’s story.
- Every lesson opens with a discussion of the moral theme.
- Every assessment includes moral development alongside oracy and writing.
Across a year, the moral themes build outward, from the self toward others:
| Term | Moral theme |
|---|---|
| Autumn 1 | Inner Humility |
| Autumn 2 | Inner Honesty |
| Spring 1 | Inner Kindness |
| Spring 2 | Moral Compass |
| Summer 1 | Moral Compass |
| Summer 2 | Service |
Assessing moral development
Moral development is assessed as a formal domain, not inferred. At the end of each Oracy Hero term, teachers assess every pupil against termly statements in three domains: oracy, moral development and writing. Each pupil is recorded as Working Towards, Expected or Exceeded.
In English Hero, teachers can also recognise a pupil showing humility, honesty or kindness at the moment it happens. These recognitions inform pupil and whole-school reports.
Our principles
Language is the carrier
When children speak, read and write about what it means to be honest or kind, character becomes something they can articulate and examine, not only something they are told.
Inside, not alongside
Character should not compete for curriculum time. Embedding it in English and oracy uses time schools already have.
Inner before outer
Behaviour without understanding does not last. We teach the disposition as well as the action.
Recognise participation, not volume
Where we recognise values, we measure how many pupils are seen showing them, not how many points one pupil collects. A curriculum built on honesty should be honest about what it counts.
How our approach differs
| Traditional schemes | Centre for Character Education |
|---|---|
| Character taught as a separate subject | Character embedded within English and oracy |
| Several disconnected programmes | One integrated curriculum, Year 1 to Year 6 |
| Additional teaching time to find | Uses curriculum time schools already have |
| Hours of lesson planning | Lessons ready to teach from the board |
See how the framework works in practice in Oracy Hero and English Hero.