Character Curriculum

At Timbertree Academy, we value Personal, Social, Health and Education (PSHE) as one way to support children’s development as human beings.  This enable them to understand and respect who they are, empower them with a voice and to equip them for life and learning. To ensure progression and a spiral curriculum, we use Jigsaw, the mindful approach to PSHE, as our chosen teaching and learning programme and tailor it to the needs of our children. The Jigsaw programme offers us a comprehensive, carefully thought-through scheme of work which brings consistency and progression to our children’s learning in this vital curriculum area.

We invest in education with character and personal development.  We offer our pupils exciting new opportunities that challenge them and help them to build resilience and confidence. These wider opportunities equip our pupils with the character and attributes that will enable them to succeed in later life.

At Timbertree, we believe that all pupils should have the opportunity to develop their skills and talents and nurture these interests in a number of different areas beyond the classroom. We therefore provide a wide range of extra-curricular clubs. Our clubs are offered to Reception through to Year 6 and are run by specialist coaches or school staff.

At Timbertree, our co-curriculum covers a wide range of opportunities including artistic, creative, performance, sporting and debating. All pupils are encouraged to discover new interests and develop existing ones. Pupils are given ample opportunities to compete and perform and success is acknowledged and celebrated.

Our pupils are actively encouraged to participate in community events and support local charities. Our pupils are required to think about how they can make a difference and become leaders of positive change in our school and local community. Our pupils are taught to become civic-minded and ready to contribute to society. 

We want our children to:

Feel They Belong to the Cradley Heath Community

Make a Positive Contribution to the Lives of Others

Character Education could include (but is not limited to): assemblies, subject lessons, dedicated character education lessons, sports, performance, arts clubs, outward bound activities, hobby clubs, and subject learning clubs. These opportunities help young people to explore and express their character and build the skills they need for resilience, empathy and employability.

At Timbertree, we believe in preparing our students for a bright future by exposing them to a wide range of careers through our “Career of the Fortnight” initiative. This program is a key part of our Character Curriculum, designed to provide children with the skills and experiences needed for various professions.

Every fortnight, students learn about a different career, gaining insights into what the job entails and the skills required. This culminates in our termly Ambition Day, a highlight of the school calendar. On this day, children come dressed as their chosen profession and interact with professionals from diverse fields. They get hands-on experience, ask questions, and learn directly from experts.

The day concludes with a special graduation ceremony, celebrating the students’ learning and achievements. The curriculum is suspended for the day, allowing students to fully immerse themselves in this enriching experience.

Our first Ambition Day will be Tuesday 3rd December 2024.

We are proud of how our students have embraced this program, and we look forward to seeing them continue to explore and aspire to their future careers.