A SCHOOL OF CHARACTER

PHOTOS: Trolley holding a tiny proportion of the kit needed for filming; lead actress Poppy Lee Friar is tended by costume and make up artist - including make-up on her knees; Ryburn students feature as extras as the scene is filmed.

Ryburn is a school with its values at its heart and students who learn so much more than what’s tested in exams. And now we’ve got a badge to prove it.

In the autumn term, we invited in assessors from the Association of Character Education to look at how effective we are in our vision to develop our students’ values and qualities. Schools play a part in developing you as people, and we want to help you to become wellrounded people who will flourish as individuals in the future, but also contribute towards a better world and society. No biggie.

The assessors watched lessons, interviewed teachers, looked through lots of paperwork and plans, and, most importantly, talked to a panel of students. They were so impressed with what they saw that they decided to award our school with the ‘Character Education Kitemark Plus’, only the third award they’d ever given at the higher level. #proudface

They found our staff to be really passionate about developing students’ character and personal self confidence, with the strategies in place to do so. They were also particularly impressed with how students could link character traits and actions with success in the classroom and beyond, and how you develop resilience to cope with life’s ups and downs. the community at Ryburn who have all made real our vision of a valuesdriven school, and set an example that others can now learn from.

When you look back on your time at school, you’ll realise that you developed so much as you grew from a child to an adult. Think about it now, and make the most of your time here to grow into wonderful human beings. Embrace opportunities to try new things, to fail sometimes and to learn from it, to work together with others and to practice kindness whenever and wherever you can. The world needs you to.

It’s a testament to years of dedication from staff, students and

A SCHOOL OF CHARACTER TRY SOMETHING NEW Throw yourself into new experiences in your lessons, in iD, and in extra curricular activities, and you never know what you might learn. Maybe you’ll find a new favourite hobby. Or maybe it won’t work out so well but will be a huge learning opportunity. LEARN FROM EVERYTHING Treat everything you do (and everyone you meet) as a chance to learn. Life’s only as interesting as you choose to make it. Ask all the questions, and reflect and learn from good experiences and bad. TAKE THE LONG VIEW It takes time and hard work to achieve anything worthwhile, and that’s never truer than in developing habits and traits. Keep focussed on your long term goal to help you through the ups and downs on your journey to reach it. DON’T DOZE OFF IN IGEN Stepping into someone else’s shoes through reading a novel is one of the best ways to understand the world and develop empathy. It’s a safe space to debate and think through what you’d do in different situations, so you’ll be ready when life throws you a curve ball. PRACTICE A GROWTH MINDSET Make a habit of thinking all those ‘growth mindset’ phrases and thoughts, and they will stick. “I can’t do this ..... YET.” “I can do hard things.” “Mistakes help me grow.” “I can learn anything.” TRY RADICAL KINDNESS Sometimes being kind is easy– throwing £1 in a charity bucket. Sometimes it’s hard, and that has power. Call out someone for being unkind. Include the person who is always left out. Show up in the rain to support your friend’s team, again and again. Build someone up when they’re feeling down, and notice when they are. Kindness is contagious. LOOK AFTER YOUR WELLBEING You deserve kindness too, and that starts with you. Look after yourself with the dull things like enough sleep and good food. And be kind and forgiving to yourself too. Find time to be creative andto be active. Avoid the people that drag you down, unfollow toxic social media feeds that make you feel you’re not worthy. Admit if you’re not ok, and find someone to support you. The pastoral team are here for you. BE A LEADER AND A TEAM PLAYER Leadership and collaboration are two of the most important skills needed in society. Find opportunities to develop these in group work, or join Student Council or the Ambassadors team. EIGHT WAYS TO DEVELOP YOUR CHARACTER AT RYBURN

WHAT DO OUR OTHER BADGES MEAN?

Why exactly do we go through the effort of earning these badges anyway? Well, it’s to make sure that we really are having an impact on the things which matter to us, and not just sitting back and saying that we do. It’s to recognise and celebrate the hard work that our staff, students and community put in. And above all, to push and challenge ourselves to keep on striving to excel.

We achieved the national quality standard for excellence in careers education, information, advice and guidance in July 2019. We had to meet the ‘Gatsby Benchmarks’, eight different measures, including ensuring we meet students’ needs, link the curriculum to careers and provide you with experiences of employers and workplaces.

We achieved our second Artsmark Award at the highest Platinum level in October in recognition of our ongoing commitment to the Arts and cultural education. The Arts Council commended our creative curriculum approach and how creativity is now embedded within our culture, helping to develop students’ personal qualities, confidence and resilience.

WORDS OF WISDOM

“Lots of people used to say to me, ‘but what’s your plan B though, because drama and dance is obviously not going to be your career?’ But actually it is. I’m here to tell you that I’ve got a house and a mortgage, and I get to do this for a living.”

- GRACE GOULDING, PERFORMER, CHOREOGRAPHER AND EDUCATOR, SPLENDID PRODUCTIONS “I was big Mike Tyson fan growing up and it’s always been an interest. I started amateur boxing at 14. I boxed for England, and won some titles. Now I’m a professional boxer and a coach. It’s a really good way for young people to release their anxiety or energy in a positive way.”

- JERMAINE SPRINGER, PROFESSIONAL BOXER

“For someone who wants a career in the Arts, I would recommend looking for every opportunity you can. Explore everything. Don’t think that things are too big for you, just apply for everything you can, and gradually through that experience you will hone it down to the career that you want.”

- HARRIET LAWTON, ARTIST AND EDUCATOR

“From Halifax, at the age of 16, I moved across to Wigan to play for their rugby club. Moving away from my family at such a young age came with a lot of trials and tribulations - there was a lot of adversity to overcome - but thankfully it made me a better person and a better player.”

- LUKE ROBINSON, PROFESSIONAL RUGBY COACH

Some really interesting people walk through the door of our school who do all kinds of different things for a living. We wanted to capture some of their experience and wisdom, and their insights into a range of different careers you might want to pursue. Our ever-expanding ‘Ryburn Careers Role Models’ video series explores firsthand experiences of different careers, with plenty of tips and ideas to inspire you for the future.

Here’s a few highlights. Check out the full interviews and many more on Ryburn’s Youtube channel.

“Surround yourself with the right people, and go for every opportunity that comes your way. A lot of people say, ‘I don’t want to do that, cos I’m scared, or I’m going to look stupid”, but it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, when you’re older you’ll be thankful that you’ve taken those opportunities.”

- JAMES VARLEY, FILM MAKER

“I travel all over the UK doing talks and workshops to help with self-esteem, body image, stress and anxiety. The reason I feel so passionately about my work in mental health, is making a difference. If just one person feels that I have made a difference to their life, then my job is worth every second.”

- MAZ, SELF ESTEEM TEAM, DOVE

“Being a PSCO you have to be interested in what’s going on around you; a bit nosey. You also have to be a people person and use your confidence to go and speak to members of the community.”

- HAYLEY BROWNING, PCSO (POLICE COMMUNITY SUPPORT OFFICER) “At Healthy Minds we run initiatives to help young people to find their hobbies and things that make them feel good because hobbies, exercise all have a really good, positive effect on your mental health. I started volunteering after college because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I’ve actually carried it on through university which has awarded me a scholarship to study.”

- KIAH HAMILTON-ADAMS HEALTHY MINDS / MENTAL-HEALTH VOLUNTEER