Character and Values Education

STRIVE.

Character and Values Education at Newton Primary School helps pupils grow into confident, caring, and responsible individuals.

Our programme focuses on our six core values, which form the acronym STRIVE: Self-Motivation, Teamwork, Resilience, Independence, Vision, and Emotional Intelligence. These values guide children in how they learn, relate to others, and contribute to the school community.

STRIVE is celebrated and practised across school life. Pupils are recognised in assemblies for demonstrating our values, reinforcing self-motivation, resilience, and teamwork. Year 6 pupils take on important roles supporting younger children in EYFS, including buddying in assemblies and peer reading sessions, which encourages leadership, teamwork, and emotional intelligence. Our planned Playground Buddy’ system will extend these opportunities, allowing pupils to show care, responsibility, and independence in everyday interactions.

Alongside this, lessons from the PATHS programme help pupils develop the skills behind STRIVE. Children learn to manage emotions, solve problems, cooperate with peers, and make thoughtful decisions, linking emotional intelligence, resilience, and self-motivation directly to their learning. By embedding STRIVE into both the culture and curriculum of the school, Newton Primary nurtures pupils who are thoughtful, confident, and ready to make a positive contribution to their community.