In primary, many of our schools teach emotional intelligence in discrete lessons as well as providing individual and group support for pupils who find this hard. Each school has an extensive wider learning offer where pupils can spend more time on music, sport, art and drama. Across the Trust, all our pupils have access to learning a musical instrument, singing in a choir and performing in large productions. Each school makes best use of our London location to enrich their curriculums with cultural experiences. Sharing expertise and providing opportunities for schools to learn and perform together will be a focus of our work.

At secondary, our schools have large scale extra-curricular offers with opportunities for pupils to explore new interests and excel in different areas of school life. The Duke of Edinburgh award scheme is well established at The Charter School North Dulwich. The curriculums for personal, social and emotional development reflect vital work on diversity and equality as well as SRE and preparing for adulthood.

Both secondary schools have a comprehensive pastoral team which brings together year group leaders, senior leaders and inclusion team members who support students and families with navigating adolescence and external challenges, and also qualified specialists who provide individual mental health support.

Staff wellbeing is given equal weighting. Our schools use the DfE staff wellbeing charter to highlight their own offers which include promoting flexible working, reducing unnecessary workload and providing support, including signposting and reducing the stigma around mental illness.

Supporting other schools to improve staff wellbeing and retention is a core part of our outreach work. Charles Dickens Primary School led a workload reduction project for the DfE, focused on marking and feedback. As a result of that work, we produced a guide to reducing unnecessary marking which can download here as an example of the work we do in this area.  

Charles Dickens is also a flexible working ambassador school and is supporting a group of schools in South London and the South East to become more confident, knowledgable and skilled about how to implement a flexible working offer successfully.  You can find out more about flexible working here