AT this time of the year in most schools around the country end of year services and celebrations are taking place.

I have attended a number of these events in my capacity as Director of Education and in each one I have the same thoughts and emotions.

There is something deeply satisfying in seeing the pride in young people as they are recognised for the works they have done.

These celebrations include recognition of the usual academic attainment for high performance in specific subject and which reward those who have excelled, but they also include awards for things that go beyond attainment and look at deeper qualities such as resilience, determination and consideration of others.

The government have been keen to look at character education as they have considered the changes to the curriculum as they have recognised the need for schools to teach the qualities that make young people into the citizens of the future.

This is something that schools have valued for many years and something that our church schools have had a strong emphasis on since their inception over 100 years ago. Awards for greatest progress in schools values the relentless determination of pupils to achieve; awards on sports and arts recognise the wide diversity of people’s abilities and the contribution of these to wider life and awards for personal and spiritual development, recognising the need for people to understand themselves and others around them, creating a more harmonious society.

Increasingly, I have seen our church schools combine these individual awards into a single award recognising a pupil’s commitment being a rounded individual who will positively impact on society.

In one of our schools this has now evolved to be a reflection of the words found in the Bible in the Gospel of John, where Jesus says: ‘I have come that they [people] may have life, and have it to the full.’ This school has combined academic study with spiritual reflection, service of others and acknowledgement of the wide varieties of skills and talents young people have.” and it sought to show the children how this model is one that creates ‘whole’ human beings that can perpetuate human flourishing.

I think the award presents a challenge to us all to reflect on our lives and on how rounded we are and whether we are experience the life that the Bible talks of - a life of fullness.

Stephen Whittaker Director, Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education