Jubilee Centre School Virtue Measure (SVM) School Ethos—Students’ Questionnaire
Below, you fill find a list of character strengths that a person may have. To what extent do you think that you have each of these character strengths? Please answer from 1 (not at all like me) to 5 (very much like me)
I‌ am creative am curious am open-minded love learning have perspective am brave have persistence have integrity have vitality show love am kind have social intelligence am loyal am fair am a leader show forgiveness am humble am prudent have self-control appreciate beauty am grateful have hope have a sense of humour am spiritual
Not at all like me
1
Very much like me
2
3
4
5
Please read to following stories carefully before attempting the exercises.
Becky
Becky is 15 and has been picked as the only one from a large group of girls her age to represent her club in a very important gymnastics competition. Becky feels very honoured and is bursting with excitement to go. Becky knows that her coach has been looking for sponsorship to take the team to the competition and, one day, he announces that he has organised a photo-shoot for a glossy brochure to promote the team.
When the day of the photo-shoot arrives, Becky arrives at the club a little late. Glancing around and getting ready, she sees that that only a small handful of girls have been asked to come to the photo-shoot and that the others are all already being made up by a make-up artist before posing for photos in their leotard. With a shock, Becky realises that it’s only the pretty girls in the team who have been asked to come and that the photos for the brochure won’t include the whole team (in which there are many other equally talented girls and boys). Becky becomes afraid that the coach plans to use the girls’ good looks to get sponsorship for the team and she doesn’t think that is right. But she sees that the photo shoot is already well underway and she can’t see a way to get out of it without talking to the coach in front of everyone else. Think about the following ways that Becky could respond to this situation. Please rank them from 1 (best) to 5 (worst):
Becky will really want to do her best for the team, so she should hurry up and get the photos over with so that she can get on with her training. Becky will feel that she should hurry up and get ready for the shoot. It’s what the coach wants and he knows best. Becky will feel that this is not what gymnastics is about. She should explain to her coach that she cannot take part in the photo shoot, even if this means that she cannot go to the competition.
Becky will probably feel really tempted to push on and pose for the photographs like everyone else, but she should fight this temptation because she does not want to do something wrong. Becky will find it very hard to say no to the photographs when the other girls are doing them. While she may have beliefs that she wants to stand up for, now is not the time to make a scene.
Fatima Fatima loves netball and is a good player. During a games lesson Fatima is told by the teacher that she has been picked as captain of the school netball team. One of her jobs as captain is to pick a team to play another school next week. Fatima plays netball seriously and not just for fun. She knows who to pick to win but her best friend, Roberta, who is not so good at netball, rushes up to her after the lesson and says, ‘you’re going to pick me, aren’t you? You owe me!’ Fatima knows that, as captain, she has a responsibility to pick the strongest players. However, Fatima also knows it will make Roberta very upset if she isn’t allowed to play and that Roberta can be difficult for days if she doesn’t get what she wants.
Think about the following ways that Fatima could respond to this situation. Please rank them from 1 (best) to 5 (worst):
Fatima will want to pick only the best players, whether that includes Roberta or not. Fatima should let Roberta play because she can be difficult if she doesn’t get what she wants and this can last for days. Even though Fatima knows it wasn’t right for Roberta to ask, she owes her a lot as her best friend, so she should let her play. Fatima will feel sorry for Roberta because they are friends, but she should still pick only the strongest players for her team. Fatima should pick Roberta. She is the captain and can do what she wants.
At lunch one day, Vera, Tanya and Jake are deep in discussion. Their whole year group was supposed to take an important physics test that morning, but the lights went out in their class and they were sent to lunch early. Joe and Danielle are in another class and their class did take the test straight before lunch. The teacher in that class made the students promise not to discuss the test with anyone who had not already taken it and warned them that they would get in trouble if they did. Knowing that Joe and Danielle have taken the test earlier in the day, the three already sitting at the table call Joe and Danielle over and ask them about the test.
Danielle
Joe likes Tanya and immediately tells her everything that was on the test. Tanya looks pleased and tells them ‘thanks guys, without you we would have failed – we promise we won’t tell anyone’. Vera and Jake look very pleased and promise they will keep the secret too, but Danielle is shocked to hear Joe discuss the test. He knew very well that he had promised not to say anything. Think about the following ways that Danielle could respond to this situation. Please rank them from 1 (best) to 5 (worst):
Danielle will feel upset that Joe has broken his promise. She should do something about it – either talk to those involved or talk to the teacher. Danielle should tell the teacher. She may get in trouble if she doesn’t. Danielle will be tempted to stay quiet, because no-one will ever know. But she should still do something about it – either talk to those involved or talk to a teacher. Danielle will know that Joe promised to stay quiet, but all her friends seem to think this is OK, so she should just stay quiet. Vera and Jake are pleased with Joe and Danielle and promised to keep the secret, so the best thing for Danielle to do is to stay quiet.
Peter
Peter has always found maths hard and it doesn’t help that he sits next to Michael who finds maths easy. Michael is often quite mean to Peter and deliberately shows him up in maths class by mocking his mistakes. Nowadays, Peter prefers not to speak to Michael at all. One day, after a particularly difficult maths lesson, Peter finds Michael alone in the corridor. The two boys have never got on but Peter can see that Michael is very upset and has been crying. Michael really doesn’t seem himself and there is no-one else around because lessons are already beginning and both boys are a little late.
Think about the following ways that Peter could respond to this situation. Please rank them from 1 (best) to 5 (worst):
Peter knows that he should make sure Michael is OK, but it would be awkward to act like he cares now. He should pretend he doesn’t see Peter is upset and walk past. Peter will find it really hard to help Michael because of the mean things said in maths. Even so, Peter should fight these thoughts to see that Michael is OK. Peter can see that something is wrong and should ask Michael whether he is OK. Peter should check that Michael is not in difficulty just in case someone is watching. Peter knows that this is what people expect. Peter knows that he should try and help someone when they are in trouble, but, this time, it is Michael, who has also been mean to him. So Peter should just ignore Michael.
Andy Things are going well for Andy. He has a great group of friends and a girlfriend who he loves. His studies are going well too. His career advisor has told him he is borderline for getting a scholarship to university but would be almost certain to get it if he can improve his A-level Maths marks. This is really important to Andy - if he can get the scholarship, he will be the first person from his family to go to University. Although his friends and girlfriend understand Andy’s situation, they can’t believe that he would pass up the opportunity to go to a music festival at the weekend. His girlfriend asks him to reconsider and warns him he is testing her patience. He really would like to go to the festival but he knows that if he goes he will have to cut his studying time short since the A-level exam is scheduled for the day after he would get home and Andy knows he wouldn’t realistically study much on the trip. Think about the following ways that Andy could respond to this situation. Please rank them from 1 (best) to 5 (worst):
The scholarship is what is most important to Andy right now and for his future, so he should tell his girlfriend he is sorry that he cannot go to the festival and not think any further about missing out on the concert. Andy loves music festivals. He should go to the concert because this is what he really wants to do – he certainly does not want to study maths. Although Andy wants to study maths, his girlfriend will be very upset if he does this and so he should decide to go to the festival with her. Andy should tell his girlfriend that he is sorry that he cannot go to the festival, but Andy will also secretly regret missing the outing. Andy should study maths because this is what his teachers want.
Please think about the following statements carefully and rate them according to the following scale. 1— Strongly Agree, 2—Agree, 3—Neither Agree Nor Disagree, 4—Disagree, 5— Strongly Disagree
Care and Kindness Our teachers notice when we show care and kindness towards others I notice that other students in my school demonstrate care, concern and respect for all in the school community. Overall, students in my school look out for each other.
Discipline In matters of discipline my school treats all students equally Bad behaviour that is affecting other students negatively is soon stopped at my school.
Respect I can see that the head teacher talks to other teachers with respect. Most of the students in my school think it is important to show respect to the teachers. I can see that other teachers really do respect the head teacher.
Communication My teachers take the time to listen to me.
I would feel quite uncomfortable discussing personal problems with one of my teachers I have to do my part for my school to be a good one
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2
3
4
5
1— Strongly Agree, 2—Agree, 3—Neither Agree Nor Disagree, 4—Disagree, 5— Strongly Disagree
Valuing Values Trying hard is valued just as much as getting good results. I am praised when I am being a good person as well as when I am doing good work. Most of the students in my school think it is all right to copy information straight from the internet when doing homework. I feel grateful to teachers and other school staff for the work that they do on my behalf. I demonstrate a sense of responsibility by upholding the rules of the school. My teachers influence me through their conduct. In my school we are encouraged to put the needs of others before our own. My teachers help me to understand what is right and wrong.
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5