Character education linked with better GCSE results, new research finds

A new study, which reviewed data for over three million pupils in over 3,000 English secondary schools, found that schools awarded the Association for Character Education’s Quality Mark (QM) or Quality Mark Plus (QM+) consistently perform over and above expectations in GCSE exams relative to other schools in England (Non-QM).

The difference between QM+ and Non-QM schools over several years amounted to more than half a GCSE grade per pupil, averaged across subjects.

The research has been led by academics at the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at the University of Birmingham. It has been published today in Educational Review.

Character education is the explicit and intentional education of a set of traits or dispositions that produce specific moral emotions, inform motivation, and guide conduct. This includes positive traits like integrity, self-discipline, responsibility, kindness, and perseverance.

The researchers used Progress 8 scores to compare academic progress in schools recognised for character education with progress in schools without this recognition. Progress 8 is a value-added measure used by the government in England to compare a secondary school pupil's GCSE results (Attainment 8) with their performance at the end of primary school (Key Stage 2). It covers multiple subjects, including English and Maths.

Tom Harrison, Professor of Education at the University of Birmingham and Director of the Jubilee Centre, said: “The idea of character education has been around for a very long time, but it is now much more obvious in inspection frameworks, through national initiatives, and increasingly defines the strategic priorities of schools and some of the largest academy chains in England. This recognition has catalysed a broader institutional shift. Schools are not merely encouraged but expected to attend to the moral, civic, and wider intellectual development of their pupils – not instead of academic progress, but alongside it. This research affirms what we have been saying since the Centre was established: that character and attainment are not rival aims.

“There is a consistent concern that embedding character education across a school’s culture and curriculum may compromise academic progress. We wanted to test that concern by examining whether schools recognised for substantial character education provision showed academic drawbacks or, instead, more favourable patterns of attainment.”

The researchers used Department for Education data to evaluate the association between character education and Progress 8 performance. By analysing the data for over 3,000 secondary schools from 2016 to 2024, the researchers found that schools with either QM or QM+ status exhibited higher Progress 8 scores than Non-QM schools.

Recognition for character education was also associated with stronger academic performance in schools serving higher numbers of socioeconomically disadvantaged pupils.

Dr Shane McLoughlin, Associate Professor of Character Education at the University of Birmingham, said: “Until this study, the evidence linking intentional character education with academic outcomes was generally considered limited. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine this question across an entire national school system, using data from thousands of schools and millions of pupils. The findings suggest that helping pupils wrestle with enduring and increasingly urgent questions about what it means to be both good and human does not need to displace academic achievement.”

The paper also shares results from national surveys completed by staff members at QM and QM+ schools to understand how character education might help explain these stronger academic results. Respondents generally felt that character education had positive knock-on effects for academic attainment, with 32% saying they perceived the effects to be ‘extremely positive’ and 65% saying ‘somewhat positive’.

Staff reported that the benefits of character education include:

• Improved pupil behaviour and motivation.
• Encouraging perseverance and focus.
• Helping pupils manage setbacks and stress.
• Strengthening wellbeing and belonging.
• Improved staff wellbeing and pupil-staff relationships.
• Creating better conditions for learning, rather than replacing academic teaching.

The study concludes that embedding character education across a school may support classroom climate, pupil resilience, and emotional wellbeing, suggesting that treating the age-old question of how to be a good person as an educational necessity can sit neatly alongside the academic priorities of schools.