“Exceptional Schools of Character are those that have a clear long term vision for how they will develop virtue in their students, and a roadmap of how to get there; that all stakeholders feel inspired to ‘get behind.’ This is evidently the case at Ark Boulton. The visionary and courageous leadership has completely transformed the school over the previous 5 years, and has put character and virtue at the heart of this change. This leadership is supported by a highly experienced governing team who have a clear understanding of the school’s next phase in its character programme. Character education provision should always reflect the needs of the local community and the children that the school serves. This principle was at the core of Ark Boulton’s character provision and is one of the many critical success factors for why the school is flourishing”