This article reflects on findings from a qualitative evaluation of the Narnian Virtues Character Education English Curriculum (NV) in the context of critical engagement with the field of character education. We recognise many people argue for or against character education based on ideological positions. This article will reflect on how those positions relate to our data, recognising in practice dominant neoliberal and deficit narratives influence the operationalising of the curriculum. It is then argued that character education has the potential to promote the wellbeing of young people where there exists robust conceptualisions of character and young people, whilst also making an overt effort to resist and challenge dominant ideologies.