Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (SMSC)

What is SMSC?

It is the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development of the children in our school. This is not a separate subject that is a taught explicitly but an aspect of learning that should be present in lessons and the behaviour in school. Some lessons lend themselves more easily to SMSC development such as PSHCE (Personal Development) and RE. We also aim to develop SMSC through worship, behaviour expectations and our attitudes in school.

British Values

As articulated in the Government’s ‘Prevent’ strategy we have a focus on the core British Values which are: Democracy, The Rule of Law, Individual Liberty, Mutual Respect and Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs.

Through our SMSC provision we:

• Enable students to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence.

• Enable students to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England

• Encourage students to accept responsibility of their behaviour, show initiative, and to understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely.

• Enable students to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect of the public institutions and services in England.

• Further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling students to acquire an appreciation of and respect their own and other cultures.

• Encourage respect for other people

• Encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect on the basis on which the law is made and applied in England.

How do we ensure there are opportunities for SMSC development?

We want to give each child the opportunity to explore social and moral issues, develop a sense of social and moral responsibility and promote the British Values. We therefore aim to provide an education that provides children with opportunities to explore and develop:

• Their own values and beliefs

• Their own spiritual awareness

• Their own high standards of personal behaviour

• Their team and collaborative skills

• A positive, caring attitude towards other people

• An understanding of democratic processes and the law in England

• An appreciation and acceptance of the diversity and richness of their cultures

• Their opportunities to experience different cultures

• Their ability to celebrate each other’s successes

• Their access to a range of rich experiences