SMSC

Spiritual   Moral    Social    Cultural

SMSC is a broad concept, representing the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education of pupils across all aspects of school life.  It is the over-arching umbrella that encompasses personal development across the whole curriculum and is central to the children’s ability to learn and achieve.

At Broadoak Primary School, we want our pupils to be successful, confident learners and responsible and caring members of society who are well-rounded citizens and who are able to make a positive contribution to the world. We believe that that the spiritual, moral, social and cultural element of children’s education is crucial to their development as an individual, allowing them to take their rightful place in the community and as local, national and global citizens. SMSC is centred upon the values children are encouraged to hold, their attitude towards learning, knowledge and society.  SMSC is fundamental in preparing children for their life ahead and understanding the world around them.  Our children are helped to develop positive attitudes and beliefs by being given opportunities which inspire and support their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and responsibility.

At Broadoak, SMSC is at the heart of school life, embedded through the curriculum, extra-curricular learning, assemblies and our interactions with each other during the school day.  SMSC plays a significant part in pupils’ happiness, learning and achievement. 

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development

Spiritual development:

Spiritual development enables people to look within themselves at their human relationships, at the wider world. The Spiritual development of all our children is addressed through various areas in our curriculum. We include spiritual practices including, prayer, worship, celebration of festivals both within RE and the wider curriculum.

We are committed to:

• celebrating the religious and non-religious beliefs and values that our pupils bring as part of their family/culture heritage and to building an awareness of and respect for others’ spiritual and religious beliefs
• fostering common human values and building spiritual capacities to promote self-worth, self-esteem and a valuing of others
• helping our pupils to come to an understanding of themselves as unique individuals and to celebrate this
• encouraging them to reflect on ultimate questions
• developing our pupils’ curiosity, imagination, creativity and promoting a sense of awe and wonder.

We will help our children to:

• Sustain their self-esteem in their learning experiences.
• Develop their capacity for critical and independent thought.
• Foster their emotional life and express their feelings.
• Experience moments of stillness and reflection.
• Discuss their beliefs, feelings, values and responses to personal experiences.
• Form and maintain worthwhile and satisfying relationships.

Moral development

Moral development: this refers to a child’s moral code, their attitude and belief in what is right and wrong and acting on it accordingly. We Provide a clear moral code for behaviour which has been shaped by the children and is promoted consistently though all aspects of school; for example our Behaviour Policy, Class and School rules, E-Safety/Online learning and Anti-bullying Policy and learning.

We are committed to encouraging pupils to:

• be truthful and honest
• respect the rights and property of others, their opinions and customs, particularly when they are different from our own
• help others
• solve differences of opinion in respectful, non-violent/ aggressive ways
• Recognise the unique value of each individual.
• Gain the confidence to cope with setbacks and learn from mistakes.
• Take initiative and act responsibly with consideration for others.
• Show respect for the environment.
• Make informed and independent judgements.
• To uphold our school Broadoak Backpack Character Values and British values

Consequently, we reject and have zero tolerance towards all forms of bullying, cruelty, dishonesty, violence and discrimination.

Social development

Social development: developing an understanding of rights and responsibilities of living in a community and the importance of being a “responsible citizen”. It also refers to the children understanding their role in society and the opportunity to develop the skills which will facilitate positive interactions.

We are committed to:

• Fostering the skill and qualities of team building through the development of self-confidence, co-operation, sensitivity to others, reliability, initiative and understanding.
• Providing an environment where pupils can take responsibility for themselves and others in school and the wider society.
• To promote volunteerism and making a contribution to society.

Cultural development

Cultural development: knowledge and understanding of others’ cultural traditions. We value and celebrate the cultural diversity of our school, our society and the world by:

• Promoting an appreciation of and tolerance towards our own cultural tradition/s and encouraging an appreciation of other peoples’ cultural traditions.
• Celebrating the richness of cultural diversity and tradition.
• Develop an understanding of Britain’s local, national, European, Commonwealth and global dimensions.

At Broadoak, we ensure that the SMSC development of our pupils is promoted across the curriculum and in the wider life of the school by:

• Providing an appropriate range of effective teaching and learning strategies that enables pupils to reflect on and respond to the issues of SMSC importance and concern.
• Maintain a positive climate in school in which all are valued and respected and expected to make a positive contribution.
• Encouraging teachers to plan for and respond to opportunities to develop SMSC dimensions of learning and to ensure subject leaders have an understanding of SMSC education in their subject.
• Recognising the importance of our curriculum in supporting and encouraging SMSC development
• Reviewing the effectiveness and impact of our policy and practice as part of our cycle of school development.

Implementation of SMSC

SMSC is considered and delivered in all curriculum subjects. We have established how SMSC is evident in our curriculum through our curriculum statements. (These can be found below).

Activities encourage pupils to recognise the spiritual, moral, social and cultural dimensions of their learning and to consider and reflect upon their significance.

We have mapped out through our SMSC termly rota and annual calendar, key events which we observe, discuss and celebrate. This forms part of our collective worship/ assemblies, in-class reflections and PSHE lessons. See our  SMSC annual calendar below.

Each class has a SMSC book where the children’s thoughts, views, feelings and comments are captured about ‘big questions’ posed to them. Some examples of our SMSC books are below.

The children at Broadoak are curious and intrigued by the world around them. Picture News – a current, topical resource we use- develops SMSC learning further through news stories that inspire our children. It allows them to debate issues, discover talents and interests through a broad coverage of world news. How can children know they are interested in something and establish their views, provoke thoughts if they don’t even know it exists?

Picture News is used weekly to expose children to a range of current issues including: political, religious, cultural, environmental, social, moral, and spiritual. Connections to meaningful and relevant British Values and UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are made and links between personal and school values are developed to ensure the personal and holistic development of the children at Broadoak.

Impact

The impact of prioritising SMSC in our curriculum is evident in, the inquisitiveness and involvement children have with their learning and the thoughtful work they produce, the discussions they have and the way in which they conduct themselves around school and the way they treat peers and staff as well as the contributions they make to whole school and community life. 

Broadoak children are empathetic, reflective, able to talk about personal feelings and experiences; express and clarify their own ideas and beliefs, whilst respecting those of others in our school and wider community. They embody Fundamental British Values and our Broadoak Backpack Character Values

Promoting Fundamental British Values

Fundamental British Values

At Broadoak we are committed to actively promoting British Values through our curriculum subjects and this forms part of our wider work in school with children in relation to their Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education (SMSC). At the heart of these values, lie good relationships in which teachers and students work together towards common goals.  These values are an integral part of Broadoak and are reinforced regularly in the following ways:

Democracy

Children have many opportunities for their voices to be heard. Each class votes for volunteering roles annually. The school council meets regularly to discuss issues raised in class council meetings. School council members bring issues raised by their class to the Headteacher and / or Deputy Headteacher for discussion. The annual election of House Captains is based solely on pupil votes and children are given the opportunity to create a campaign poster to explain why they should be elected before children in school vote. Children also have the opportunity to become part of the Eco-council in school and again this council is elected by pupil vote.

The Rule of Law

The importance of Laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through school assemblies. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. Visits from authorities such as the Police; Fire Service; Lifeguards etc. are regular parts of our calendar and help reinforce this message.

In addition to this, as a school we follow the Golden Rules which are reinforced through assemblies at the start of each academic year, are displayed in every classroom and are upheld when dealing with and discussing behaviour throughout the year. Our award assembly includes awards for Broadoak pupils of the week relating to children’s expected conduct. Each class discusses and signs their own class code each year, thinking about the rules that will help to make their school life run smoothly. 

Individual Liberty

Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make their own choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. 

As a school we educate and provide boundaries for young pupils to make choices safety, through our provision of a safe environment and empowering education. Children are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety lessons, RE lessons and PSHE lessons.

Whether it be through choice of challenge, enquiry question, recording method, or participation in our numerous extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to make their own choices. However, children are also taught that their right to make their own choices can affect other people's individual freedoms - so they must exercise their freedoms carefully.

Mutual Respect and Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

At Broadoak Primary School mutual respect is at the heart of our values. Pupils have been part of discussions and assemblies related to what this means and how it is shown. Displays around the school promote respect for others and this is reiterated through our classroom and learning rules, as well as our behaviour policy. Children learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community treat each other with kindness.

We enhance pupils understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity. Assemblies and discussions involving prejudices and prejudice-based bullying have been followed and supported by learning in RE and PSHE.

Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. Children visit places of worship that are important to different faiths and learn about those faiths through our RE curriculum.

Our School Values:

Broadoak Backpack Character Values

Values help to build character and shape the mindsets and behaviour of our children now and in their future life. So, their importance is not underestimated. We endeavor to create confident, kind, happy and resilient students that are fully prepared for their life ahead both in future education and employment through their attitude and attributes.

We have 10 values - chosen by staff, governors, parents and children. 

• Respect
• Perseverance
• Ambition
• Kindness
• Honesty
• Co-operation
• Empathy
• Resilience
• Acceptance
• Gratitude

We focus on a different value for 3 weeks and our values are embedded within our curriculum.  At Broadoak, we are committed to actively promoting British Values, which complement our own vision and values. This forms part of our wider work in school with children in relation to their Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education (SMSC). At the heart of these values, lie good relationships in which teachers and pupils work together towards common goals.

Embedding our school values and British Values in day-to-day life can help shape each pupil’s understanding of the world. Everyday activities that focus on developing character and values will embed them as an underpinning part of pupils’ lives.