Social Moral Spiritual Cultural ( SMSC)

Spiritual Moral Social and Cultural

Article 14, “Children have the right to think and believe what they want, and to practise their religion, as long as they are not stopping other people from enjoying their rights.”

At  Bretherton Endowed CE Primary School we recognise that the personal development of pupils, spiritually, morally, socially and culturally plays a significant part in their ability to learn and achieve.  Our Vision Statement captures our desire to inspire, through our Christian values, unique individuals who can grow and achieve to flourish in all aspects of life. Through nurture and challenge to flourish; to lead and serve in their lifelong journey as a local, national and global citizen. We therefore aim to provide an education that provides children with opportunities to explore and develop their own values and beliefs, spiritual awareness, high standards of personal behaviour, a positive caring attitude towards other people, an understanding of their social and cultural traditions and an appreciation of the diversity and richness of other cultures.

All curriculum areas have a contribution to the pupil's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and opportunities for this will be planned in each area of the curriculum. See individual subject pages on our website for specific links.  Christian values, principles and spirituality will be explored in the curriculum, especially in RE and collective worship.  The integrity and spirituality of other faith backgrounds will be respected and explored.  The diversity of spiritual traditions will be recognised, and pupils will be given access to alternative views.

All adults will model and promote expected behaviour, treating all people as valuable individuals and showing respect for pupils and their families. Pupils should learn to differentiate between right and wrong in as far as their actions affect other people.  They will be encouraged to value themselves and others.

Pupils should understand their rights and responsibilities and the need to respect the rights of others. School and classroom charters should promote responsible behaviour. All curriculum areas should seek to use illustrations and examples drawn from as wide a range of cultural contexts as possible. This will be reflected in the teacher's planning and learning resources.

General aims

We aim to ensure:

• That everyone connected with the school is aware of our values and mission statement.
• A consistent approach to the delivery of SMSC issues through the curriculum and the general life of the school.
• That a pupil's education is set within the context that is meaningful and appropriate to their age, aptitude and background.
• That pupils have a good understanding of their responsibilities

Through classroom discussions we will give the children opportunities to:

• Share their achievements and successes with others
• Talk about personal experiences and feelings.
• Express and clarify their own ideas and beliefs.
• Speak about difficult events, e.g. bullying, death etc.
• Explore relationships with friends/family/others.
• Consider the needs and behaviour of others.
• Show empathy.
• Develop self-esteem and a respect for others.
• Develop a sense of belonging.
• Develop the skills and attitudes that enable children to develop socially, morally, spiritually and culturally e.g. empathy, respect, open-mindedness, sensitivity, critical awareness etc.

Many curriculum areas provide opportunities to:

• Listen and talk to each other.
• Learn an awareness of treating all as equals, accepting people who are different because of physical and learning difficulties.
• Agree and disagree.
• Experiencing good role models.
• Take turns and share equipment.
• Work co-operatively and collaboratively.

Spiritual Development

Sustain their self-esteem in their learning experience
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.
• Reflect on, consider and celebrate the wonders and mysteries of life.

Moral Development

Children are taught to recognise the difference between right and wrong and readily apply this understanding in their own lives. The parallels with legal boundaries and respecting the civil and criminal law of England are made explicit to the older children informally and in the context of making appropriate choices:

• The school behaviour policy is clear and understood by whole school community. It both celebrates right choices and demonstrates there are consequences when these choices are not made. (see Behaviour (relational) Policy)
• Behaviour matters are discussed with the children involved in the spirit of restorative conversations so that we can learn by our mistakes and make amends.
• Play Leaders support children at playtimes to make the right choices and help resolve conflict and build and develop relationships.
• Class contracts are negotiated with the children at the start of the school year and everyone signs to show their commitment to them. These are displayed in every class together with our school values, however our Mission Statement is used to reinforce our core principles.
• School expectations are based on our school values which are very prominently displayed throughout the school 
• School values are further explored through collective worship.

British values are integrated across the curriculum and are threaded through all aspects of school. 

Children are given opportunities to use their initiative and make a positive contribution, accepting responsibility for their decisions over behaviour and actions which have consequences for themselves and others. This can be seen through our pupil voice groups. 

Children are given opportunities to show an interest in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues and an ability to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues. Big questions around justice, deprivation, exploitation, ethics and equality are planned into our curriculum and debated by children eg The Archbishop Challenge in Y6 and Y2 and through our Confident Me and Mini Me projects.  Children discuss ethical and moral issues in RE and PSHE and Y5 and Y6 through Debt Aware and NSPCC sessions. National days such as Anti-Bullying and Internet Safety days provide an informed forum for debate as do visits and visitors. Children are taught debating skills and associated language and rubrics eg Disagree Agreeably. Class readers are carefully chosen to provoke debate around moral/ethical issues eg Y1: BeeguBringing the rain to Kaptili Plain; Year 2: The Odd Egg; House held up by trees. Y3 : The journey Home; The Tin Forest.Y4: Odd and the Frost Giant; Y5: Varmints; Hidden Figures; The Great kapok Tree; Y6: A Beautiful Lie; The Arrival; Windrush Child;On the Move

At Bretherton our pupils will:

• Recognise the unique value of each individual.
• Listen and respond appropriately to the views of others.
• Gain the confidence to cope with setbacks and learn from mistakes.
• Take initiative and act responsibly with consideration for others.
• Distinguish between right and wrong.
• Show respect for the environment.
• Make informed and independent judgements.
• Take action for justice
• Understand the importance of values education including in money management and enterprise.

Social Development

Children are given opportunities to use of a range of social skills in different contexts, for example working and socialising with other pupils, including those from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds thereby being able to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence.

There are opportunities for the children to socialise with others from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic background through our collaboration with other schools being developed outside of Lancashire and our cluster of school TARDiS eg in sporting competitions, choir and dance festivals, poetry and public speaking performances and Bretherton Walking Day.

Our Pastoral teaching assistant works with individual or small groups of children supporting their development of social skills. The Confident Me Approach has been recently introduced to provide greater insight and resources for helping children and families in their social interactions, self-esteem, self-confidence and sense of well-being.

At Bretherton, pupils will:

• Develop an understanding of their individual and group identity.
• Help others in the school and wider community.
• Be encouraged to participate in a variety of community and social events including volunteering, co operating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively.
• Be involved with national and local charities such as NSPCC, who encourage children’s voice in expressing what makes them feel uncomfortable which is subsequently reinforced through regular circle times in classes.Through the links within our curriculum, we encourage children to learn to ‘live with contradictory convictions’ in which they develop reason, engagement and participation.Teachers are also confident to move beyond planned opportunities to make the most of questions raised by the curiosity of pupils and opportunities that occur spontaneously across the curriculum eg Dangers of littering on local animals, traffic impact in our village

Cultural Development

Children have the opportunity to understand and appreciate the different cultures within our school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain. We are developing links abroad to develop pen friend letters, photographs and offer other means of mutual support. 

All our teaching and collective worship is balanced and offers a range of views appropriate to the age of the children.

Children are willing to participate in and respond positively to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities including knowledge about public institutions and services.

Children are encouraged to understand and appreciate of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and those of others

History of our school display is developing all the time and history and geography topics within our curriculum celebrate the school heritage. We have close links to our community who came to school and live/lived in Bretherton including our staff and Governors which fosters a sense of ‘belonging’.

Through our themed learning, children learn about how the past has influenced the present and how actions today will influence the future eg visits to local heritage sites eg Preston Docks, Preston Cotton Mills, change of land use for GA foods, Bank Hall and our own Feofee involvement in school and developments over time. 

The school takes part in national events that mark cultural heritage, ie Armistice Day, Black History Month, World Faith festivals. 

Our pupils at Bretherton: 

• Recognise the value and richness of cultural diversity in Britain.
• Parents and pupils and visitors are invited into school to share their beliefs with classes.
• There is a range of sporting activities and sports coaches run activities before, during and after school which are all enthusiastically received.
• There is also a wide variety of musical opportunities which are very popular eg Peripatetic music lessons in school, Parent and cluster school performances, Young Voices and One voice community choir,  and our own school choir.
• Resources in school reflect a range of cultures from around the world.
• As part of West Lancashire Sports Partnership and our local cluster, there are plenty of opportunities for inter-school competitions and trying new sports eg archery, fencing, golf, scooter and many more.
• Develop an understanding of Britain's local, national, European, Commonwealth and global dimensions.
• Through visiting drama/theatres companies we celebrate cultural diversity.
• A wide range of trips and visitors teaches the children about public institutions and services eg fire, police, lifeguards and nurses.
• The curriculum provides artistic opportunities and there is always a display of the children’s artwork in communal areas of the school to celebrate and inspire.

Practical activities to develop SMSC will include:

• Working together in different groupings and situations.
• Encouraging the children to behave appropriately at meal times.
• Taking responsibility e.g. class monitors, peer mentors, Peer mediators, house captains, membership on the school council/eco-council, register monitors, assembly monitors, play leaders
• Encouraging teamwork in PE and games.
• Showing appreciation of the performances of other children regardless of ability.
• Hearing music from different composers, cultures and genres
• Meeting people from different cultures and countries.
• Participation in a variety of different educational visits.
• Participation in live performances.
• Use of assembly themes to explore important aspects of our heritage and other cultures e.g. festival days, the patron saints and national celebrations.
• Studying literature and art from different cultures.
• Opportunities for the children to hear and see live performances by professional actors, dancers and musicians.
• Opportunities to make and evaluate food from other countries.
• Opportunities in music to learn songs from different cultures and play a range of instruments
• Studying the contributions to society that certain famous people have made.

Links with the wider community

• Visitors are welcomed into our school.
• Links with the local church are fostered.
• Visits to places of worship of other faiths will be arranged to support the understanding of different cultures.
• The school will support the work of a variety of charities.
• Pupils will be taught to appreciate and take responsibility for their local environment.
• Linking with the Christian community in Pakistan

Monitoring and evaluation

Provision for SMSC is monitored and reviewed on a regular basis.  This achieved by:

• Monitoring of teaching and learning and work scrutiny
• Regular discussions at staff and governors' meetings.

In school

Our 'Thinking Display' is changed regularly and encourages children to explore their own thoughts, opinions and feelings on aspects of values, British values and protected characteristics within our Christian framework.

June 2023 we thought about Pride, and the wide variety of family units and how important diversity is

Sept 2023 we thought about the start of Black History month and looked at famous black, disabled and female mathematicians and how important their work and how inspiring their stories are.

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