Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural
Intent
At Arboretum Primary School we are READY, RESPECTFUL and SAFE members of our community. We firmly believe that spiritual, moral, social, cultural (SMSC) development enriches each subject. Arboretum is a calm, safe and respectful environment that supports children to feel confident to express and be reflective about the views they hold, but also the views of others. SMSC at Arboretum will ensure that all children are equipped with the necessary skills to become successful members of our community and wider society.
Implementation
SMSC plays a significant part in our ability to learn and achieve. We therefore aim to provide an education that provides pupils with opportunities to explore and develop. Our staff model the importance of being a reflective citizen and excellent SMSC values are woven through our school ethos and daily life. Through daily discussions, careful planning of vocabulary and questioning, children have the opportunity to explore values and beliefs and the ways in which they impact on people’s lives. Extra-curricular clubs and enriching experiences that promote fundamental British values are provided throughout the year across all year groups. A separate document identified how British Values are embedded across the curriculum demonstrates the aforementioned point. Opportunities to demonstrate how democracy works for example are evidenced through the election of the class school councillor. Pupil voice is valued and to this extent, pupils are able to contribute to many decisions such as during the interview process for new members of school.
Impact
Through consistent and high quality teaching of SMSC our children will:
Be thoughtful and children that grown into considerate moral adults that are self-reliant and resilient, leading healthy and happy lives and contributing positively to the groups they belong to.
- Be ready by showing they are self-motivated, independent and resilient by developing skills that allow them to make mistakes and learn from them.
- Children will feel that their views are valued and that they have a voice.
- Have high level of self-esteem and self-confidence.
- Distinguish right from wrong, accept responsibility for their behaviour, accept their consequence and reflect on strategies that would help.
- 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.
- Respect for other people and different cultural traditions by enabling students to gain an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures.