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 taught explicitly but an aspect of learning that should be present in lessons and behaviour in school. Some lessons lend themselves more easily to direct SMSC development such as PSHE and RE. We also aim to develop SMSC through our behaviour expectations and our attitudes in school.
British Values
The British Values which complement our school values and ethos are: Democracy, The Rule of Law, Individual Liberty, Mutual Respect and Tolerance of those of different faiths and belief.
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 for 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 for 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.
This underpins our ethos to developing SMSC in school. We ensure opportunities for developing the British Values through our SMSC.
How do we ensure there are opportunities for SMSC development?
At Denham Green we recognise that the personal development of
children, spiritually, morally, socially and culturally, plays a significant part in
their ability to learn and achieve. We want to give each child the opportunity to explore social and moral issue; 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 their social and cultural traditions
· 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 other cultures
· Their ability to celebrate each other’s successes
· Their access to a range of educational visits
Our opportunities for SMSC development are continuously changing and evolving. For example, we held an Afghan Day at the beginning of the academic year. We hold Monday assemblies addressing issues such as recognising diversity and celebrating World Peace Day. We hold elections for school council and have many opportunities for both Pupil and Parent Voice. Many of our lessons have SMSC links and out whole school philosophy is built upon respect and tolerance of each other.
Showing the impact of SMSC
We also use interviews and questionnaires to see the impact on the children’s development. We also look at the work produced by the children as well as talking to them. The School Council is a very important group which represents the classes. They do not hesitate to tell us what they feel and know. Mrs MacLeod, our Pastoral Manager, is always available to talk to the children about any issues they might have and want to discuss. We ensure we gather the information to give us the whole picture from different points of view.
