Social Moral Spiritual and Cultural (SMSC) threads through the very veins of Stratton Primary School. 

Intent

At Stratton Primary School we strive to create a learning environment which promotes respect, diversity and self-awareness that equips all of our pupils with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values they will need to succeed in their future lives. Stratton Primary School recognises that the spiritual, moral, social and cultural element of pupils’ education is crucial to their development as an individual, allowing them to take their rightful place in the community as local, national and global citizens. The Fundamental British Values of democracy, the rules of law, individual liberty and respect/tolerance permeate the work of the school.

SMSC at Stratton Primary School is underpinned by our mission statement:

• At Stratton Primary School we endeavour to maximise the life chances of all.
• We recognise the potential of every individual to achieve excellence.
• We value and celebrate the diversity of our community and the belief that “Together We succeed”.

The Stratton curriculum aims to provide a wide range of artistic, sporting and cultural opportunities that encourage pupils to work together and use imagination in their learning. We encourage pupils to reflect and empathise with others as well as giving them the confidence to provide their opinions and develop their own view points.

This policy should be read alongside the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) overview.

Implementation

Spiritual Development

Definition

Spiritual development focuses on an individual’s own personal beliefs and values and their resulting behaviours. Through spiritual development, children are able to understand and communicate their own feelings and emotions and this enables them to reflect and to learn. In addition, pupils develop an understanding of the value and role of faith and religion in society.

Curriculum opportunities enable pupils to:

• Be curious and to express feelings of delight and wonder, (scientific investigations, new life, the global landscape including Jenda link)
• Empathise and consider the viewpoints of others, (debates, drama activities, discussing feelings and empathising with characters in familiar stories)
• Consider how a belief can change people’s lifestyles, (R.E, investigating communities and faiths, historical case studies)
• Discuss what they think they have achieved and what they need to do to be successful in the future, (self-assessment, target setting activities)

Moral Development

Definition
Moral development means exploring, understanding and recognising shared values and considering the issues of right and wrong.

The classroom environment and curriculum promote moral development through:

• Codes of conduct and class rules, agreed with children and displayed in the classroom
• Clear and consistent rewards and sanctions that children understand and believe to be fair.
• Class and school assemblies that discuss moral values and cite expectations, including Fundamental British Values.
• Activities that enable pupils to give opinions and show their values.
• Discussing the choices made by the pupils and others, and the resulting outcomes.
• The values of ‘Justice’ and ‘Forgiveness’ are explicitly modelled throughout the school.
• Explicit teaching of a character curriculum
• An understanding of Fundamental British Values communicated through assemblies as well as across the curriculum.

Social Development

Definition
Social development involves learners working effectively together and participating successfully in the school community as a whole. During a pupil’s social development, they gain interpersonal skills that allow them to form successful relationships and to become a positive team member.

Social skills are developed through:

• Modelling of positive social behaviour by all staff
• After school clubs
• Sporting activities
• Buddy and team games at play times and lunch times
• Lunchtime helpers and Playground Sports Leaders
• Turn taking and team building activities
• Pair and small group work within the classroom
• Working with others across the local community (local care homes, cluster schools, Budehaven Community School, St. Andrew's Church)
• Residential and educational visits and visitors
• PSHE and RSE curriculum

Cultural Development

Definition
Cultural development enables learner’s to develop an understanding of their own culture and of other cultures locally, nationally and internationally. It also means learning to feel comfortable in a variety of cultures and valuing cultural diversity.

Children are introduced to a regional and global perspective in life through:

• Links with local and international schools (including Jenda in Ethiopia and Gueltas in France)
• Stories from different cultures
• First hand experiences through local visits, theatre, art and artists
• Visitors from the local and international community
• Being part of National and International fund raising events
• Studies of a different lifestyle including different food, dress, festivals and places of worship.
• Learning about other cultures when raising money for charity
• Children are taught to understand the lifestyles and choices made by the variety of different cultures and faiths that exist within the school.

Impact

The planning and coordination of SMSC are the responsibility of the Pupil Development Leaders, alongside the Educational Visits lead, who also:

• Supports colleagues in their teaching, by keeping informed about current developments in the subject, and by providing a strategic lead and direction for SMSC;
• Speaks to the children about different elements of SMSC and uses this to inform future planning.
• Uses specially allocated, regular management time to review planning of SMSC across the curriculum, evidence of the children’s work and to observe elements of SMSC across the school.
• Plans termly staff meetings to explore identified values and the SMSC links that may exist within these.