Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development Statement
Together we are strong and powerful learners
“Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.” 1 Corinthians 12:14
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development Statement
Why is SMSC Development Important?
To become happy and successful citizens in the 21st century children need to explore and develop their own values and beliefs, spiritual awareness and personal behaviour. They need to develop 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.
Content:
All aspects of school life and the curriculum have the potential to contribute to SMSC development. The ethos of our school and the values which are implicit in the life and work of our school will have a powerful effect on the extent to which this potential is realised.
The foundations of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are laid at home. The school programme for promoting pupil’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is seen as complementing and supporting the work of parents and carers.
The place of Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development
It is important to recognise the role of the school in promoting these four kinds of development because education is concerned with more than just giving children a body of knowledge and a range of skills. A successful and improving school will have a positive effect on how children think about themselves and the world, about their notions of right and wrong, how they relate to others and their appreciation of the richness of their own and other ways of life.
Through our provision of SMSC at St Botolph’s we will:
• Enable our pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence;
• Enable our pupils to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England;
• Encourage our pupils 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 our school and to society more widely;
• Enable our pupils 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 our pupils to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures;
• Encourage respect for other people;
• Encourage respect for democracy and support participation in the democratic process, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England.
Spiritual Development
This relates to the quest for individual identity and the search for meaning and purpose in our existence. It leads towards the understanding of self and others. It has to do with feelings, emotions, attitudes and beliefs. It is not solely linked to a particular doctrine or faith and spiritual development is therefore accessible to everyone.
Aims and Objectives for Spiritual Development
• To develop the ability to listen and be still
• To develop the ability to be reflective about their own beliefs, religious or otherwise, which inform their perspective on life and their interest in and respect for different people’s faiths, feelings and values.
• To develop a sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them
• To develop the skill to use all one’s senses and the ability to reflect
• To develop the use of imagination and creativity in their learning to sense wonder and mystery in the world
• To develop self-confidence and the ability to recognise the special nature of human relationships
Promoting Spiritual Development
At St Botolph’s School we provide opportunities for pupils to develop their spirituality by reflecting on their own and others’ experiences, acquiring self-knowledge, thinking about their own beliefs, values and aspirations, making personal responses to questions about the purpose and meaning of life. We provide opportunities for our pupils to develop empathy and understanding of others. We celebrate the achievement of individuals, classes and groups of children in our assemblies. Spiritual development is not the same as religious development, though religious education and collective worship will play particularly important roles in our school.
Moral Development
Pupils are encouraged to understand the need for a common set of school rules and to follow them from conviction rather than because of sanctions or consequences. At St Botolph’s we work with a clear understanding of what is right and wrong. From this basis pupils develop the ability to make judgements and to become increasingly responsible for their own actions and behaviour.
Aims and Objectives for Moral Development
• To understand the principles behind decisions and actions and to make decisions, accepting and understanding the consequences of their actions.
• To move from a taught morality to taking responsibility for their own moral decisions.
• To be able to distinguish between right and wrong, to tell the truth and to apply their understanding of right and wrong in their own lives and, in so doing, respect the civil and criminal law of England.
• To respect the rights and properties of others.
• To exercise self-discipline.
• To develop high expectations and a positive attitude.
• To be considerate to others.
• To develop an interest in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues, and to be able to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues.
Social Development
This enables pupils to participate fully in their family, class, and school, local and wider communities. There will be a balance of the positive and satisfying elements of belonging to a group along with the demands and obligations of such a membership.
Aims and Objectives for Social Development
• To relate positively to others and share emotions such as love, joy, hope, anguish, fear and reverence.
• To participate fully and take responsibility in class and school and across a range of situations such as clubs, visits, musical and sporting events and church services.
• To use appropriate behaviour in a range of situations.
• To show care and consideration for others e.g. sharing and turn taking
• To develop an understanding of citizenship and work cooperatively with others to become part of a caring community.
• To realise that every individual has something to offer and to use their own initiative responsibly.
• To accept and engage with the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs; our pupils will develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.
Promoting Social Development
Our school promotes social development by encouraging people to relate positively to each other. We provide a wide range of extra-curricular activities and we involve our pupils in community activities and services such as performing musically for the elderly at Christmas time and becoming involved in the end of year Music and Arts festival. We promote open and honest relationships within and out of school. We encourage our pupils to listen to others and respect their opinions in a democratic environment. We provide good role models in a range of situations and encourage our pupils to take responsibility and become involved in decision making.
Cultural Development
This aspect focuses on the need to develop a sense of personal identity, whilst at the same time acquiring awareness, understanding and tolerance of the cultural traditions and beliefs of others.
Aims and Objectives of Cultural Development
• To develop an understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that has shaped their own heritage and that of others.
• To understand and appreciate the range of different cultures within our school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain.
• To develop a knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to develop Britain.
• To share and respect different cultural traditions and experiences.
• To encourage a willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic, sporting and cultural opportunities
• To develop an appreciation of the Arts and a love for learning.
• To develop an interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity, and the extent to which they understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity, as shown by the pupils’ tolerance and attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities.
Promoting Cultural Development
We give pupils the opportunity to engage in a range of cultural activities so that they may appreciate aspects of their own and others’ cultural traditions.
Implementation of Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education
This will be achieved through opportunities in the curriculum for example: the teaching of French to all pupils in Key Stage 2; through Science by learning about famous scientists from different countries and the study of different religions as part of the R.E. curriculum.
The children take part in School Council activities and there are Buddy systems in place for older pupils to support younger children. These provide many opportunities for encouraging independence within our children’s SMSC development.
Adults and children, following our school Mission Statement (motto), provide good role models at all levels. Expectation of good behaviour is high throughout the school.