Spiritual, Moral. Social and Cultural Education

At Bewick Bridge, we recognise that the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our pupils is of fundamental importance in the ‘whole child’ education we strive to achieve. It supports all areas of learning and is key to a child’s motivation to learn. We recognise that such development is most successful when the values and attitudes promoted by all the staff provide a model of behaviour for our pupils. These values are outlined below:

Spiritual
Explore beliefs and experiences; respect values; discover oneself and the surrounding world; use imagination and creativity; reflect.

Moral
Recognise right and wrong; understand consequences; investigate moral and ethical issues; offer reasoned views.

Social
Use social skills in different contexts; work well with others; resolve conflicts; understand how communities work.

Cultural
Appreciate cultural influences; participate in culture opportunities; understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity.

We therefore aim to provide an education that provides pupils with opportunities to explore and develop their 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 world cultures.

All our curriculum areas have a contribution to make to a child’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and opportunities for this will be planned in each area of the curriculum.

The Ofsted handbook identifies outstanding provision for SMSC in these terms and we follow this guidance.

Provision for the spiritual development of pupils includes developing their:

• ability to be reflective about their own beliefs and perspective on life;

• knowledge of, and respect for, different people’s faiths, feelings and values;

• sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them;

• use of imagination and creativity in their learning;

• willingness to reflect on their experiences.

Provision for the moral development of pupils includes developing their:

• ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and to readily apply this understanding in their own lives, and to recognise legal boundaries and, in doing so, respect the civil and criminal law of England;

• understanding of the consequences of their behaviour and actions;

• interest in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues and ability to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues.

Provision for the social development of pupils includes developing their:

• 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;

• willingness to participate in a variety of communities and social settings, including by volunteering, cooperating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively;

• acceptance of and engagement 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. They will develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.

Provision for the cultural development of pupils includes developing their:

• understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and that of others;

• understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures in the school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain;

• ability to recognise, and value, the things we share in common across cultural, religious, ethnic and socio-economic communities;

• knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to develop Britain;

• willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities;

• interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity and the extent to which they understand, accept and respect diversity. This is shown by their respect and attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities.