British Values & SMSC

Shared Values

We explored the meanings of the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural values in the context of Barnwell School and arrived at the following working definitions, whilst accepting that no definition is absolute.

SMSC is a dimension of the whole school experience which makes the curriculum relevant, stimulating, creative and fun. It enriches each subject and the ethos of the whole school by encouraging us all to explore, in an appropriate way.

Spiritual development

It is about the development of a sense of identity, self-worth, personal insight, meaning and purpose. It is about the development of a pupil’s spirit, soul, personality or character.

The spiritual development of students’ is shown by their:

• ability to be reflective about their own beliefs, religious or otherwise, that inform their perspective on life and their interest in 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

Moral development

Enabling pupils to build a framework of moral values, aligned with the law of the land, which regulates their personal behaviour. It is also about gaining an understanding of the range of views and the reasons for the range. It is also about developing an opinion about the different views.

The moral development of students is shown by their:

• ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong, readily apply this understanding in their own lives and, in so doing, 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 being able to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues

Social development

Young people working effectively with each other and the development of the inter-personal skills necessary for successful relationships. It is about functioning effectively in a multi-racial, multi-cultural society and making a positive contribution to the school community and wider society.

The social development of students is shown by their:

• use of a range of social skills in different contexts, including working and socialising with pupils 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 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; the pupils develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain

Cultural development

Helping pupils to develop an understanding of their own culture and other cultures in their town, region and in the country as a whole. Promoting pupils’ cultural development is intimately linked with schools’ attempts to value cultural diversity and prevent racism.

The cultural development of pupils is shown by 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 within school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain
• 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, sporting and cultural opportunities

How we promote opportunities for SMSC

SMSC in the curriculum is a way of making the curriculum relevant to the experiences, past, present and future of the students. It provides depth and integrity to what we do and humanises the curriculum. All subjects can and should contribute to this and identify in plans where this will be done and possible areas where they may arise naturally. Because we have a shared understanding of SMSC, teachers are better able to identify both planned and spontaneous opportunities across the whole curriculum.

As well as the curriculum opportunities for SMSC development we have a plethora of other avenues that all explore the SMSC strands. Pastoral curriculums which are worked through in form time focus on different areas and are further developed in related weekly college and Year group assemblies.

Whole-school promotion of SMSC

School Ethos

The promotion of students' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development provides the why (as opposed to the ‘what’ and ‘how’) of education. It is an essential ingredient of school success and every adult in school has a major role to play in promoting this. Values are communicated both implicitly and explicitly. The way we respond to students, the relationships we build with them, the examples we set, all express the values we live by and can be shared and explored. It is expected that in all our dealings with students, we all strive to adhere to and promote theses values.

School Curriculum

Every subject area contributes to the SMSC development of students and will highlight in medium-term planning (Schemes of Work) opportunities for SMSC. These will not be set in stone as sometimes these opportunities might not be appropriate, or other opportunities might arise. SMSC is organic and grows through our responses to the opportunities provided by our subjects, our interests and above all by the experiences and interests of the students. Our clear understanding of the role of SMSC in education and our commitment to promote it will be the key to our success.

Teaching & Learning

Teachers will inspire students through the enthusiasm for and modelling of learning. Teachers will use creative strategies and challenging questions to engage students in their learning and relate it to their own experiences.

Extra-curricular activities and community links

Personal development is enriched through a wide range of extra-curricular activities, which provide opportunities for SMSC and for inspiring students to broaden their experience and horizons. These make significant contributions to the ethos and spirit of the school. Barnwell offers a huge amount of educational opportunities outside of the classroom. There is an extensive range of local, regional, national and international trips and visits on offer. These are all very popular and allow students and staff to experience the world away from school.

We work in partnership with parents and the wider community to make sure that we give our students the best possible environment in which to grow, flourish and learn

'Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong' Ofsted- January 2018