Clowne Infant & Nursery School
‘We take our children on a journey of discovery, giving them aspirations and engaging them in lifelong learning’
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SMSC and British Values
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (SMSC) and British Values at Clowne Infant and Nursery School
We value SMSC as an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum.
SMSC stands for Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education. Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development is the over-arching umbrella that encompasses personal development across the whole curriculum. SMSC is now highlighted by government as a key means of promoting British values, schools should promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and the mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.At Clowne Infant and Nursery School, SMSC underpins what we do. We aim to promote our children's SMSC development and inspire children to have high aspirations and to make positive contributions to their community and lead a successful life in modern Britain. SMSC underpins the ethos of the school; “We take our children on a journey of discovery, giving them aspirations and engaging them in lifelong learning.”
The spiritual development of pupils 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.
The moral development of pupils 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.
The social development of pupils 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.
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,
- 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 their tolerance and attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities.
We promote ‘British Values’ through our spiritual, moral, social and cultural education which permeates through the school’s curriculum and supports the development of the ‘whole child’. We recognise that such development is most successful when those values and attitudes are promoted by all the staff and provide a model of behaviour for our children.
Promoting British Values:
The Department for Education state that there is a need “to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote 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 government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy and these values were reiterated by the Prime Minister in 2014. At Clowne Infant and Nursery School these values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways.
Democracy-
The ability to understand and communicate are the most important areas of learning. We ensure that children are given a ‘voice’ to communicate. We empower our children by giving them opportunities to make choices about the things that they believe to be important. We also encourage our children to understand that everyone has a right to their opinion and that their ideas and opinions are important and are valued. By valuing each ‘voice’ and by listening and responding to that voice we demonstrate that we support democracy. At Clowne Infant and Nursery School we have School Council and our school council members are elected by their fellow peers, thus providing our school council members with a sense of responsibility. We go on to share with our children that in our country we vote in elections.
Rule of Law-
Across school our children are involved in setting classroom rules and expectations of behaviour. This helps children to make acceptable decisions and choices, recognising the difference between right and wrong and that there are consequences to actions. Children are supported in managing their behaviour and taking responsibility for their actions. This is emphasized both in school and in the wider community. Throughout the year we have visits from the police and we discuss that rules and laws are in place to protect us as individuals. Staff are committed to providing a consistent and predictable environment within the school and beyond. This type of environment enables children to feel safe and secure; this in turn, promotes the optimum conditions for learning to take place.
Individual Liberty-
Within school pupils need to be actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for our pupils to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment and an empowering education. Children are encouraged to become good and valued citizens. We do this by supporting each child to become as independent as possible. We endeavour to demonstrate that everyone has rights and are allowed to say what they believe. Many of our children will be able to take responsibility for particular roles and to understand that with certain rights comes certain responsibilities. Learning to do things independently is an important part of learning to understand yourself. Independence and taking responsibility is praised throughout areas of the curriculum and is celebrated with class trophies and in assemblies.
Mutual Respect –
Mutual respect is at the heart of everything we do in school. Children learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community are encouraged to treat each other with respect and we know that if we are kind then people will be kind to us. The pupils know and understand that it is expected and imperative that respect is shown to everyone, whatever differences we may have and to everything, however big or small.
Tolerance of Those With Different Faiths And Beliefs -
We enhance pupils understanding of different faiths and beliefs through religious education studies, P.S.H.E, participating in celebrations such as Diwali, Chinese New Year, Hannukkah and welcoming visitors into our school to enrich and extend understanding. Through this our pupils gain an enhanced understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society. Our children also visit places of worship that are important to different faiths and the children are beginning to recognise and respect Britain as a diverse and multi-cultural society.