Blakehill Primary School

Social Moral Social Cultural (SMSC) and British Values at Blakehill

Intent

At Blakehill Primary School, we have designed our SMSC and British Values curriculum with the intent that our children will become resilient, independent, well rounded learners. Our SMSC will ensure that Blakehill children are equipped with the necessary skills to be: successful, moral adults that live healthy lifestyles and take on opportunities beyond their horizons.

SMSC (Socail, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural) will deliver a curriculum that:

Enhances community and celebrates the cultural diversity within our school.
Is inclusive, develops self-confidence and identifies that all our children are unique, as well as recognising their potential.
Encourages our children to be self-motivated, independent and resilient by developing inquiry based skills that allow them to make mistakes and learn from them.
Enables each child to add a positive contribution to their community and the wider society.
Promotes an equal value on their physical and mental well-being and ensures they are prepared for life in modern Britain.

To further support SMSC we uphold and teach children about British values which are defined as:

democracy
the rule of law
individual liberty
mutual respect
tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

Implementation

These values are taught explicitly through our Personal, Social, Health and Emotional lessons (PSHE), and Religious Education (RE), assemblies and in the carousel sessions in ks2. They are also taught through the delivery of a broad and balanced curriculum which includes real opportunities for exploring them, for example in history and geography, and through our assemblies. Actively promoting these values also includes challenging opinions or behaviour in school that are contrary to them. These values are integral to our vision statement, and are reinforced regularly in the following ways:

Spiritual development

Children’s spiritual development involves the growth of their sense of self, their unique potential, their understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, and their will to achieve. As their curiosity about themselves and their place in the world increases, they try to answer for themselves some of life's fundamental questions. They develop the knowledge, skills, understanding, qualities and attitudes they need to foster their own inner lives and non-material wellbeing.

Moral development

Moral development involves children acquiring an understanding of the difference between right and wrong and of moral conflict, a concern for others and the will to do what is right. They are able and willing to reflect on the consequences of their actions and learn how to forgive themselves and others. They develop the knowledge, skills and understanding, qualities and attitudes they need in order to make responsible moral decisions and act on them.

Social development

Social development involves children acquiring an understanding of the responsibilities and rights of being members of families and communities (local, national and global), and an ability to relate to others and to work with others for the common good. They display a sense of belonging and an increasing willingness to participate. They develop the knowledge, skills, understanding, qualities and attitudes they need to become active citizens within their community.

Cultural development

Cultural development involves children acquiring an understanding of cultural traditions and heritage, and the ability to appreciate and respond to ‘the arts’. The children will acquire a respect for their own culture and that of others, an interest in others' ways of doing things and curiosity about differences. They develop the knowledge, skills, understanding, qualities and attitudes they need to understand, appreciate and contribute to culture

Democracy

Pupils have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our School Council. The election of the School Council members reflects our British electoral system and demonstrates democracy in action: candidates make speeches, pupils consider characteristics important for an elected representative and pupils vote in secret. Made up of one representative from each class, the School Council meets regularly to discuss issues raised by the different classes. The council is genuinely able to effect change within the school; it is currently involved in planning changes for the school lunches, and in the creation of a new menu. Other examples of ‘pupil voice’ include using pupil feedback forms, and in the nomination of various charities to be supported by the school. Pupils are always listened to by adults and are taught to listen carefully and with concern to each other, respecting the right of every individual to have their opinions and voices heard. We also encourage pupils to take ownership of their own learning and progress.

The Rule of Law

The importance of rules and laws, whether they be those that govern our school or our country, are referred to and reinforced often, such as in assemblies and when reflecting on behaviour choices. At the start of the school year, each class discusses its set of class rules, to ensure all can learn in a safe and ordered environment. This value is reinforced in different ways, including visits to and from authorities such as the police and during Religious Education when rules for particular faiths are thought about. The values are also considered during other school subjects, where there is respect and appreciation for different rules, such as in sports lessons.

Individual Liberty

Alongside rules and laws, we promote freedom of choice and the right to respectfully express views and beliefs. Pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, through the provision of a safe environment and planned curriculum, and to understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms safely, for example through our e-Safety teaching.

Mutual Respect

Children are taught that it is expected and imperative that respect is shown to everyone, whatever differences we may have. Children learn that their behaviour choices have an effect on their own rights and those of others. Mutual respect is a value learnt from an early age and is re-emphasised in Year 5 with the buddy system with Key Stage 1 where children give and receive respect from their buddies. In R.E children learn to respect and tolerate other faiths. Part of our school ethos and behaviour policy are based around values such as ‘respect’ and ‘responsibility’ and these values determine how we live as a school community.

Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs

This is achieved through enhancing pupils’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity in our local community, for example by visiting the different places of worship. Assemblies and discussions involving prejudices and prejudice-based bullying have been followed and supported by learning in RE and PSHE. We are very proud to be linked to the Wellington Primary School, which is a predominantly Muslim school. The children learn about our partner school, recognising the similarities and differences between our daily lives. With the teaching of RE and themes in assemblies, the children at Blakehill learn out the 6 main religions and learn to respect the choices made my others about their beliefs.

Impact

All children understand the importance of PSHE, RE, SMSC and British Values and the effects it can have on life in and out of school, this is evident through termly pupil voice and PSHE coverage monitoring by the curriculum leader. By teaching pupils to stay safe and healthy, by building self-esteem, resilience and empathy, our effective PSHE programme tackles barriers to learning, raises aspirations, and improves the life chances of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils. By the time children leave our school, personal, social and health education (PSHE) enables our learners to become healthy, independent and responsible members of a society. It helps them understand how they are developing personally and socially, and tackles many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up. Our curriculum allows pupils to learn about rights and responsibilities and appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society. Our children are encouraged to develop their sense of self-worth by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community.