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Cheswick GreenPrimary School

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development

At Cheswick Green Primary School we believe in building a community of caring, compassionate, respectful and highly motivated children who will grow into strong members of society. Our school curriculum is planned to support this, and enriched with a wealth of opportunities for pupils to learn and play together, to take part in a wide variety of cultural activities, and to mix with people of other ages, cultures and faiths in order to develop an understanding and interest in the world.  

The personal development of pupils spiritually, morally, socially and culturally, plays a significant part in their ability to learn and achieve. At Cheswick Green Primary School, we therefore aim to provide an education that provides pupils with opportunities to explore and develop  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 (religious or otherwise) 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.

 

Jigsaw Scheme and Discovery RE

Our  work is supported by the use of both these schemes.

Jigsaw 

Jigsaw is more than a PSHE Scheme of Work. It provides a structured
programme of personal development to nurture the ‘whole child’ and increase
learning capacity, underpinned by mindfulness philosophy and practice.
Every Jigsaw lesson from Early Years to upper primary offers opportunities for children’s
spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development, and this is clearly mapped and
balanced across each year group.
Likewise, Jigsaw is designed to provide structured opportunities in every lesson to practise
and enhance the five skills associated with the emotional literacy (self-awareness, social
skills, empathy, motivation and managing feelings). At Jigsaw, we believe that these
opportunities are vital for children’s development, their understanding of themselves and
others and in increasing their capacity to learn.
The following grids give a quick visual reference and summary of where opportunities for SMSC and Protected Characteristics sit within Jigsaw.

Jigsaw Content Overview

SMSC and Emotional Literacy links in Jigsaw

Protected Characteristics in Jigsaw

 

Discovery RE

Discovery RE is an enquiry approach to RE

The key question for the enquiry is such that it demands an answer that weighs up ‘evidence’ and reaches a conclusion based on this. This necessitates children using their subject knowledge and applying it to the enquiry question, rather than this knowledge being an end in itself. Discovery RE focuses on critical thinking skills, on personal reflection into the child’s own thoughts and feelings, on growing subject knowledge and nurturing spiritual development.

 Discovery RE Overview

 

SMSC Policy

To find out more about SMSC in our school please follow this link

Our SMSC Policy

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