Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (SMCSC) Policy. Introduction and Rationale

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1 Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (SMCSC) Policy Date Review Date Contact Lead Educator Introduction and Rationale Examples of Newbury Hall s SMSC provision can be found on our website at: newburyhall.me/smsc At Newbury Hall we recognise that the personal development of students (spiritually, morally, socially and culturally) plays a signi cant part in their ability to learn and achieve. We aim to o er an education that provides students with opportunities to explore and develop their own values and beliefs, spiritual awareness, high standards of personal behaviour and a positive caring attitude towards others. We aim to help them achieve an understanding of social and cultural traditions, and an appreciation of the diversity and richness of their cultures. Newbury Hall is a non-denominational school where students of all faiths and belief systems are encouraged to strive for academic excellence and a spirit of open and shared enquiry, whilst developing their individual potential and qualities of character so they can make a positive contribution to the world. The school curriculum aims to promote students' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and prepare all students for opportunities, responsibilities and expectations in life. Moral values, principles and spirituality will be explored throughout the curriculum. The integrity and spirituality of all faiths will be respected. Students are given access to alternative and diverse views. We aim for our students to understand and appreciate the range of di erent cultures and faiths in modern democratic Britain. All sta model and promote expected behaviour, treating all people as valuable individuals and showing respect for students and their families. Students are encouraged to di erentiate between right and wrong and look at how their actions a ect others. They are encouraged to value themselves. Students are encouraged to understand the need for rules for the good of everyone. Classroom and school rules re ect and reward acceptable behaviour, and celebrate work and achievements. De nitions Spiritual Development Spiritual development is associated with the search for meaning and purpose in life. It relates to a dimension of life which is not necessarily experienced through the physical senses, but has much to do with feelings and emotions, attitudes and beliefs. Students' 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. Students develop the knowledge, skills, understanding, qualities and attitudes the need to foster their own inner lives and non-material well-being. Newbury Hall promotes Spiritual Development through: Page 1 of 5

2 the values and attitudes the school identi es, upholds and fosters reinforcing a student's sense of self-worth focusing on positive 'success' rather than negative 'failure' providing opportunities for students to learn about and respond to a variety of beliefs and values fostering a fascination and enjoyment in learning using imagination and creativity in learning Moral Development Moral development is concerned with students' ability to make judgements about how they should behave and act, and the reasons for such behaviour. Students' moral development involves students acquiring an understanding of the di erence between right and wrong, and of moral con ict, a concern for others and the willing to re ect on the consequences of their actions and learn how to forgive themselves and others. Students develop the knowledge, skills, understanding, qualities and attitudes they need in order to make responsible moral decisions and to act on them. Newbury Hall promotes Moral Development through: making it clear what kinds of behaviour are expected highlighting examples of high standards of behaviour, truthfulness, integrity and honesty adults explaining why certain behaviour is acceptable or unacceptable Social Development Social development refers to the development of abilities and qualities that students need to acquire if they are to play a full and active part in society and the wider community. It also relates to the growth of knowledge and understanding of society in all its aspects. Students' social development involves students 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. Students develop the knowledge, skills, understanding, qualities and attitudes they need to make an active contribution to the democratic process in each of their communities. Newbury Hall promotes Social Development through: encouraging students to relate positively to others giving students the opportunity to make decisions with a group, and experience being a member of a group encouraging students to take responsibility giving students an understanding of their role within the wider community Cultural Development Cultural development refers to the development of knowledge and understanding and the appreciation of di ering cultural beliefs, customs and traditions. A central theme concerns the development of a sense of personal identity whilst, at the same time, acquiring awareness, understanding and tolerance regarding the cultural traditions of others. Our school promotes cultural developments by giving children opportunities to engage in a wide range of cultural activities. Students' cultural development involves students acquiring an understanding of cultural traditions and an ability to appreciate and respond to a variety of aesthetic experiences. students acquire a respect for their own culture and that of others, an interest in others' way of doing things and curiosity about di erences. They develop the knowledge, skills, understanding, qualities and attitudes they need to understand, appreciate and contribute to culture. Newbury Hall promotes Cultural development through: encouraging knowledge of the student's own cultural traditions and practices, along with those of other cultural groups within society adopting the view that diversity makes the world a richer place encouraging children to engage with a variety of cultures through celebrating International Events Page 2 of 5

3 Aims of the SMSC Policy SMSC provision at Newbury Hall extends the school s aims and ethos, namely: School Aims & Ethos The aim of the school is to make sure its students develop the intellectual and social behaviour and attitudes that will allow them to lead a ful lling life both on the personal and professional fronts. Our students are equipped to ourish academically, socially and emotionally, both for their own bene t and that of others, in ways that can be encapsulated in three key words: Gusto: Approaching life and learning with energy and enthusiasm; being intellectually curious to nd out more; and displaying eloquence, zest and vitality. Grit: Having goals and working to achieve them; overcoming obstacles; meeting challenges and maintaining focus; demonstrating resilience, discipline and self-control. Growth: Believing we can all improve and learn at every stage of life; taking pride in our growing competence; remaining optimistic, open-minded and showing genuine appreciation for our opportunities and the support of those around us. In accordance with ISSR 5.(a), our SMSC provision aims to help ensure that a Newbury Hall education actively promotes the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with di erent faiths and beliefs through discussion, instruction, autonomous study, etc. Furthermore, and in accordance with the other subparagraphs of ISSR 5, our SMSC provision ensures that principles are actively promoted which: Enable pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-con dence; Enable pupils to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England; Encourage pupils to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative and understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality in which the school is situated and to society more widely; Enable pupils to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in England; Further tolerance and harmony between di erent cultural traditions by enabling pupils to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures; Encourage respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act; and Encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic process, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England. Equally, Newbury Hall: Precludes the promotion of partisan political views in the teaching of any subject in the school; and Takes such steps as are reasonably practicable to ensure that where political issues are brought to the attention of pupils they are o ered a balanced presentation of opposing views, while they are in Page 3 of 5

4 attendance at the school, while they are taking part in extracurricular activities which are provided or organised by or on behalf of the school, or in the promotion at the school, including through the distribution of promotional material, of extra-curricular activities taking place at the school or elsewhere, In addition to the ISSRs reiterated above, Newbury Hall s SMSC policy aims: To ensure that everyone in Newbury Hall is aware of our values; To ensure that a student's education is within a meaningful context and appropriate to their age, aptitude and background; To ensure that students know what is expected of them; To give each student a range of opportunities, and enable them to overcome barriers to their learning; To enable each student to develop an understanding of their own identity to improve self-esteem and self-con dence; To enable students to develop an understanding of their cultural and social environment, and an appreciation of the many cultures in our society; To give each student an opportunity to explore social and moral issues and develop a sense of social and moral responsibility; To develop respect towards diversity in relation to gender, race, religion and beliefs, culture, sexual orientation and disability; To respond positively to a range of artistic, sporting and cultural opportunities provided by the school, including an appreciation of theatre, music and literature. Opportunity for including SMSC within the curriculum All curriculum areas should seek to use illustrations and examples drawn from as wide a range of cultural contexts as possible. This will be re ected in planning and learning resources, for example: ENGLISH Develops con dence and expertise in language, which is an important aspect of individual and social identity Enables students to understand and engage with the feelings and values embodied in high quality poetry, ction, drama, lm and television Develops students' awareness of moral and social issues in ction, journalism, magazines, radio, television and lm Helps students to understand how language changes over time, the in uences on spoken and written language, and social attitudes to the use of language Helps students to engage in emotional literacy through di ering genres MATHEMATICS Promotes positive attitudes towards mathematics through appropriate groupings Creates an understanding that mathematics has an historical and cultural base Greek, Arabic, Egyptian and the importance of these cultures Enables students to acknowledge the important contribution made to mathematics by all cultures SCIENCE Encourages students to re ect on the wonder of the natural world, as well as an understanding of our place in the great scheme of things (through the study of space and life processes) Raises awareness of the ways that science and technology can a ect society and the environment O ers consideration of the moral dilemmas that can result in scienti c developments Shows respect for di ering opinions, eg creation Allows co-operation in practical activity Raises awareness that scienti c developments are the product of many di erent cultures The study of cause and e ect Page 4 of 5

5 HUMANITIES Looks at the establishment of multi-cultural Britain Shows an awareness of the moral implications of the actions of historical gures O ers opportunities for re ection on the creation and earth's origins Re ects on the fair distribution of the earth's resources Studies people and places gives students the chance to re ect on the social and cultural characteristics of society ART Art can provide a valuable tool to study the past and make social or moral comment on it Gives students the chance to re ect on nature, their environment and surroundings Studying great works of art can give an insight into the culture or other people and provide a strong link with the past, reinforcing the value of societies Studying artists with spiritual or religious theme, issues raised by artists which concerns ethical issues ie war and violence PHYSICAL EDUCATION Provides activities involving co-operation, teamwork, competition, rules, self-discipline and fair play Explores the sports and traditions of a variety of cultures, and learning that sport is an important element of many cultures eg the history of sporting events such as the Olympics O ers individual activities that provide the opportunity for self-re ection and challenge Demonstrates the positives of caring for our bodies and respecting the health of others PSHE Considers moral and environmental issues and our role in caring for the environment Supports students to make good choices in all areas, especially behaviour and understanding the impact of this on others O ers the opportunity to explore moral and spiritual questions through discussions Provides experiences of drama and role play linked to choices Highlights feelings and emotions, through listening to others Links with the wider Community Visitors are welcomed into our school dependent on the appropriate, rigorous safeguarding checks. Visits to cultural venues such as theatres, cinemas and libraries are undertaken. Students are taught to appreciate and take responsibility for the environment. We liaise with local schools to run Science Challenge Competitions and sporting events. Monitoring and Implementation of the Policy The implementation of this policy is the responsibility of all Sta (teaching and non-teaching). Our ful lment of the aims of the SMSC policy is monitored in (approximately weekly) learning walks, biannual teacher appraisals, regular student interviews and surveys and by the SLT. Discussions are held at sta meetings and sta are actively encouraged to share classroom work and practice. This policy is made available to Parents, ETOs, Guardians, Sta, Proprietor and Students via the school website, and held within policy folders stored in the school o ces. Upon request, a copy can be obtained from Student Services. Signed: Date: 01/09/17 Jon Crocker Principal Page 5 of 5