Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Curriculum

Statement on the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural curriculum at Harvey Road Primary School

At Harvey Road Primary School, the children and their learning are at the very heart of every decision made. Pupils will develop an inner focus where they are encouraged to not just ‘follow the crowd’ but to make up their own minds and be ready to accept responsibility for what they do.  Children will grow through making choices and taking increasing responsibility for the choices they have made.

The Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) education of pupils at Harvey Road underpins all the values and activities that our community have come to expect from our high achieving school.

SMSC is an essential part of school life as it influences the range of activities and experiences children at Harvey Road receive.  It also meets Article 2 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child where every opportunity will apply equally to every child without discrimination.

What do we mean by Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education?

Spiritual: Explore beliefs and experiences; respect faiths, feelings and values; enjoy learning about oneself, others and the surrounding world; use imagination and creativity; reflect

Moral: Recognise right and wrong; respect the law; understand consequences; investigate moral and ethical issues; offer reasoned views; have an appreciation of British Values

Social: Use a range of social skills within different contexts such as working with different pupils from different religions, ethnic and social-economic backgrounds; investigate how to help other social community groups (local, national and international) through volunteering; resolve differences of opinion; acceptance and engagement in the fundamental values of British democracy (the rule of law; individual liberty; mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs)

Cultural: Appreciate cultural influences; appreciate the role of Britain's parliamentary system; participate in culture opportunities; understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity; be willing to participate in and respond to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural experiences

SMSC helps a child to engage and discover by facilitating and inspiring opportunities to:

• Think and discuss about their own and other cultures
• Understand the importance of religion and how it shapes morality
• Interpret and empathize with different cultures, religions and philosophies
• Understand more about their own awareness of the big questions in the world and how to respect the opinions of others
• Discover how their own philosophical ideas fit in with the world around them
• Share their ideas that may be different from other people within in a safe and nurturing environment

British Values and Equality of Opportunity

British values and equality of opportunity sits side by side with SMSC.  The values of democracy, rule of law, mutual respect, tolerance and individual liberty along with every child having a right to have experience the same opportunities and experiences are intrinsically linked.  For more information please refer to the British Values and the Equality sections on our school website.

How is SMSC development provided at Harvey Road School?

The school curriculum is broad and balanced to prepare the children for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences that they can take forward as they grow up and enter adult life. In lessons, teachers take every opportunity to add to the breadth and depth of pupils’ cultural and spiritual experience, and aim to bring the best out in every individual in school. Provision for SMSC development is a high priority, especially during, but not exclusively, foundation subject lessons where we explore different cultures, question morals and discuss the impact of them on society.

Some lessons and practices particularly focus on developing children’s SMSC. These include:

• Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)
• Religious Education (RE), and Physical Education (PE)
• Learning to Learn
• Drama, Art and Music