Social, Moral, Spiritual and Culture Education

At Hawbush Primary School, we recognise that a child’s personal development plays an important role in their ability to learn and achieve. As such, we aim to provide opportunities that enable children to explore and develop spiritually, morally, socially and culturally (SMSC).

We consciously facilitate opportunities in these four areas in the following ways:

Social Development

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

Pupils’ social development is shown by 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 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; they develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.

We promote this at Hawbush Primary School through:

• Fostering a sense of community through involvement in community art projects, sports events, partnerships with local churches and supporting local charities and events, and visits from role models from the community.

• Encouraging children to work co-operatively; for example, paired reading, Play Leaders, Sports Squad, house systems, JLT and School Council.

• Providing positive cooperative experiences; for example, sporting events, Christmas and Summer performances, Choir performances, team games on the playground and a range of club events.

• Providing children with role models from their community; for example, visits from firemen, police officers, Seeing Eye dog trainers and older pupils both current and those that have moved on.

• Helping pupils to develop personal qualities which are valued in society; for example, thoughtfulness, honesty, respect, moral principles, independence, inter-dependence and self-respect.

• Encouraging children to challenge, when necessary and in appropriate ways, the values of a group or a wider community through public speaking training and assemblies which introduce children to positive role models.

• Helping children to resolve tensions between their own aspirations and those of a group or wider society; through adult support, Year 4-6 residential visits, PSHE and circle time discussions and assemblies.

Moral Development

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

Pupils’ moral development is shown by their:

• ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and to readily apply this understanding in their own lives, recognise legal boundaries 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 ability to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues.

We promote this at Hawbush through:

• An opportunity for pupils to explore and understand human emotions and the way they impact on people through English, Drama, Music and Dance.

• Providing a clear moral code for behaviour which has been shaped by the children and is promoted consistently though all aspects of school; for example, Behaviour Policy, Class and School rules, E-Safety learning and Anti-bullying learning.

• Giving pupils opportunities to explore personal rights and responsibilities and to develop moral concepts and values throughout the curriculum; for example, during RE, History, English, Drama. Also, through extra-curricular activities, such as School Council, Junior Leadership Team, the Year 4-6 residential visit.

• Rewarding expressions of moral insights and good behaviour through our school behaviour policy and reward system.

• Encouraging pupils to take responsibility for their actions; for example, respect for property, care for the environment and developing their own codes of behaviour.

• Providing children with models of virtue, through literature, history, science, art during learning in class, assemblies and through acts of worship.

• Reinforcing our school’s values through images, posters, classroom displays and exhibitions.

Spiritual Development

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

Pupils’ moral development is shown by their:

• ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and to readily apply this understanding in their own lives, recognise legal boundaries 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 ability to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues.

We promote this at Hawbush through:

• Teaching a comprehensive RE Curriculum and focus upon the spiritual development.

• Have wider links with local churches such as Amblecote Christian Centre.

• Promote visits to a range of places of worship.

• Have a range of assembly themes throughout the year that cover a range of RS topics.

• Promote a curriculum that is broadly Christian in line with LA guidance.

Cultural Development

Appreciate cultural influences; appreciate the role of Britain's parliamentary system; participate in culture opportunities; understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity.

We promote this at Hawbush through:

• A range of educational visits that promote a diverse cultural education.

• Project Based Learning themes which ensure pupils have access to a broad curriculum.

• Theme weeks/ days, for example, Black History Month, Chinese New Year, Sports Week, Saint’s Days, Harvest Festival.

• European languages day where the children sample food, learn dances, dress up and explore other languages.

• Attending events for sports, for example, hockey, gymnastics and football.

• Events for the arts, for example, Voices and Visions, Bhangra dancing, theatre group visits, music workshops and Hawbush's Got Talent.

• Visitors/ trips that develop the pupils’ understanding of their world, for example, Cadbury World, art galleries, museums, farms, zoos and wild life parks.