Menston Primary School

SMSC and British Values

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education (SMSC)

At Menston 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:

Spiritual development: This refers to a child’s beliefs, religious or otherwise, which inform their perspective on life and their respect for other people’s feelings and values. It is about the development of a sense of identity, self-worth, personality and character. This is supported by:

• An awareness of, understanding and respect for their own and others’ beliefs.
• The opportunity for children to experience ‘awe and wonder’ through exploring natural environments.
• Promoting teaching styles which value pupils’ questions and gives them space for their own thoughts, ideas and concerns so they can make connections between their learning and the context of their own lives.
• Delivering the Believing and Belonging in West Yorkshire RE syllabus.
• Visiting  places of worship in the immediate and wider communities.

Moral development: This refers to a child’s moral code, their attitude and belief in what is right or wrong. This is supported by:

• Providing a clear moral code for behaviour which has been shaped by the children and is promoted consistently through all aspects of school; for example, Behaviour Policy, Class and School rules, online 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, PSHE and assemblies.
• Rewarding moral insights and good behaviour through our school behaviour policy and reward systems.
• Encouraging pupils to take responsibility for their actions; for example, respect for property, care for the environment and developing their own codes of behaviour, and developing a spirit of openness and honesty.
• Reinforcing our school’s values through images, posters and classroom displays.

Social development: This refers to a child’s understanding of their roles in society and the opportunity to develop the skills which will facilitate positive interaction with their local community. This is supported by:

• Fostering a sense of community through involvement in community projects and events, sporting events, supporting local charities and events and visits from role models from the community.
• Encouraging children to work co-operatively; for example, the playground SHINE team, Y6 buddies for Reception children, School Council.
• Providing positive cooperative experiences; for example, sporting events, Harvest, Christmas, Easter and summer performances.
• Being actively involved in supporting PTA events through the Friends of Menston Primary School.
• Providing children with role models from our community; for example, visits from The Fire Service, PCSO, the Dogs Trust, Science Day ambassadors.
• Forging strong links with the local village library and estate agency, as well as the local Menston New magazine, where children’s work is displayed and published.
• Litter picking club, where children have opportunities to keep our village clean and tidy.
• Year 6 ambassadors for parent visits for Reception new starters.

Cultural development: This refers to a child’s understanding of the beliefs, values and customs in their own and others’ social, ethnic and national groups. This is supported by:

• Providing children with opportunities to explore their own culture assumptions and values through the curriculum and special events.
• Celebrating the attitudes, values and diverse cultures in RE, PSHE, geography, history, English, art, dance, music and assemblies, drawing on the children’s own cultural backgrounds and wider cultural values and customs.
• Linking with other schools with diverse communities through the Schools Linking Network.
• Reinforcing our school’s cultural values through assemblies, learning, displays and photographs.
• Providing class library books which are written by authors with diverse cultural heritage and which contain subject matter that promotes understanding and tolerance of diversity in all its forms.

British Values

In accordance with The Department for Education, we aim to actively promote British values in our school to ensure young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils are encouraged to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance and understand that while different people may hold different views about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, all people living in England are subject to its law.

The Key British Values are:

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

Democracy:

Pupils have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our School Council. The elections for our School Councillors are based solely on pupil votes. Our school behaviour policy involves rewards which the pupils vote on as a class group. We provide pupils with a broad general knowledge of, and promote respect for, public institutions and services. We teach pupils how they can influence decision-making through the democratic process. We teach a dedicated topic on the civil rights movement in Year 2 and in Year 6 children learn about how equality has changed over time. We encourage pupils to become involved in decision-making processes and ensure they are listened to in school. We help pupils to express their views and we model how perceived injustice can be peacefully challenged.

The Rule of Law:

The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through school assemblies. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken.

We ensure that children understand why we have rules in school and that school rules and expectations are clear and fair. We help pupils to understand that living under the rule of law protects individuals and we help pupils to distinguish right from wrong.

Individual Liberty:

Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for young pupils to make choices safely, through of provision of a safe environment and empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safeguarding and PSHE lessons. Whether it is through the choice of challenge; of how they record work; or of participation in our numerous extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to make choices.

We support pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem, self-confidence and we encourage pupils to take responsibility for their behaviour, as well as knowing their rights.

Mutual Respect:

Part of our school ethos and behaviour policy has revolved around core values, including the value of respect. Children’s understanding of mutual respect is reinforced regularly through assemblies, work in class and daily interactions around school.

We teach children how to behave respectfully towards others, including teaching them that everyone should be treated with equal respect. We model respectful interactions and thank pupils and adults for demonstrating respectful behaviours. We teach children to expect to be treated respectfully and to ask adults for help in dealing with any disrespectful interactions that they feel unable to challenge.

Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs:

Children are taught to be tolerant through developing their understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society. Assemblies and discussions are supported by learning in RE and PSHE lessons. People with different faiths and religious beliefs are encouraged to share their knowledge and experiences to enhance children’s tolerance and understanding.

We use aspects of the No Outsiders scheme within our  assemblies and PSHE lessons to explore the protected characteristics of the 2010 Equality Act to promote respect for individual differences and to actively challenge stereotypes. We explore positive role models (where possible) through our topics who reflect the protected characteristics of the 2010 Equality Act. We always challenge prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour. We organise visits to places of worship and our RE curriculum ensures that our children have a good understanding of a range of religious beliefs and customs. We help pupils to acquire an understanding of, and respect for, their own and other cultures and ways of life.