What is SMSC?

It is the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development of the children in our school. SMSC is an integral part of a child’s education. It helps them to develop into aspirational, respectful individuals who will be prepared to live full active lives in their communities, as adults.

This is not a separate subject that is taught explicitly but an aspect of learning that should be present around school; in lessons and behaviour in school. Some lessons lend themselves more easily to direct SMSC development such as PSHE and RE. We also aim to develop SMSC through assemblies, behaviour expectations and our attitudes in school. (Ofsted have provided definitions which are below).

Our SMSC Mission Statement

At Sneyd Academy, we strive to create an environment which promotes respect, diversity and self-awareness and equips all of our pupils with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values they will need to succeed in their future lives. We ensure the curriculum provides a wide range of artistic, sporting and cultural opportunities that encourage pupils to work together and use imagination in their learning. We aspire to provide activities that require pupils to reflect and empathise with others as well as giving them the confidence to provide their opinions and develop their own view points. Our school values of Respect, Resilience, Friendship, Positivity and Pride underpin everything we do.

As well as developing and promoting the SMSC values, we also promote the following fundamental British values: Democracy, Rule of Law, Individual liberty, Mutual respect and Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. Please feel free to take a look at our British Values page to learn more about how we promote the British Values. Click here.

How do we ensure there are opportunities for SMSC development?

At Sneyd Academy we recognise that the personal development of children, spiritually, morally, socially and culturally, plays a significant part in their ability to learn and achieve. We want to give each child the opportunity to explore social and moral issues; develop a sense of social and moral responsibility and promote the British Values. We therefore aim to provide an education that provides children with opportunities to explore and develop:

• Their own values and beliefs
• Their own spiritual awareness
• Their own high standards of personal behaviour
• Their team and collaborative skills
• A positive, caring attitude towards other people
• An understanding of their social and cultural traditions
• An understanding of democratic processes and the law in England
• An appreciation and acceptance of the diversity and richness of their cultures
• Their opportunities to experience other cultures
• Their ability to celebrate each other’s successes
• Their access to a range of educational visits

Our opportunities for SMSC development are continuously changing and evolving.

Links with the Wider Community

• Visitors are welcomed into our school
• Links with the local churches are fostered
• Visits to places of worship of other faiths will be arranged to support the understanding of different cultures
• The school supports the work of a variety of charities
• The development of a strong home-school link is regarded as very important, enabling parents and teachers to work in an effective partnership to support the children
• Children will be taught to appreciate and take responsibility for their local environment
• Liaison with local secondary schools to support the primary curriculum and effective transition, takes place regularly
• International links with a child in Africa (Agatha)

How do we record and evidence our SMSC development in school?

SMSC Grid

We have an electronic grid which tracks the progress and evidence of our SMSC development. It is split into the Ofsted success criteria and shows how we develop each criteria. The evidence is dated and also shows how our SMSC provision changes over time.

Showing the impact of SMSC

We also use discussions and questionnaires to see the impact on the children’s development. We also look at their topic books, which include work from their PSHE and RE lessons and the RE and PSHE subject trackers. Each class has an SMSC display board where they display work which shows an aspect or many aspects of SMSC or the British Values in picture or written form. When walking around the academy, SMSC is displayed on many displays, including our British Values displays.

Ofsted Definitions of SMSC

Spiritual development is shown by their:

• beliefs, religious or otherwise, which inform their perspective on life and their interest in and respect for different people’s feelings and values
• sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them, including the intangible
• use of imagination and creativity in their learning
• willingness to reflect on their experiences.

Moral development is shown by their:

• ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and their readiness to apply this understanding in their own lives
• understanding of the consequences of their actions
• interest in investigating, and offering reasoned views about, moral and ethical issues.

Social development is shown by their:

• use of a range of social skills in different contexts, including working and socialising with pupils from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds
• willingness to participate in a variety of social settings, cooperating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively
• interest in, and understanding of, the way communities and societies function at a variety of levels.

Cultural development is shown by their:

• understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage
• willingness to participate in, and respond to, for example, artistic, musical, sporting, mathematical, technological, scientific and cultural opportunities
• interest in exploring, understanding of, and respect for cultural diversity and the extent to which they understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity, as shown by their attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities.