Rationale of Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development
Parkstone promotes SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development) throughout the school curriculum from Year 7 to Year 13 and in many other areas of school life. Our aim is to ensure that all students have the opportunity to develop as great an understanding of Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural issues as possible whilst studying and taking an active part in wider school life.
Spiritual development encompasses students’:
- ability to be reflective about their own beliefs that inform their perspective on life and their interest in and respect for different people’s faiths, feelings and values
- sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them
- use of imagination and creativity in their learning
- willingness to reflect on their experiences.
Moral development encompasses students’:
- ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong, readily apply this understanding in their own lives and, in so doing, respect the civil and criminal law of England
- understanding of the consequences of their behaviours and actions
- interest in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues, and being able to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues.
Social development encompasses students’:
- 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 communities and social settings, including by 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; the pupils develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.
Cultural development encompasses students’:
- understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and that of others
- understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures within school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain
- knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to develop Britain
- willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic, sporting and cultural opportunities
- interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity, and the extent to which they understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity, as shown by their tolerance and attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities
- understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and that of others
Our SMSC curriculum is developed in a wide variety of ways. Some of the most obvious are:
- Form Period and our Thought for the Week
- Assemblies at both Key Stage and Year Group level including assemblies remembering specific events such as The Holocaust and Remembrance Day.
- PSHE and Citizenship lessons
- Citizenship Day
- RE and RP lessons
- Lessons in a wide range of other subjects such as Geography and History looking at our place in the world.
- Charitable events such as Key Stage charity weeks and our Christmas Party for Senior Citizens.
