What is SMSC?

It is the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development of the children in our school. This is not a separate subject that is taught explicitly but an aspect of learning that should be present in lessons and behaviour throughout our school. Some lessons lend themselves more easily to direct SMSC development such as PSHE and RE. We also aim to develop SMSC through our behaviour expectations and our ethos in and around school.

At Bitterne Manor Primary School 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 issue; develop a sense of social and moral responsibility and promote the British Values. We therefore aim to provide an education where our children can 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 and visitors to our school

Spiritual

Spiritual definition by Ofsted:

• Explore beliefs and experiences
• Ability to be reflective about their values and beliefs and these of others.
• Respect for different people’s faiths, feelings and values.
• Sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them.
• Appreciation of other cultures and heritages.
• Imagination and creativity.
• Sense of their place in the world beyond their immediate locality.
• Willing to reflect on their own actions and experiences.

To encourage our children’s Spiritual Development at Bitterne Manor we:

• Hold daily assemblies to allow children to feel the sense of belonging to our school community.
• Have whole school access to grounds during lunchtimes
• A variety of activities where there is mixing of age ranges (for example ‘Book Buddies’).
• Encourage reflection in all aspects of learning.
• Run a topic based curriculum that draws on a sense of wonder and fascination about the world around them.
• Promote an awareness of different cultures through Religious Education and PSHE lessons.
• Provide reading material that develops understanding of different cultures.
• Provide quiet spaces around the grounds for children to reflect and think.
• Encourage the use of creativity and imagination.
• Include all children in House Teams
• Provide key curriculum enrichment opportunities throughout children’s time at Bitterne Manor Primary School.
• Visits from City Mission

Moral

Moral definition by Ofsted:

• 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.

To encourage our children’s Moral Development at Bitterne Manor we:

• Use of our core values (Using our Heads, using our Hearts and using our Hands). 
• Openly discuss and identify our behaviours for learning.
• Use of Class rules and rewards and regular opportunities to discuss issues through their Learning Leaders representatives.
• Following the school behaviour code, which promotes high expectations in all aspects of school life.
• Earning of House Points for excellent attitudes to learning.
• Role of Year 6 who are responsible for being key role models through a variety of roles, such as corridor monitors and setting up assemblies.
• Contribution to a passionate school council who meet regularly and take on board ideas from all the pupils.
• Taking part PSHE lessons that look at right and wrong as well how we should treat people who seem different in us.
• Use key texts in English lessons that encourage children to think about different people and situations.
• Provide the chance for pupils to investigate, discuss and offer reasoned views about moral and ethical issues.
• We are a School of Sanctuary and pupils are actively involved in this.
• Our reward systems including house points, ‘Kind Kevin’, ‘Golden Book’, ‘Kindness Board’ and ‘Marvellous Me’ app.
• Promote inclusion that meets the needs of all children, enabling children to be the best that they can be.
• Ensure children and parents recognise and value the learning partnership between all stakeholders, including the community. 

Social

Social definition by Ofsted:

• Using 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 by volunteering, cooperating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively.
• Accepting and engaging with the fundamental British Value to democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs; to develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.

To encourage our children’s Social Development at Bitterne Manor we:

• Encourage participation in extracurricular clubs where children can work alongside other year groups.

• Give opportunities for pupils to use of a range of social skills in different contexts, including working and socialising with pupils from different socio-economic, ethnic and religious backgrounds.
• Through our PSHE curriculum our children learn about different emotions and how these may be expressed in a variety of situations and how we can regulate our own emotions.
• As a school we participation in a range of fund raising activities such as Red Nose Day.
• Pupils are encouraged to have an understanding of how to take good care of the environment and how to make sustainable choices.
• Give our children a strong pupil voice which is represented through our Learning Leaders.
• Give opportunities for pupils to cooperate and collaborate with others on projects in school.
• We are a School of Sanctuary and pupils are actively involved in this.
• Provide additional support for children with emotional learning needs including ELSA, social circles and talk groups.
• Promote recycling, saving electricity and environmental initiatives such as having a designated ‘Wild’ area in our grounds.
• Explicitly teach and provide opportunities to discuss e-safety and how it may affect them and others. 
• Provide a robust transition program between pre schools and Year R, year groups within school, and also for Year 6 children transitioning to secondary school.
• Implement a clear PSHE curriculum, in addition to incorporating diversity and issues of equality through all topics.

Cultural

Cultural definition by Ofsted:

• Understand and appreciate the wide range of cultural influences that have shared their own heritage and that of others.
• Understand and appreciate the range of different cultures in school as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain.
• Recognise and value the things we share in common across cultural, religious, ethnic and socio-economic communities.
• Have knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to develop Britain.
• Willing to participate in and respond positively to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities.
• Have an improving understanding of and show respect for different faiths and cultural diversity, and understand, accept and respect diversity.  This is shown by their respect and attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities.

To encourage our children’s Cultural Development at Bitterne Manor we:

• Hold a democratic voting system when choosing Pupil Learning Leaders.

• Give opportunities to discuss art and artists around the world.
• Children are encouraged to participate in sporting activities that allows competition with other schools.
• Give opportunities to develop understanding of different cultures and faiths in Britain and around the world and encourage respect for cultural diversity and an awareness of different ethnic and socio economic groups in local, national and global communities through our R.E. curriculum, topics, assemblies and celebrations.
• Learn about and celebrate significant events from other religious calendars. 

• Have developed a curriculum that allows children to understand and discuss different communities and cultures.
• Enable year 4 and year 6 children to take part in overnight residentials where they can cope independently and problem solve for themselves to better prepare themselves for life as a young adolescent.  
• Provide high quality reading material and a curriculum that supports children to respond creatively and imaginatively
• Developed links with external stakeholders – including the local church and secondary schools.
• Visits from the Star Project to enhance learning concerning relationships, safety, and aid smooth transition for our Year 6 children to secondary school.