Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development (SMSC) is at the heart of everything we do at Pleckgate. We help pupils to build develop their own personal values, have positive relationships with others and become responsible citizens in society.
SMSC development supports pupils to be kind, thoughtful and caring and to be able to live and learn alongside people with different beliefs, cultures and lifestyles.
Our provision for pupils’ Spiritual, Moral, Social, Cultural and Emotional development (SMSC), builds on our four key values:
- Aspire
- Believe
- Act
- Succeed
An integral part of SMSC is to support pupils to engage with British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and respect for different faiths and beliefs.
Spiritual Development
We want pupils to be reflective about their own beliefs, but also show interest and respect for the beliefs and faiths of others. We encourage pupils to reflect, not just on their own behaviour and the choices they make, but also on the skills needed to remain calm and focused on their learning.
Spiritual development is also about supporting children to be creative, imaginative and reflect on their learning experiences.
Opportunities for spiritual development at Pleckgate include:
- Learning together to value the ideas and contributions of all pupils
- Providing a varied and exciting curriculum that inspires children and makes learning enjoyable
- Coming together in assemblies and special events, such as super learning days, to share learning with each other, parents and the community to reflect on our learning experiences
Moral Development
We have developed approaches to ensure our pupils are able to articulate the difference between right and wrong. Through our woven SMSC programme pupils are able to identify this with respect to civil and criminal law. Pupils recognise actions have consequences and are able to communicate their views whilst appreciating and respecting the viewpoints of others.
Opportunities for moral development include:
- Pupils working together to discuss and agree on what they need to do to create a safe, friendly and inclusive environment for learning
- Opportunities in the curriculum for pupils to offer their own points of view and to be able to listen to and value those of others
- In every classroom and throughout the school environment, pupils are encouraged to make positive behaviour choices and develop strategies to manage conflicts effectively
Social Development
The school has incorporated a bespoke whole school social development approach through our woven SMSC curriculum. This teaches pupils the social and relational skills needed to participate in social situations with the ability to co-operate and resolve conflicts with others as well as engaging and accepting the fundamental British values which are rooted in our school values.
Opportunities for social development include:
- Developing skills throughout the curriculum and wider opportunities
- Making a positive contribution to the community through fund raising, volunteering and engagement in community projects
- Supporting pupils to develop the skills needed for living in a democracy through activities such as elections for School Council, participating in “votes for schools” and elections for the youth MP
Cultural Development
Rooted at the heart of Pleckgate is a clear understanding and appreciation of different cultures within school. This is seen on a daily basis. There is an interest and clear mutual respect for other faiths and cultures which you can feel as you walk around the school. Pupils participate in vast amounts of sporting, artistic and cultural opportunities every day. Pupils take part in community and charitable outreach programmes to further develop their attitude to different socio-economic groups.
Opportunities for cultural development include:
- Pleckgate enables pupils to value living and learning alongside pupils from different backgrounds, different beliefs and lifestyles throughout the curriculum and wider opportunities
- Providing opportunities in the curriculum for pupils to share their beliefs with others
- Enabling pupils to enjoy and appreciate a variety of artistic, musical and cultural experiences, including drama, music, singing, choir and sports
