SMSC & British Values

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) & British Values

What is SMSC? 

At Britannia, we know that the personal development of pupils spirituality, morally, socially and culturally is central to their ability to learn and achieve. All schools must show how well pupils develop in SMSC. 

Spiritual

Explore beliefs and experience; respect faiths, feelings and values; enjoy learning about oneself, others and the surrounding world; use imagination and creativity; reflect.

Moral

Recognise right and wrong; respect the law; understand consequences; investigate moral and ethical issues; offer reasoned views.

Social

Use a range of social skills; participate in the local community; appreciate diverse viewpoints; participate, volunteer and cooperate; resolve conflict; engage with the 'British Values' of democracy, the rule of law, liberty, respect and tolerance.

Cultural

Appreciate cultural influences; appreciate the role of Britain's parliamentary system; participate in culture opportunities; understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity.

How do we ensure there are opportunities for SMSC development? 

We will help pupils to develop an inner discipline and encourage them to not just ‘follow the crowd’ - they will make up their own minds and be ready to accept responsibility for what they do. They will grow through making choices and holding themselves to account for the choices they have made. They will want to be honest with themselves and with others. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) education of our pupils is cross-curricular and not limited to specific SMSC lessons.

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 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. For further details of opportunites for SMSC, please see our SMSC yearly calendar. 

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 are 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 agreement 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

• Eco and school council meetings are held regularly. 

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.

British Values 

Britannia Primary School will ensure that we actively promote the fundamental British values of:

• Democracy
• The rule of law
• Individual liberty
• Mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

These values are officially taught through the RE and PSHE curriculum, and are further nurtured through the school’s ethos and promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) understanding.

Our Aims 

Through our policy and procedures, we aim to ensure that our pupils have:

• An understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process.
• An appreciation that living under the rule of law protects individual citizens and is essential for their wellbeing and safety.
• An understanding that there is a separation of power between the executive and the judiciary, and that while some public bodies, such as the police and the army, can be held to account through Parliament, others, such as the courts, maintain independence.
• An understanding that the freedom to hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law.
• An acceptance that people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour.
• An understanding of the importance of identifying and combatting discrimination.

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