SMSC Statement

At St. Katherine’s Church of England Primary School we recognise that a child’s personal development plays an important role in their ability to learn and achieve. As such, we aim to provide opportunities that enable children to explore and develop spiritually, morally, socially and culturally (SMSC).

We consciously facilitate opportunities in these four areas in the following ways:

Spiritual development

This refers to a child’s beliefs, religious or otherwise, which inform their perspective on life and their respect for other people’s feelings and values. It is about the development of a sense of identity, self-worth, personality and character. This is supported by:

The opportunity to develop a set of values and principles which compliment St. Katherine’s Christian ethos and informs children’s perspective on life and their patterns of behaviour.
An awareness of, understanding and respect for their own and others’ beliefs.
The opportunity for children to experience ‘awe and wonder’ through exploring natural environments.
Children will have the opportunity to reflect on their learning and progress and to learn from this reflection.
Promoting teaching styles which value pupils’ questions and gives them space for their own thoughts, ideas and concerns so they can make connections between their learning and the context of their own lives.

Moral development

This refers to a child’s moral code, their attitude and belief in what is right or wrong. This is supported by:

An opportunity for pupils to explore and understand human emotions and the way they impact on people through Literacy, Drama, Music and Dance.
Providing a clear moral code for behaviour which has been shaped by the children and is promoted consistently though all aspects of school; for example, Behaviour Policy, Class and School rules, E-Safety learning and Anti-bullying learning.
Giving pupils opportunities to explore personal rights and responsibilities and to develop moral concepts and values throughout the curriculum; for example, during RE, History, Literacy, Drama. Also, through extra-curricular activities, such as School Council, Eco club, Year 6 Ambassadors, the Year 6 residential.
Rewarding expressions of moral insights and good behaviour through our school behaviour policy and reward system.
Encouraging pupils to take responsibility for their actions; for example, respect for property, care for the environment and developing their own codes of behaviour.
Providing children with models of virtue, through literature, history, science, art during learning in class, assemblies and through acts of worship.
Reinforcing our school’s values through images, posters, classroom displays and exhibitions.

Social development

This refers to a pupil’s understanding of their role in society and the opportunity to develop the skills which will facilitate positive interaction with their local community. This is supported by:

Fostering a sense of community through involvement in community art projects, sports events, partnerships with local churches and supporting local charities and events, visits from role models from the community.
Encouraging children to work co-operatively; for example, paired reading, Play Pals, house systems, Eco club and school council.
Providing positive cooperative experiences; for example, sporting events, Christmas and Summer performances, Choir performances, Quiz club events.
Providing children with role models from their community; for example, visits from firemen, police officers, seeing eye dog trainers and older pupils both current and pupils who have moved on.
Helping pupils to develop personal qualities which are valued in society; for example, thoughtfulness, honesty, respect, moral principles, independence, inter-dependence and self-respect.
Encouraging children to challenge, when necessary and in appropriate ways, the values of a group or a wider community through public speaking training and assemblies which introduce children to positive role models.
Helping children to resolve tensions between their own aspirations and those of a group or wider society; through adult support, Year 6 residential, PSHE and circle time discussions and assemblies.

Cultural development

This refers to a child’s understanding of the beliefs, values and customs in their own and others’ social, ethnic and national groups. This is supported by:

Providing children with opportunities to explore their own culture assumptions and values through the curriculum and special events, such as Christian values week.
Celebrating the attitudes, values and diverse cultures in Geography, RE, History, Literacy, Assemblies, Art, Dance, Music and drawing on the children’s own cultural backgrounds.
Recognising and nurturing gifts and talents; for example, Canvey Olympics, Common Wealth games, Quiz Club, Art exhibition (2013), St. Katherine’s Got Talent.
Developing partnerships with outside agencies and individuals to extend pupil’s cultural awareness; for example, through Drama, Music – Bhangra day, German day, visits to alternative places of worship.
Reinforcing our school’s cultural values through assemblies, learning, displays and photographs
Using ICT and the Internet to extend partnerships with those from other cultural backgrounds; through links with Park Ridge school in Illinois, Chicago.