SMSC (Spiritual Moral Social Cultural) Education
As a Christian school, St Andrew the Apostle focuses on more than just exam results, encouraging self-esteem and respect for others, independence and responsibility, creative and critical thinking, innovation, problem-solving and a passionate interest in the wider world. As our students move through the school, we are committed to developing not only their academic standards and level of achievement but also their spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness, embedding this in our curriculum and developing the ‘whole child’ through our faith-driven ethos.
SMSC and British values are promoted at every opportunity as part of the overall ethos and values of the school for example through assemblies, tutor time, Votes for Schools, extra-curricular opportunities, and student voice. All adults model and promote expected behaviour, treating all people as unique and valuable individuals and showing respect for students and their families.
An Explanation
|
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. |
Our curriculum covers aspects of SMSC and can be clearly identified on the right hand side of all of our curriculum pages. Four Icons are used to explain this. An eye (Spiritual) Scales (Moral) Handshake (Social) and a Globe (Cultural).
The Curriculum and Beyond
Links with the wider community
- Visitors are welcomed into St Andrew the Apostle School.
- Visits to places of worship, cultural venues such as theatres, cinemas and libraries are actively encouraged.
- Students are taught to appreciate and take responsibility for the environment.
- Students and community benefit from trips and visits, public performance opportunities, the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, and fundraising activities.
British values
The Government set out its definition of ‘British values’ in the 2011 Prevent Strategy and 2015 Prevent Duty Guidance. St Andrew's reflects ‘British values’ in all that we do and we promote ‘British values’ through our SMSC education which permeates through the school’s curriculum and supports the development of the ‘whole student’.
The ‘Prevent’ strategy
The Prevent strategy is nationwide and forms part of the Government’s counter-terrorism strategy. ‘Prevent’ aims to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism and each police force within the country has a unit which is focused on the ‘prevent’ strategy.