Our Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Values Matter!

At Cupernham Infant School, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (SMSC) underpins everything we do and this includes actively promoting British Values.  We want our children to develop the wisdom to make social, moral and ethical decisions with reflection, empathy and intelligence. We believe all children can develop responsibility with respect for themselves and others; values and attitudes that will stand them in good stead as they become global citizens.

We want our children to aspire to be the best they can be. We develop a sense of social and moral responsibility fitting for the global society in which we live.  Our school community strives for a greater understanding of the contribution we can all make regardless of age, gender, race or religion, by providing equal opportunities for all.

WHAT IS SMSC?

SMSC stands for Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education. It is not taught as a lesson, it is embedded across our curriculum;

Spiritual

Pupils’ 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

Pupils’ 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

Pupils’ 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

Pupils’ 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