SMSC

What is SMSC?

SMSC stands for spiritual, moral, social and cultural education. The SMSC (spiritual, moral, cultural and social) curriculum can be described as the “hidden curriculum”. It is all the things that we do in school to build up children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding, thoughts and experiences.  It is not taught as a standalone lesson, rather it may be part of Religious Education, Physical Education, Personal, Social and Health Education AND part of the ethos of the school which children experience on a daily basis. SMSC is now highlighted by the government as a key means of promoting basic British values and creating well rounded individual who can contribute towards a modern Britain.

SMSC Education and Our Golden Threads

At Clapgate we research, debate, and share the best ways to engage, motivate and inspire our children, and consider different teaching approaches to help children develop the behaviours and attitudes encapsulated in our golden threads. Central to our decisions about our curriculum and our approach are these five key words that form the basis of our learner profile. Our golden threads clearly set out the skills and values that we want our children experience and build on as they move through school.

Knowledge – we want our children to be knowledge seekers and keepers. 

Spark – we want children to be imaginative and creative

Team – we want our children to be communicators and collaborators

Grit – we want our children to be motivated and resilient

Humanity – we want our children to be respectful and caring

Why do we teach SMSC within the curriculum?

• To develop children’s self-awareness, confidence and decision making skills
• To develop children’s independent thinking and co-operative skills
• To encourage children to raise questions which lead them to search for their own answers to make sense of the world
• To stimulate children through effective questioning, both supporting and challenging their thinking 
• To develop children’s reflective and questioning skills
• To foster curiosity and stimulate imagination and fascination in the world around them
• To encourage children to consider rights, roles and responsibilities
• To develop respect and integrity
• To develop an awareness of the diversity and rich culture in our world
• To encourage children to engage with a variety of cultures and traditions

Within SMSC learning opportunities pupils will:

• Engage with a variety of learning experiences that encourage awe and wonder
• Use their imagination and think creatively
• Understand that choices carry consequences and that every person has rights and responsibilities
• Develop the ability to make sensible choices and to value the importance of rules
• Respect the differences between people regardless of culture, race, socio-economic background, ability or gender
• Develop effective and satisfying relationships
• Play an active role within the school and the wider community
• Begin to develop a global perspective
• Reflect on personal experiences and opinions as well as the views of others
• Discuss issues that affect our world e.g. environmental, racial, etc
• Develop effective collaboration skills
• Develop their thinking skills
• Provide specific opportunities for practising oracy
• Promote awareness and understanding of gender, cultural, spiritual and moral issues
• Develop the life skills to enable pupils to communicate, collaborate, persevere, question, reflect, use their initiative and be flexible

• Our school ethos and our golden threads of ‘Humanity’ and ‘Spark’
• Our whole curriculum which includes exciting experiences that use imagination and creativity to inspire and fascinate learners
• A rigorous Religious Education scheme from Foundation Stage to Year 6
• Weekly Religious Education lessons across school
• Weekly whole school assemblies, including special assemblies covering topics such as Poppy Day etc
• Weekly celebration assemblies
• Promoting a culture of oracy and encouraging children to formulate arguments and opinions and to express themselves confidently
• Teaching and learning about festivals and celebrations

• Christmas Nativities for Foundation Stage and Key Stage One
• Celebrating diversity, different faiths, and cultures across school
• The use of reflective practice and questions/ thoughts- e.g. What if…/ Why and how…
• Topics/ projects to allow children to learn about the world around them
• School trips and visitors which inspire awe and wonder
• Thought of the day
• Circle time sessions
• Nurture groups delivered by our therapeutic team
• Promoting respect of each other’s own cultures and beliefs or non-beliefs
• Faith stories (where appropriate) with key messages and concepts

• Our school ethos and the golden threads of ‘Humanity’ and ‘Team’
• Our school’s behaviour policy and principles
• The use of the three R’s (Ready, Respectful, Responsible)
• Additional school policies and documentation (SEND/ Inclusion /Equal Opportunities policy, equalities objectives)
• Consistent adherence to the behaviour policy and rewards and sanctions consistent throughout school- all stakeholders are involved in the creation and implementation of this
• Class recognition boards
• Class suggestion boxes
• High quality SEND provision within school
• Assemblies based around moral and ethical issues
• A rigorous RE and PHSE scheme implemented across school
• Weekly RE and PHSE lessons
• Learning about other cultures and countries – respecting the values and ways of life of others
• School Council
• Developing positive sporting behaviours

• Developing empathy towards others and showing concern for other people’s feelings and emotions
• Charity fundraising days
• Discussions of right and wrong- reflective practice
• Promoting making right choices and modelling of positive behaviours in school- practitioners leading by example
• Circle time/ nurture sessions
• Visits and visitors e.g. Police officers etc
• Discussions and debates around matters in the world
• Moral stories- recognition of wrong and right
• Acceptance and celebration of similarities and differences- e.g. SEND, cultures, faiths, personalities, with an inclusive ethos displayed within school
• Tolerance and acceptance of others’ views- School Councillors acting on behalf of the pupil voice
• Rejecting all forms of bullying, cruelty, dishonestly, violence and discrimination

• Our school ethos and the golden threads of ‘Humanity’ and ‘Team’
• Embedding the skills needed for speaking and listening, and drama activities
• Positive and well-developed relationships with each other, parents and teachers
• Having a rich language environment
• The PSHE curriculum- Jigsaw
• Weekly PHSE lessons across school from EYFS-Year 6
• Our highly creative Arts curriculum
• The use of the outdoor environment when delivering high quality learning opportunities
• Our Physical Education curriculum
• Encouraging pupils to formulate arguments/ debates and express views and opinions
• Opportunities for collaborative learning- co- operative work, talk partners, paired work
• Unstructured times of day- e.g. playtimes/lunchtimes
• Playtime Leaders

• Problem solving activities and teamwork in all areas of the curriculum
• School trips, visits and residentials
• Role-play/drama activities
• Parental involvement opportunities
• After school clubs
• Opportunities for pupil voice – e.g. regular pupil questionnaires, school council meetings
• Our Year 6 end of year production
• Charity fundraising days – e.g. Children in Need, Red Nose Day
• Assemblies
• Targeted support to promote confidence and social skills, delivered by our therapeutic team
• Groupings- independent, group work, opportunities to share expertise and key skills
• Transition days- dedicated time with new teachers to promote positive attachments
• Promoting good manners throughout school
• Wider links with the community and carrying out community work
• Inter-schools sporting competitions

• Our school ethos and the golden threads of ‘Spark’ and ‘Humanity’
• Our highly creative, broad and balanced curriculum – drama is at the heart of it
• Well planned school visits to museums, galleries, concerts, and theatres
• Our large, well-resourced art room where children can use a variety of materials to explore their ideas and creativity
• Our specialist art and PE teachers in school
• Providing children with workshops with professional artists, craftsmen, architects, musicians, archivists, curators, film makers, poet, authors, actors
• Allowing children chance to create, design, devise, compose and choreograph their own work in collaboration with classmates (dance, playscripts, drama)
• Using digital technology with the children to access and understand great culture
• Encouraging children to be adventurous about their choices of cultural activities – e.g. literature, films, visual arts, crafts, heritage, music, and dance
• Learning about people who have created art forms and the historical development of these (human creativity and achievements)
• Providing children with the knowledge to talk about ‘the best that has been thought and said’
• Our school magazine
• Our Arts council – pupil voice relating to the arts provision in school

• Out school radio/ podcasts
• Our application for the Arts Mark Platinum award
• A variety of dance workshops – e.g. street dance and cheerleading
• Opportunities to take part in our West End standard school productions!
• Instrumental teaching from various musicians (e.g. recorders, piano, guitar, steel pans, boom whackers)
• Teachers using a range of drama tools effectively in lessons
• Regular singing lessons and weekly music lessons
• Live performances from musicians
• Musical composition classes
• ‘Imagineering’ sessions as part of writing experience days to create a ‘spark’ for learning
• Visits from people of different cultures
• MFL teaching
• Afterschool clubs specialising in the Arts – videography club and animation clubs
• Sports Day
• Encouraging children to have high aspirations for themselves and to have knowledge of the career opportunities available to them
• Promoting acceptance and sensitivity to other cultures and beliefs- celebration assemblies and celebrations in RE topics.
• Awareness of leadership- in home, at school and the wider context – e.g.  UK parliamentary system
•  Awareness of the global issues that impact on children’s lives- e.g. flooding/homelessness/ Coronavirus