What is SMSC?  It is the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development of the children in our school. At Aughton, we do not teach this as a separate subject as it is woven in to each aspect of learning, should be present in lessons and behaviour in school. An overview of how we provide opportunities for SMSC development can be seen in our Personal Development Overview.

Some lessons lend themselves more easily to direct SMSC development such as RSHE and RE. We also aim to develop SMSC through cultural celebrations, behaviour expectations and our attitudes in school. (Ofsted have provided definitions which are below)

How do we ensure there are opportunities for SMSC development?

At Aughton Junior Academy we recognise that the personal development of children, spiritually, morally, socially and culturally, plays a significant part in their ability to learn and achieve. 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.

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 will be 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

How do we record and evidence our SMSC development in school?

The Aughton Aspirations

The RSHE and Personal Development lead has begun the development of ‘Aughton Aspirations’ which contains 48 experiences beyond the curriculum for the children to experience before they leave AJA with consultation from all staff members and pupils via the Class Councillors and the Personal Development Overview. These experiences are based around the children’s development of their SMSC and an extension of the curriculum.

All pupils in school have a passport which they mark once the activity has been completed. This year, our classes have begun to record the Aughton Aspirations they have taken part in. We are looking forward to filling these and experiencing all these different experiences. School council voted for stars to be the image which is filled once they have completed their activity. Here is an example of what the passports look like. 

Showing the impact of SMSC             

We will be sharing the Aughton Aspirations using a passport style checklist. From September, these experiences will be planned throughout the academic year and when pupils have experienced them, they will receive a stamp.

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.

The spiritual development of pupils is shown by their:

• ability to be reflective about their own beliefs (religious or otherwise) and perspective on life
• knowledge of, and respect for, different people’s faiths, feelings and values
• sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them
• use of imagination and creativity in their learning
• willingness to reflect on their experiences

The moral development of pupils is shown by their:

• ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and to readily apply this understanding in their own lives, recognise legal boundaries and, in so doing, respect the civil and criminal law of England
• understanding of the consequences of their behaviour and actions
• interest  in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues and ability to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues.

The social development of pupils is shown by their:

• use of a range of social skills in different contexts, for example working and socialising with other pupils, including those from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds
• willingness to participate in a variety of communities and social settings, including by volunteering, cooperating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively
• acceptance and engagement with the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs; they develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.

The cultural development of pupils is shown by their:

• understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and that of others
• understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures in the school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain
• ability to recognise, and value, the things we share in common across
  cultural, religious, ethnic and socio-economic communities
• knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to develop Britain
• willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities
• interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity and the extent to which they understand, accept and respect diversity. This is shown by their respect and attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities