British Values & SMSC
Promoting British Values
The DfE have recently reinforced the need “to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.”
The Government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy, and these values were reiterated in 2014. At Woodlands Primary these values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways.
Democracy
At Woodlands we encourgae our pupils to share and discuss their opinions. Children have many opportunities for their voices to be heard. We have a Pupil Parliment which meets monthly to disuss issues that are important to the children. Each year group from Year 2 to Year6, nominate two representatives to share their classes and year groups views in the forum.
The Rule of Law
The importance of Laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through school assemblies. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. Visits from authorities such as the Police and Fire Service help reinforce this message.
Individual Liberty
Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for young pupils to make choices safely, through provision of a safe environment and empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety and PSHE lessons. Whether it be through choice of learning challenge, of how they record, of participation in our numerous extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to make choices.
Mutual Respect
Children learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community treat each other with respect. This is underpinned by our school ethos and embedded through our moto "Ready, Respectful, Safe".
Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs
Woodlands Primary is situated in an area which is not greatly culturally diverse, therefore we place a great emphasis on promoting diversity with the children. Assemblies are regularly planned to address this issue either directly or through the inclusion of stories and celebrations from a variety of faiths and cultures. Our RE and PSHE teaching reinforce this. Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. Children visit places of worship that are important to different faiths.
At Woodlands Primary we will actively challenge pupils, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British Values.
Intent
At Woodlands Primary School, we recognise that social, moral, spiritual and cultural development (SMSC) is central to the education of all pupils and permeates the whole curriculum and ethos of the school. It is reflected in the behaviours of individuals and in their interactions and also in the provision of teaching, resources and learning environments.
Social development relates to the development of knowledge and understanding and the acquisition of skills in relating to others. This begins with family and friends and extends to the wider community beyond. Pupils are taught to respect each other and to appreciate each other’s similarities and differences. An awareness and understanding of, and respect for, the environments in which they live is also developed.
Moral development relates particularly to developing knowledge and understanding of right and wrong. Pupils learn to make choices in their behaviour through developing knowledge of boundaries and understanding of consequences. Children are encouraged to formulate and explore their own views and perceptions and understand their own moral standpoint relating to a range of issues.
Spiritual development is concerned with the exploration and development of feelings and emotions; personality, individuality and uniqueness; and knowledge and understanding of their own and different beliefs and cultures.
Cultural development is concerned with identifying the unique experiences and societal traditions that form a culture, and how cultures can vary within and between social environments.
Implementation
At Woodlands Primary School we believe that is esseential to provide the children with the knowledge, understanding, attitudes, values and skills they need in order to reach their potential as individuals within an ever changing society.
Pupils are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities and experiences across and beyond the curriculum, contributing fully to the life of their school and communities. In doing so they learn to recognise their own worth, work well with others and become increasingly responsible for their own learning. They reflect on their experiences and understand how they are developing personally and socially, tackling many of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues that are part of the development process.
They learn to understand and respect our common humanity; diversity and differences so that they can go on to form the effective, fulfilling relationships that are an essential part of life and learning.
Process
At Woodlands Primary School we provide opportunities for children to engage in valuable learning experiences and philosophical debates about humanity, society and the world around us. Our SMSC provision is reviewed regularly and reflects the current important issues that our children experience. Our curriculum contains many links to SMSC, therefore we implement in through a variety of schemes and lessons. This includes:
Key themes:
- No Outsiders
- Commando Joe’s
- eAware
- The Christopher Winter Project
Below is the SMSC overview for each year group. Please access this to see detailed curriculum coverage for all aspects of SMSC for each year group from EYFS to Year 6.
The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Celebration 2022
Please take a look below at some of the wonderful work created by the children of Woodlands Primary school in honour of The Queen Platinum Jubilee Celebration.
