SMSC.
Overview
SMSC in our school is vital. It supports our core purpose as we prepare our pupils for
adulthood.
Preparing our pupils for the next step in their journey at Post 16 or Post 19 is the main aim of our school. Our Website, Statement of Purpose and Curriculum Policy, all clarify that we are committed to individuality and the development of the whole child. Great learners, great people.
We thread SMSC through all elements of our school. We monitor and record individual progress and celebrate this with individual ‘Roadmaps’ that chronicle development and in our PSD records. We do not keep ‘SMSC’ records.
In March 2018 we carried out a complete SMSC Self-assessment that was audited and verified by the Citizenship Foundation (now known as ‘Young Citizens’) and received a Silver quality mark. Our assessment showed that 3% of our work is at a bronze level, 33% is at silver level and 64% is at the highest gold level.
Our social and moral development work is the strongest. A silver award is great but we now work towards achieving gold by strengthening our spiritual and cultural work. SMSC is very closely linked to Personal and Social Development and promotes the progress we make.
All PSD recording is through the eight individual record sheets kept for every pupil and detailed in the first part of this document. We consistently receive highly complimentary comments about the atmosphere in our school. A warm welcome and healthy respect for all who walk through the door is actively promoted. This includes all pupils, staff and visitors. The tone is set by this positive modelling from our staff and creates a sense of respect, trust, security and confidence. Positive interactions are prevalent. This is the first and simplest step but it serves to model our practice. All the rest follows
from this.
British Values
Schools should 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. British values as part of SMSC is further promoted and taught throughout our school in the following ways:
- Enable students to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence
- Growth Mindset developed as a feature of teaching and learning since September 2015
- Lessons provide opportunities for discovery, questioning, problem-solving and
errors! - A wide range of individual ‘extra’ opportunities eg AYMP, Animal Antics
- Work experience
- Introduction of careers/employability curriculum
- Enable students to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England
- PSHE curriculum
- RE curriculum
- Assemblies
- Positive behaviour management strategies and active Behaviour Support department
- Golden Rules are known and understood by all pupils and staff
- Encourage students to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and to understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely
- Regular charity enterprise initiatives (Cake sales, tea shop, vegetable garden) eg Macmillan, local fundraising, Cancer research
- National Citizens Service
- Holocaust Education Trust
- Soup for homeless
- Aylesbury Opportunity Centre
- Positive behaviour support, impact on self and others
- Enable students to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in England
- Taught subject through PSHE curriculum
- Further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling students to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures
- RE curriculum
- Local visits
- Close relationship with Aylesbury Islamic Centre
- Current Affairs
- Multicultural whole school events
- Encourage respect for other people
- Embedded school ethos
- ‘Discrimination’ group for pupils identified through behaviour recording system as needing support to understand respect and tolerance
- All anti-social behaviours recorded, identified and positive action implemented
- Encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England
- School council is an active service for all pupils
