SMSC

What Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education Means to Us.

SMSC stands for Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education. The component parts to this are:

Spiritual: Exploring beliefs and experiences, drawing on our school value of respect. Discovering who you are and the surrounding world, engaging with the views of others in a reflective manner.

Moral: Becoming decerning in understanding right and wrong; understanding consequences of decisions and actions and investigating moral and ethical issues in a reasoned, thoughtful and compassionate way.

Social: Developing social skills in different contexts, working effectively with others; resolving context through reason. Understanding how culture and communities’ function and flourish.

Cultural: Understand and appreciate cultural influences; participation in cultural opportunities; understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity.

At Les Quennevais School, the development of pupils’ Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) understanding is at the heart of everything we do. We believe that nurturing the whole child is essential to helping every learner thrive, both within school and in the wider world. Our approach to SMSC is shaped by the core virtues of our Student Profile: Optimism, Kindness and Independence, which guide our curriculum, relationships and school culture.

Spiritual development is strengthened by encouraging pupils to reflect on their own beliefs and values, to appreciate the wonder of the world around them, and to approach learning with curiosity and optimism. Through opportunities for reflection, creative expression and exploration, pupils learn to see challenges positively and to develop a belief in their own potential. Through Religious Studies, students engage with major world religions and engage with their cultures and traditions. Our super-curriculum is carefully planned to ensure students have opportunities to visit places of worship and to learn from people of all faiths.

Moral development is rooted in kindness. We teach children to understand right from wrong, to value fairness and respect, and to consider the impact of their choices on others. By promoting empathy and compassion, we help pupils to think carefully about how they can contribute positively to our school community and society. Our curriculum develops critical thinking skills, teaching transferable analytical skills that transpose to debates across subject areas and the wider world.

Social development is supported through collaboration, teamwork and active participation in school life. Through our pastoral and PSHE curriculum, students learn to communicate effectively, build positive relationships and show kindness in their interactions. We encourage students to take responsibility for their actions and to appreciate the diversity of experiences and perspectives within our community.

Cultural development is enriched by opportunities to explore different traditions, viewpoints and artistic expressions from the UK and around the world. Pupils gain a sense of identity while developing independence of thought, confidence and respect for cultural diversity.

We want our students to shape and lead the future world. Through our commitment to SMSC and our student profile virtues of compassion, optimism, resilience and empathy, we aim to equip every pupil with the character, values and judgement to address moral and ethical issues the future will bring.