SMSC is the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development of the children in our school. The SMSC curriculum can be described as the “hidden curriculum”. It is all the things that we do at Lowerhouse Junior School to build up children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding, thoughts and experiences. It is not taught as a discrete lesson; rather, it may be part of RE, PE, PSHE and part of the ethos of the school which children experience daily. It is woven into our behaviour, expectations and our attitudes in school.

At Lowerhouse Junior School, we want to create confident, responsible, and well-rounded adults who have an aspiration for self-improvement and can compete equally with their peers in a world beyond school life. We recognise that all pupils need to develop spiritually, morally, socially and culturally. This development allows them to make sense of their world.

Our curriculum helps students develop an informed and balanced view of world events and the beliefs and values of others. We endeavour to prepare our students for their future by becoming respectful individuals, life-long learners and active citizens in modern British society.

SMSC is now highlighted by the government as a key means of promoting basic British Values and creating well-rounded individuals who can contribute towards a modern Britain.

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.

At Lowerhouse Junior School, 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 British Values. We therefore aim to provide an education that provides children with opportunities to explore and develop. Below is an overview of the ways in which we develop SMSC at our school.