SMSC
Vision
To promote the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development of our students and prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.
Aims
The successful promotion of students’ Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development will:
- Help to ensure that everyone in the school feels valued as an individual.
- Increase student and staff motivation and help celebrate success.
- Make a positive contribution to the school ethos.
- Ensure that our values permeate every part of school life.
Definitions
Spiritual – the growth of the spirit, understanding own strengths and weaknesses, self respect, creativity, will to achieve own full potential and ability to ask, and try to find out answers to, life’s major questions, including questions about the existence and nature of God in order to foster inner-lives and non-material well-being throughout life.
Moral – the development of understanding of the difference between right and wrong, understanding of moral dilemmas, the will to do what is right, a willingness to consider others with concern and the ability to cope with moral conflict.
Social – the development of understanding of the responsibilities and rights of being members of families and various communities (local, national and global ) and the ability to work with others for the common good and to live up to these responsibilities and exercise these rights.
Cultural – the development of understanding of how people of different cultures think, feel, create, behave and live. Its aim is to develop students’ sense of belonging within, value for, and engagement with local, regional and national cultures. At the heart of cultural development lies the encouragement of students to question, analyse, evaluate and reflect on their responses and the responses of others within a range of different cultural contexts and aesthetic experiences.
SMSC Overview
At Diss High, the spiritual, moral, social and cultural guidance is at the heart of everything we do.
We aim to promote fundamental British values and believe these include a sense of mutual respect and tolerance of difference (whether it be difference based on faith, beliefs, culture or background) within our community and in the wider society in which we live.
The school operates by a set of strong moral principles and we seek opportunities to actively promote these whenever we can. We want our learners to develop into confident, assured individuals who have a clear sense of right and wrong and respect both the individuals and institutions that they encounter.
SMSC in the Curriculum
SMSC is embedded within our curriculum through subjects such as PSHEE, General Studies, History, and Geography. For example, in year 7 PSHEE, students study the justice system, democracy and British Identity.
Tolerance and respect are core values at Diss High. Students acquire an appreciation of and respect both for their own and other cultures and traditions, whilst teaching students about different religions, also encourages students to discuss and explore concepts such as identity, diversity and community cohesion.
Students study Britishness and what it means to be a British Citizen. They develop this by looking at multicultural Britain, and exploring discrimination and diversity. These themes continue in General studies with topics such as human rights, terrorism and politics. These topics enable students to acquire a broad and general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in England.
SMSC in the Pastoral System
Beyond the classroom, students have numerous opportunities that promote SMSC.
A strong school ethos is promoted through regular assemblies and a daily tutor programme which encourages students to engage with issues relating to SMSC.
We work closely with our team of Police Community Support Officers to develop positive community relationships and through this our students develop a sense of respect for the criminal and civil law of England.
The school actively consults pupils in many ways (including school and year council etc.) to ensure that all pupils in school have a voice that is listened to. The school's student council encourages students to voice their ideas and opinions, and know that they will be listened to and taken seriously. It also enables students to learn and understand the principals of democracy and promote participation in democratic processes. Each year group then votes to elect a representative from their year onto the student council. Through this, students learn how citizens can influence decision making through the democratic process.
We encourage students to accept responsibility for their behaviour, to 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. Fundraising for events such as Children in Need and Red Nose Day are annual events, and give students the opportunity to be proactive helping those less fortunate than themselves. Similarly, the school recently donated food supplies to a local Christmas food bank.
Click here to download a copy of our SMSC audit
