British Values and SMSC
Intent
• Democracy
• Rule of law
• Individual liberty
• Mutual respect
• Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
At Beeston Primary School Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development is at the heart of what we do and is evident throughout our curriculum and these elements are evident in our curriculum drivers.
Implementation
At Beeston Primary 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. We implement this by:
Democracy and Individual Liberty – At Beeston, we work together effectively and efficiently. We listen to the ideas of others in order to understand and abide by the democratic process and to make things fair
The Rule of Law – We strive to meet school expectations in everything we do through honesty and integrity. We take responsibility for our own actions.
Tolerance of those with other Faiths and Beliefs- At Beeston we are part of a multi-faith community where each person is respected and valued equally without regard to ability, gender, faith, disability, heritage or race.
Individual Liberty – Alongside rules and laws, we promote freedom of choice and the right to respectfully express views and beliefs. Through the provision of a safe, supportive environment and empowering education, we provide boundaries for our young pupils to make choices safely.
Mutual Respect – Respect and responsibility are key aspects that are at the heart of school life at Beeston Primary. Children learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others through our use of reflection. Children’s behaviour demonstrates their good understanding of this value in action. All members of the school community treat each other with respect and this is modelled by staff. Children can articulate why respect is important, how they show respect to others and how they feel about it for themselves.
SMSC stands for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. At Beeston Primary we implement this by:
Spiritual – Explore beliefs and experience; respect faiths, feelings and values; enjoy learning about oneself, others and the surrounding world; use imagination and creativity; reflect.
Moral – Recognise right and wrong; respect the law; understand consequences; investigate moral and ethical issues; offer reasoned views.
Social – Use a range of social skills; participate in the local community; appreciate diverse viewpoints; participate, volunteer and cooperate; resolve conflict; engage with the ‘British Values‘ of democracy, the rule of law, liberty, respect and tolerance.
Cultural – Appreciate cultural influences; appreciate the role of Britain’s parliamentary system; participate in culture opportunities; understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity.
Impact
- Less children with low self-esteem and better equipped to be resilient within a modern society.
- Children are better aware of social media; how to be safe, utilise this productively and make good choices.
- Children will have had opportunities to fail, as well as discuss why failure is important, so that they are more resilient to failure and view this as a positive.
- Children will collaborate critically, creatively and with a caring approach.
- Children are better able to reflect upon their behaviour and evaluate what makes for good behaviour and what a good learner should look like; this will allow better assessment of ‘bad choices’ and how to learn from these.
- Our children will be happy, as well as encouraging of others in and out of the classroom.
- Confidence is instilled in Beeston children, so that they are more likely to push themselves outside of their comfort zones.
Children leave the school with a sense of belonging to a tightly knit community where they have the confidence and skills to make decisions, self-evaluate, make connections and become lifelong learner.
