Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development at Swan Lane

SMSC stands for spiritual, moral, spiritual and cultural development and these four aspects run through our curriculum and indeed everything that we do here at Swan Lane First School.

The information below will provide you with a taste of how we cover these areas, but for the latest photographic evidence please look at the SMSC Gallery.

Spiritual

The children are provided with lots of opportunities to be reflective about their own beliefs, feelings and values. We hold whole school assemblies where we come together as a school community: listen to calming music, explore important issues and are given the opportunity for some quiet, personal reflection to consider our thoughts and feelings.

Children participate in Religious Education where they explore their own religious and spiritual identities, as well as those belonging to different faiths. We invite religious leaders into our school to support children’s learning and understanding, and children have the opportunity to participate in visits to a range of places of worship over the course of their time with us. 

Moral

Children develop the ability to recognise the differences between right and wrong, relating this to their own lives and understanding the consequences of their behaviour and actions. PSHE provides children with the opportunity and platform to develop an interest in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues as well as being able to understand and appreciate the views of others. As a school we are very good at engaging in lots of different events to raise money for a variety of charities and causes.

Social

Our children learn to use a range of social skills in different contexts as well as working and socialising with pupils from a range of socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. Good manners and showing politeness are encouraged at all times. Children are encouraged to develop good speaking and listening skills across all curriculum subjects. In Reception there is a huge focus on learning how to cooperate with others, how to behave in the classroom setting and outside in the playground. These skills are developed through their time at Swan Lane and as they become older the children learn the art of turn-taking, developing their communication and presenting skills, and understand the importance of listening and respecting others’ viewpoints. The children are also given the opportunity to develop their debating skills in planned activities which take place across the curriculum. The Poetry Recital days (POSCARS) and class assemblies give the children the opportunity to present something in front of the rest of the school.

Children show a willingness to engage in a variety of social situations, learning to cooperate with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively. Playtimes and lunchtimes are a key time in the school day, where children are learning to share space and engage in play with their peers and other children across the different year groups. There is a friendship stop in operation whereby the Year 5 ‘Playground Buddies’ help the younger children if they do not have anyone to play with or need help in resolving an issue.

Year 5 monitors and prefects are also given an important job in helping to ensure that the school runs smoothly. Our Year 5 School Council members also participate in Cluster Events, giving them the opportunity to engage with other children from different schools.

At Swan Lane we have our five core values which are: resilience, curiosity, compassion, respect and loyalty. These are embedded through all aspects of school life. We also ensure that the children understand the fundamental British Values. (See separate page entitled British Values for more information.)

Cultural

A high proportion of our children’s first language is not English. Our school community is made up of children from a range of cultural backgrounds, we have families from: Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia and Bulgaria to name but a few. Children show understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures within our school and further afield as preparation for life in modern Britain.

Children show an interest in exploring, improving their understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity as shown by their tolerance and attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities. Children listen to music and learn songs from different cultures and show a willingness to participate in a range of artistic and cultural opportunities provided for them here at Swan Lane. There are also whole host of different after school, extra-curricular activities on offer at our school including an impressive range of sports clubs.

SMSC as a whole

Children demonstrate a sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them. Children are encouraged to use their imagination and creativity in their learning. Teachers make lessons interesting and creative which in turn engages the pupils in their learning. Children have the opportunity to participate in lots of educational visits and experiences throughout their time here at Swan Lane First School. We are also very fortunate to receive lots of visits from people from outside organisations who help to bring variety to learning making it engaging and interactive.

SMSC Coverage