Spiritual, Moral, Social and

Cultural Development

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujRV-9Pu6sc

Objectives
To understand the opportunities for developing Spiritual,
Moral, Social and Cultural values;
To be able to define the four elements;
To understand how SMSC development relates to
experiences in the classroom and wider school;
To enable you to adopt classroom practices that help to
develop SMSC education.
To explore the wider contexts of SMSC and how this fits
with wider community issues.
Spiritual

Cultural

Moral

Social

Your
knowledge of
SMSC?

What do you is meant

by each in SMSC?
Spiritual

Cultural

Moral

Social

SMSC
Defining the four elements
http://smsc.opeus
.org/home/freeinteractive-smscpresentation

Defining spiritual, moral, social and cultural

development Ofsted 2014
The spiritual development of pupils is shown by
their:
ability to be reflective about their own beliefs,
religious or otherwise, that inform their
perspective on life and their interest in and
respect for different peoples faiths, feelings and
values
sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning
about themselves, others and the world around
them
use of imagination and creativity in their learning
willingness to reflect on their experiences.

The moral development of pupils is shown by their:

ability to recognise the difference between right and
wrong, readily apply this understanding in their own
lives and, in so doing, respect the civil and criminal
law of England
understanding of the consequences of their behaviour
and actions
interest in investigating and offering reasoned views
about moral and ethical issues, and being able to
understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others
on these issues.

The social development of pupils 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 communities and social
settings, including by volunteering, cooperating well with others
and being able to resolve conflicts effectively
acceptance and engagement with the fundamental British values
of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual
respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs;
the pupils develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will
allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life
in modern Britain.

The cultural development of pupils is shown by their:

understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural
influences that have shaped their own heritage and that of
others
understanding and appreciation of the range of different
cultures within school and further afield as an essential element
of their preparation for life in modern Britain
knowledge of Britain's democratic parliamentary system and its
central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to
develop Britain
willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic,
sporting and cultural opportunities
interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing
respect for different faiths and cultural diversity, and the
extent to which they understand, accept, respect and celebrate
diversity, as shown by their tolerance and attitudes towards
different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local,
national and global communities.

Spiritual

It is said that spiritual development is about how a

school helps:
individuals to make sense of these questions, and

about what it does to help

form pupils response to life and various forms of
experience, or even to questions
about the universe

What activity could be used to help with

spiritual development?

Moral
Standards of acceptable behaviour
Teachers attitudes and interactions as powerful
role models
Curriculum themes promoting moral values

What activity could be

used to help with moral
development?

Social
Schools are social communities that offer a model
for working and living together
Exercising responsibilities and face consequences of
their actions
Co-operative working
What activity could be
used to help with social
development?

Cultural
Children need to understand their own culture
Recognise change and diversity

Understanding of celebrations
What activity could be
used to help with
cultural development?

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

is now referenced throughout Ofsted's School
Inspection Handbook. It is almost as important
to a school's inspection as the curriculum.
An 'outstanding' school will have a 'thoughtful
and wide-ranging promotion of pupils spiritual,
moral, social and cultural development'
An 'inadequate' school will have 'serious
weaknesses in the overall promotion of pupils
spiritual, moral, social and cultural development'.

Outstanding (1)
Teaching is outstanding and, together with a rich, relevant, broad and
balanced curriculum, contributes to outstanding learning and achievement,
significant growth in pupils knowledge, and excellent attitudes to learning.
Exceptionally, achievement may be good and rapidly improving.
Pupils and particular groups of pupils have excellent educational
experiences at school and these ensure that they are very well equipped
for the next stage of their education, training or employment.
There is excellent practice that ensures that all pupils have high levels of
literacy and mathematical knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate
to their age.
The schools practice consistently reflects the highest expectations of
staff and the highest aspirations for pupils, including the most able,
disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.
Best practice is spread effectively in a drive for continuous improvement.
Other principal aspects of the schools work are good or outstanding.
The schools thoughtful and wide-ranging promotion of pupils spiritual,
moral, social and cultural development and their physical well-being
enables them to thrive in a supportive, highly cohesive learning
community. Pupils whose cognitive ability is such that their literacy
skills are likely to be limited make excellent progress appropriate to
their age and capabilities.

Why we are interested in pupils SMSC development

The statutory requirement that schools should encourage pupils SMSC
development
was first included in the Education Reform Act 1988. The Act began as follows:
The curriculum for a maintained school (must be) a balanced and broadly based
curriculum which
(a) promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of
pupils at the school and of society; and
(b) prepares such pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences
of
adult life. 1
This was followed by the Education (Schools) Act 1992 which stated that:
The Chief Inspector for England shall have the general duty of keeping the
Secretary of State informed about
(a) the quality of the education provided by schools in England;
(b) the educational standards achieved in those schools;
(c) whether the financial resources made available to those schools are managed
efficiently; and
(d) the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils at those
schools. 2

Three years later, the School Curriculum and Assessment

Authority (SCAA)
produced a report which defined spirituality as some or all of:
the essence of being human, involving the ability to surpass the
boundaries of the physical and material
an inner life, insight and vision
an inclination to believe in ideals and possibilities that transcend
our experience of the world
a response to God, the other or the ultimate
a propensity to foster human attributes such as love,
faithfulness
and goodness, that could not be classed as physical
the inner world of creativity and imagination
the quest for meaning in life, for truth and ultimate values
the sense of identity and self-worth which enables us to value
others.

Who am I?
We all carry a backpack with us in
our lives. The content of this
backpack is unique to us (though we
may share things in common with
others). We have collected this
content through people, places,
events, and experiences.
http://www.schoolslinkingnetwork.or
g.uk/resources-area/teachingresources/who-ami/what%E2%80%99s-in-mybackpack/

Who am I?
Dealing with personal issues around who we are, can raise
sensitive issues for some learners. It is important we are
aware of these and able to deal with them as teachers.
This is an activity about recognising why we are who we are,
rather than an activity about changing who we are.
Give some examples to help them embrace the idea, e.g.

I really enjoy the outdoor life because I grew up in the countryside;

I became a teacher because my parents both worked in schools;
I love Indian food because my best
friend is Indian and I often eat at their
house;
I am nervous of dogs because my
granddad had one that used to growl
at me when I was younger.

You have won 100 to spend

at an auction!

The Auction
Lasting good health

Close and supportive family life

Creative, artistic or music talent

Warm and happy friendships

Physical beauty

Active sporting life

Worry-free financial comfort

Career full of achievement

Adventure and excitement

Respect for who you are and what you do

Total 100

A Primary School requiring Special Measures:

Pupils have unsatisfactory attitudes to learning because overall provision for
their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is unsatisfactory. There
is a lack of planned opportunities for spirituality in lessons. Due to this
unsatisfactory provision, pupils are not passionate about learning because there
are too few opportunities for them to experience awe and wonder.
Good provision is made when acts of collective worship are taken by the head
teacher as she leads her pupils into quiet reflection time thanking God for
their families and friends.
Provision for social and moral development is satisfactory. Pupils are taught
right from wrong and satisfactory opportunities are provided for pupils to
work in groups in class. Good opportunities are provided for pupils social
development in the good range of extracurricular activities and residential
visits, these contribute positively to pupils personal development.
The provision for pupils cultural development is unsatisfactory. Whilst pupils
learn about other world faiths in Years 3 to 6, there are too few opportunities
for pupils to learn about multi-cultural art, music and drama, and in literacy,
too few texts of a multicultural nature are used to help pupils develop their
knowledge of the multicultural nature of our society.

An Outstanding Nursery School:

Families from minority ethnic groups are very well integrated into the life of
the centre and nursery and activities such as a Polish Day ensure that children
develop a very good awareness for their age of the cultural diversity of society
Children from different backgrounds get on very well together, and as they
get older become increasingly independent and confident. They make an
excellent contribution to the community by taking responsibility for simple
tasks around school and sharing their learning with friends and families.
Excellent welfare contributes very effectively to children's learning and to
their outstanding personal development and well-being. At the time of the
inspection, procedures to ensure that children are safe fully met statutory
requirements. There are excellent links with outside agencies to safeguard
children's well-being and to support those who are having difficulties.
Throughout the school, relationships between adults and children are superb
and they help to build children's confidence. Children love their time in the
school and they participate with great enthusiasm in all activities. Children are
extremely well behaved and they develop high levels of confidence and
independence. Children show great concentration when working in small groups
and persevere on activities as they explore their own ideas.

Why is SMSC so important?

Look at the summary and conclusions to the governments

Report on the Trojan Horse affair in Birmingham and the
Rotherham child abuse cases what can we learn about these
and how can we use SMSC to try and make sure this does
not happen again.

Where can we find SMSC in the curriculum?

RE
Geography
History
Science
English/literacy
PE
Art
ICT
PSHE
DT

A sense of awe, wonder and

mystery being inspired by the
natural world, mystery or human
achievement
National Curriculum Council (1993) Spiritual and Moral Development A Discussion Paper. York.

School Assembly

An occasion when pupils are gathered together in a larger

group than normal, usually with some degree of formality.
The purposes are many, but they are often used to
strengthen the sense of school community with shared
standards, outlooks and aspirations. (Collective Worship
may form a part of this gathering).

Assemblies are really good places to start incorporating

SMSC into school life.
In groups you are going to plan and present in this session
an assembly you may want to use one of the ideas below;
Friendships
Human rights
Hopes and dreams
Being different
Responsibilities
Peace
Looking after our environment
Giving to others

Directed Tasks
Look at Resolution Revolution Activity on the BHA website
(British Humanist Association). Review the materials available
and add detail to your Blogfolio. https://humanism.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/resolutionrevolutionteachersnotes.pdf
Read and make notes on the following article which is available
on Nile:
Shore A (2001) Can Schools Develop Spirituality? Exeter
University: Farmington Institute.
Reflect on your learning and work on your Blogfolio.

Essential Reading

Ofsted (2004) Promoting and evaluating pupils spiritual, moral,

social and cultural development. London: Ofsted.
http://www.farmington.ac.uk/documents/new_reports/TT231.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm
ent_data/file/340526/HC_576_accessible_-.pdf
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-27779524