Spiritual, Moral, Social Cultural (SMSC)

At Windmill Hill Academy, we inspire pupils to be passionate lifelong learners by providing them with an ambitious broad and balanced curriculum, with the inclusion of a variety of enrichments, which will inspire them to have high aspirations. We inspire all learners to have strong desire to know or learn something and questioning their learning experiences to find out more. Throughout each year group and across the curriculum, pupils will make sustained progress, develop excellent knowledge, understanding and skills, regardless of their different starting points and backgrounds.
Overall curriculum
 
At Windmill Academy, we recognise that the personal development of pupils, spiritually, morally, socially and culturally plays a significant part in their ability to learn and achieve. We therefore aim to provide an education that provides children with opportunities to explore and develop their own values and beliefs, spiritual awareness, high standards of personal behaviour, a positive caring attitude towards other people, an understanding of their social and cultural traditions and an appreciation of the diversity and richness of other cultures. This is embedded throughout all aspects of school life.
 
Our intention is:
- to provide pupils with a rounded education, including learning how to work and play together, understanding and respecting others’ points of view, respecting and applying rules and understanding why these exist.
- to prepare pupils to contribute to society and culture throughout their lives, and enable them to participate actively and positively in the life of the school, their local community and wider society.
- to encourage pupils to value themselves and their unique contributions to their own and others’ lives, and in turn to value and celebrate others and their qualities and abilities. We are fully committed to providing high quality learning at the heart of the community.
 
As part of this we have a duty to provide for the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education of pupils whilst promoting the British Values of Democracy, the Rule of Law, Individual Liberty, Respect and Tolerance. SMSC has deep links with PSHE, Religious Education (RE), History, Online safety, UNICEF Rights Respecting and our school capabilities.
 
 
Pedagogy
 
There is no statutory national curriculum for SMSC, yet all pupils must study it – and be taught about British Values under the Education Act (2002). Non-statutory guidance documents speak of the importance of studying SMSC as; 'It is expected that pupils should understand that while different people may hold different views about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, all people living in England are subject to its law.'
 
Our school’s ethos and teaching, which parents are aware of, supports the rule of English civil and criminal law. We have taken the guidance for SMSC and, having applied our experiences and understanding of learning, created a progression document across the school to help pupils to add knowledge to their long-term memories, helping them to learn.
 
It is our intention to provide pupils with a range of exciting learning opportunities, both in and outside the classroom, with the support of our local community, which enable them to develop the attitudes and skills necessary for them to grow into responsible, happy and productive individuals and citizens.
 
Our broad and balanced curriculum and opportunities provides for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural learning of our children and the extra-curricular activities we provide, extend and consolidate this learning.
 
By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study. The knowledge and skills organiser for SMSC demonstrates the progression through the year groups. It includes regular opportunities to revisit prior learning and build upon this. SMSC is taught through a range of subjects and learning opportunities, for example, Pupil Parliament meetings and Collective Worship.
 
At Windmill Hill Academy, rather than teaching all the protected characteristics in every year group, we ensure that our children are given opportunities to develop age-appropriate knowledge and understanding through a well-planned and delivered curriculum.
 
As part of being a Rights Respecting school, the UNICEF Rights of the child are promoted throughout the school and embedded during assemblies and throughout with the use of language that staff and pupils use. This is built upon thought both key stages and EYFS.
 
SMSC has deep links with PSHE, Religious Education (RE), History, Online safety, UNICEF Rights Respecting and our school capabilities.
 
Teachers will help pupils with SEND to overcome any barriers to participating and learning and make any ‘reasonable adjustments’ needed to include pupils. To make lessons inclusive, teachers will anticipate what barriers to taking part and learning may pose for pupils with SEND. Some modifications or adjustments will be made or smaller steps to achieve the learning goal. Occasionally, pupils with SEND will have to work on different activities, or towards different learning intentions, from their peers.
 
In EYFS, all areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected. These are stipulated in the ‘Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage’.
 
 
Assessment
 
Assessment is regarded as an integral part of teaching and learning and is a continuous process. There are planned opportunities within the curriculum plan to revisit learning from the current year but also previous year groups.
 
It is the responsibility of the class teacher to assess all pupils in their class. This is mainly achieved through mini-plenaries, questioning, observation, end of unit tasks, marking, feedback from support staff and pupil self-assessment. Teachers use the result of sessions tasks as well as end of unit tasks to monitor attainment and progress, as well as analysing for gaps to plan follow up learning.
 
In EYFS, the level of development children should be expected to have attained by the end of the EYFS is defined by the early learning goals (ELGs). These are not used as a curriculum or in any way to limit the wide variety of rich experiences that are crucial to child development. Instead, the ELGs support teachers to make a holistic, best-fit judgement about a child’s development, and their readiness for year 1.
 
When assessing pupils with SEND, there will be carefully planned opportunities in order for them to demonstrate what they know and are able to do, using alternative means where necessary. Where a pupil is unable to use particular types of equipment, assessment of attainment will be based on understanding of the processes used as demonstrated through oral and written responses or, where possible, through the use of alternative equipment. The attainment of pupils who require adapted equipment, such as particular switches or voice-activated software, will be assessed using these specialist items.
 
The monitoring of the standards of children’s learning and the quality of learning and teaching of SMSC is the shared responsibility of the Senior Leadership Team and the subject leader. The work of the subject leader also involves supporting colleagues in the teaching of SMSC, being informed about current developments, and providing a strategic lead and direction in the school. A named member of the school governing body is briefed to overview the teaching of the curriculum in the school, another focuses on wellbeing and the safeguarding governor will also have an overview in relation to online safety.
 
 
Culture
 
We are fully committed to providing high quality learning at the heart of the community. As part of this, we have a duty to provide for the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education of pupils whilst promoting the British Values of Democracy, the Rule of Law, Individual Liberty, Respect and Tolerance.
 
We work closely with our local community in a number of different ways including:
- Inviting local community members in for Aspirations Week.
- Showcasing the children’s learning in places such as the Academy art show case in the town hall, local galleries.
- Our parent run school fundraising group ‘Friends of Windmill’ organise events for the all of the local community to be involved in e.g. Christmas and summer fayres.
- School trips and visitors into class e.g. local places of worship, areas of interest.
- School Collective worship delivered by local Church group, ‘Open the book’, charities e.g. RNLI.

At Windmill Hill Academy, rather than teaching all the protected characteristics in every year group, we ensure that our children are given opportunities to develop age-appropriate knowledge and understanding through a well-planned and delivered curriculum.
 
As part of being a Rights Respecting school, the UNICEF Rights of the child are promoted throughout the school and embedded during collective worship and throughout with the use of language that staff and pupils use. This is built upon thought both key stages and EYFS. We have achieved the bronze award and now working towards the silver award.
 
Teachers will help pupils with SEND to overcome any barriers to participating and learning and make any ‘reasonable adjustments’ needed to include pupils. To make lessons inclusive, teachers will anticipate what barriers to taking part and learning may pose for pupils with SEND. Some modifications or adjustments will be made or smaller steps to achieve the learning goal. Occasionally, pupils with SEND will have to work on different activities, or towards different learning intentions, from their peers. For some activities, there may need to be a ‘parallel’ activity for pupils with SEND, so that they can work towards the same learning intentions as their peers, but in a different way.
 
The use of technology to assist learning can removes barrier e.g. Widget, switches, text readers and speech and communicator devices. Using keyboard shortcuts instead of a mouse, enables all pupils to be involved. Generic software, such as Microsoft Office, contains accessibility facilities for SEND pupils. Screen filters may help with glare or using coloured backgrounds e.g. yellow background with blue script for dyslexic learners.
 
Because the range of hardware and software is wide and continually expanding, teachers will always seek to collaborate with the SENDCo or colleagues e.g. previous teacher, on removing barriers to learning and participation for particular pupils with SEND. Pupils will also be able to advise on the technologies that suit them best.
 
 
 
Systems
There is no statutory national curriculum for SMSC, yet all pupils must study it – and be taught about British Values under the Education Act (2002). Non-statutory guidance documents speak of the importance of studying SMSC as; 'It is expected that pupils should understand that while different people may hold different views about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, all people living in England are subject to its law.'
 
Our school’s ethos and teaching, which parents are aware of, supports the rule of English civil and criminal law. We have taken the guidance for SMSC and, having applied our experiences and understanding of learning, created a progression document across the school to help pupils to add knowledge to their long-term memories, helping them to learn.
 
Our broad and balanced curriculum and opportunities provides for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural learning of our children and the extra-curricular activities we provide, extend and consolidate this learning. By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.
 
The knowledge and skills organiser for SMSC demonstrates the progression through the year groups. It includes regular opportunities to revisit prior learning and build upon this. SMSC is taught through a range of subjects and learning opportunities, for example, Pupil Parliament meetings and Collective Worship.
 
At Windmill Hill Academy, rather than teaching all the protected characteristics in every year group, we ensure that our children are given opportunities to develop age-appropriate knowledge and understanding through a well-planned and delivered curriculum.
 
As part of being a Rights Respecting school, the UNICEF Rights of the child are promoted throughout the school and embedded during assemblies and throughout with the use of language that staff and pupils use. This is built upon thought both key stages and EYFS.
 
 
 
Policies/key documents
- Whole School Long term horizontal curriculum map
- SMSC Knowledge and Skills organiser
- Computing Knowledge and Skills organiser
- PSHE Knowledge and Skills organiser
- RE Knowledge and Skills organiser
- History Knowledge and Skills organiser
- EYFS Long term Overview
- Collective worship policy
- Collective worship schedule
- Protected Characteristics overview and progression
- SEND Policy
 
All of these can be found on our website under the curriculum/policies tab.
'Leaders have established a personal development curriculum in line with the school's values. They give pupils a voice through school parliament. Leaders ensure they make meaningful decisions. For example, pupils chose the charities the school raises money for. Visitors such as the police and local firefighters promote the importance of keeping safe. Pupils take on the responsibilities such as librarians and house captains. This develops their leadership skills.'
(Ofsted, December 2022)