SMSC
Curriculum Intent
Our SMSC is embedded within all curriculum subjects and our overarching culture. It centres on developing young people who are reflective, conscientious and creative, who strive to understand diverse cultures, traditions and beliefs and who aspire to use their education to collaborate with others, explore and improve the world around them.
All students have an inner-belief and ambition to fulfil their dreams and live a happy and successful life.
SMSC supports students in developing their awareness of opportunities beyond the Academy. Through the taught Careers programme, which provides knowledge to empower students during Academic Mentoring and brings in speakers from a range of industries, students are able to develop cultural and social awareness in preparation for their life beyond the Academy. Students also benefit from visits to local colleges and universities across the UK to raise their ambitions and help them make bold choices about their next steps.
Our goal setting programme in Character Education facilitates students’ social development as they set their own academic, enrichment and wellbeing goals for their future, developing the ability to reflect on their own ambitions and beliefs as well as take responsibility for their success.
All students leave our academy with first-rate qualifications:
SMSC is not a discrete subject and is not monitored through assessment. However, the SMSC embedded in the curriculum supports students’ progress towards their qualifications. Real life examples and case studies are used to support students to debate and reflect on the moral and ethical issues in the wider world: for example, the issues of genetics in Science, earthquake case studies in Geography and cultural traditions in French. Lessons develop students’ social development with regular opportunities for discussion and questioning, as well as the reflection on and improvement of work through green pen lessons. Assemblies support students with revision for their PPEs and revision skills such as note taking and mind-maps which encourage reflection on experiences and social interactions.
All students develop exceptional character:
SMSC supports the development of students’ character through our Character Education programme. This provides opportunities for students to develop socially through collaboration, teamwork, conversation skills and presentations; to develop culturally through the ‘creative thinking’ module and problem solving tasks, and to develop spiritually through reflection, meditation and emotional well-being. SMSC also supports the development of character through the Enrichment Programme and Wellbeing weeks: students have the opportunity to work together through Sports Clubs, express their creativity in arts and craft clubs, and develop spiritually through reflective journaling, meditation and yoga.
All students leave our academy with high levels of cultural and global awareness:
Our SMSC provision is underpinned by the Student Experience Passport, the Global Partnerships programme, our Religious Studies Curriculum and our Votes for Schools programme.
The Student Experience Passport actively encourages students to develop their spiritual and cultural understanding through experiences such as visiting a place of worship; visiting an art gallery; volunteering in the community; raising sponsorship and cooking a meal from another culture. Our Global Partnerships coordinator provides students with the opportunities to engage with schools across the world, and offers the knowledge and support to understand cultures that are divergent to our own. All students can volunteer with community projects such as litter picking to offer the opportunity to positively engage with the community. All students explore divergent beliefs and cultures through the Religious Studies programme, which is taught across all year groups and focuses on promoting British Values of mutual respect and tolerance of others’ faiths and beliefs.
Weekly Votes for School sessions provide the opportunity for all students to debate current issues in the modern world, whilst also exercising a vote at the end of each session. This enables students to recognise the value of discussion around moral and ethical issues, and the significance of expressing their opinion in an ever-changing world. Further to this, every student in the Academy is expected to deliver the session to their peers, developing their confidence to present and lead others.
All students leave with an array of positive memories that last for a lifetime:
Academy Events, the House system and Assemblies contribute to the development of SMSC and creating positive memories. Events such as our annual Remembrance Day service encourage students to reflect on significant cultural events and traditions in society. Assemblies on the Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ campaigns enable students to reflect and understand the diversity in their society to become more tolerant and understanding individuals. Our House system includes all age groups and staff members and are named after significant cultural figures of the local community, representing values such as tolerance, hard work and respect, encouraging students to reflect on their own beliefs and to work collaboratively as part of a team. The range of competitions encourage students’ spiritual development through creativity and imagination, their cultural development through their willingness to participate in sporting, musical and artistic opportunities and their social development through their participation and cooperation with others.
SMSC Gold Quality Mark
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development is the over-arching umbrella that encompasses personal development across the whole curriculum. Strong evidence shows that promoting SMSC in schools can contribute to raising academic standards and improving children's achievements in later life.
At Kingswood, SMSC is embedded within all curriculum subjects and our overarching culture. It centres on developing young people who are reflective, conscientious and creative, who strive to understand diverse cultures, traditions and beliefs and who aspire to use their education to collaborate with others, explore and improve the world around them.
We are delighted that our Academy’s SMSC provision has been verified and we have been accredited the SMSC Gold Standard by external assessors.
Assessors commended us on the clear values and mission we have for the development of students, our embedded Character Education Programme, our Enrichment and Well-being provision, and our Experience Passport. To see the full report, please click here.
