SMSC
At Frances Bardsley Academy, we recognise that the personal development of our pupils plays a significant part in their ability to learn and achieve their full potential. As such, the spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development of our pupils is at the heart of what we do.
Spiritual
Pupils’ spiritual development 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 people’s 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.
Pupils at Frances Bardsley Academy are encouraged to reflect on their own beliefs and the beliefs of others through a range of activities in lessons including Religious Studies and PSHCEE, weekly assemblies and Personal Development Days. We also invite members of local faith communities in to our school to deliver assemblies and our weekly Christian Union. Visitors also enrich the learning in Religious Studies at GCSE by being able to look at lived experiences. We also work with the Anne Frank Trust to encourage pupils to learn from the experiences of others.
Moral
Pupils’ moral development is shown by their:
- ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and to readily apply this understanding in their own lives, recognise legal boundaries 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 ability to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues.
Pupils at Frances Bardsley Academy have been involved with revising our code of conduct and are able to recognise the difference between right and wrong. We encourage pupils to reflect on their actions and work with the principles of restorative justice to help pupils understand the consequences of their actions and learn how to forgive and move on. Moral development is also a feature of Religious Studies and PSHCEE lessons whereby a range of viewpoints on moral and ethical issues are considered by pupils, including viewpoints that are different to their own.
Social
Pupils’ social development is shown by their:
- use of a range of social skills in different contexts, for example working and socialising with other pupils, including those 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; they develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.
Pupils at Frances Bardsley Academy are given many opportunities for social development by working with pupils across all year groups and various visitors to our school. Pupils’ social experience is developed through their 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. This enables them to develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes to help them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain. More information about British Values can be found here.
Cultural
Pupils’ cultural development is shown by their:
- understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and those 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, musical, 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.
There are many opportunities for cultural develop for pupils at Frances Bardsley Academy. They celebrate the history of the school and girls’ education every year when we mark the School Birthday. We also give pupils many opportunities throughout the year to take part in trips and visits as development for particular subject areas, and cross curricular as well. We have links with Marienschule school in Opladen, Germany and have completed a project on values, with a follow up trip to Israel planned for February 2020 and an annual trip to Ypres during remembrance week. In addition, pupils are timetabled regular visits during form time to our school’s Farm, Gallery and Railway to contribute towards their cultural development and they are also encouraged to participate in extra curricular clubs.