SMSCDThe Importance of Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development

Pat Cassidy SACRE Adviser

SMSC VALUES

Spiritual values are to do with questions of meaning, purpose and value in life. What does it mean to be human? To be me?

Moral values involve raising questions about right and wrong and how we decide, based on our spiritual values. How should we live our lives? Moral issues.

Social values are to do with relationships between people and groups of people, based on our spiritual and moral values.

Cultural values reflect different ways of experiencing, responding to and expressing the above. Cultural diversity and shared values.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SMSCD

Schools with Soul Report from the RSA Action and Research Centre. SMSC outcomes:

•Support pupil personal development/wellbeing

•Support other outcomes e.g. cognitive, interpersonal and intrapersonal – including attainment

•Contributes to the health and quality of a school

SMSCD should be part of:

• A schools’ vision and goals (to be understood and embodied by school leadership, teachers and students)

• The learning environment, encompassing the physical and social environment of pupils, where students feel both safe and challenged

• The curriculum – the academic and extra-curricular opportunities – preparing young people for cultural complexity and modern life

SMSC and the Ofsted Framework

Overall judgement of the quality of a school

Inspection is primarily about evaluating how well individual pupils benefit from their school:

the behaviour and safety of pupils at the schoolthe achievement of pupils at the school the quality of teaching in the school the quality of leadership in and management of the school Before making the final judgement on overall effectiveness, inspectors must evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

Judgements?

• Outstanding: The school’s thoughtful and wide-ranging promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development enables them to thrive in a supportive, highly cohesive learning community (Grade 1)

• Good: Deliberate and effective action is taken to create a cohesive learning community through the promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. There is a positive climate for learning

(Grade 2)

And ……..

• Requires improvement: Because one or more of the four key judgements requires improvement and/or there are weaknesses in the overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (Grade 3)

• Inadequate: If any of the key areas are judged inadequate, and/or there are serious weaknesses in the overall provision of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, so that pupils are intolerant of others and/or reject any of the core values fundamental to life in modern Britain (Grade 4)

Fundamental British Values

It is a new requirement for schools to promote British values (new DfE guidance). British values are identified as:

•Democracy

•The rule of law

•Individual liberty

•Mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs

Ofsted definitions of SMSCD

• New DfE guidance has been issued that aligns British values with SMSC values:

“Through ensuring pupils’ SMSC development, schools can also demonstrate they are actively

promoting fundamental British values”

• Definitions for SMSCD are included in the 2015 Ofsted School Inspection Handbook to support inspectors in making their judgements.

And for leadership ………..

• How well leaders, managers and governors pursue excellence, lead by example, and ensure: • The curriculum is broad and balanced and

complies with legislation, preparing pupils for ……later life in modern Britain• Actively promotes British values, and tolerance of

and respect for people of all faiths (or none), cultures and lifestyles through the effective spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils• And Governors ensure clarity of vision, ethos and

strategic direction

BRINGING SMSC TO LIFE

• Schools with Soul design principles and planning model (Figure 2)

• The contribution of Religious Education

• Possible lead subject for SMSCD on schools? Think about it!

RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE:

• School governing bodies taking full ownership of a school’s SMSC policy – to consider, and where necessary, reshape a school’s overall purpose and ethos (point 6)

• School leaders using the design principles to rethink their approach to SMSC (see examples point 7)

SMSC in Doncaster Schools

• The SACRE Annual Report provides an analysis of a good sample of Ofsted reports

2013-14: 45 schools inspected

• 13 schools/academies and 1 PRU good or better

• 10 schools/academies less than good sampled for evidence of SMSC provision. In all cases where there was a comment, the provision and quality of SMSCD was commented upon favourably, and therefore did not reflect the overall judgement

Could the strength of SMSC in schools judged less than good……..

become the driving force for those schools to raise standards and close attainment gaps?

THANK YOU

There is more to education than can be measured and more to school than simply what Ofsted

demands (even if this is sometimes pretty good!)

Pat Cassidy SACRE Adviser patricia.cassidy@doncaster.gov.uk

With thanks to Bill Moore (Buckinghamshire) and NASACRE