SMSC

At Queensbury Academy we recognise that a curriculum has to be broad, balanced and offer students opportunities to grow as individuals as well as learners. We believe that the school should actively promote all students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development by providing positive experiences through planned and coherent opportunities in the. Our core values of honesty, respect, integrity, inclusiveness and growth are integral to our day-to-day working and preparing students for modern life in Britain and the wider world and fostering fundamental British Vales.

Spiritual

Provision for the spiritual development of students includes developing their:

• Ability to be reflective about their own beliefs (religious or otherwise) and perspective on life
• Knowledge of 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

Moral

Provision for the moral development of students includes developing 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 behaviours 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

Social

Provision for the social development of students includes developing 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

Cultural

• 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
• Ability to recognise, and value, the things we share in common across cultural, religious, ethnic and socio-economic communities
• Knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in contributing 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

How do we promote SMSC to our students?

We aim to ensure students enjoy learning. We offer new and exciting experiences that are designed to build resilience, confidence and self-esteem, inside and outside the classroom. The provision is mapped across all subject areas. Some of the opportunities with the programme include:

• Remote learning
• Enrichment (such as the Duke of Edinburgh and external visits)
• School council
• Careers 
• Life Programme
• Guided study time (assemblies, Word Of The Week, literacy, maximising our brain, admin, SMSC quiz and Newsround)
• Whole school curriculum (such as black history month and remembrance day)
• Themed week and activities (such as a road safety production and mental health)
• Mock exams
• Achieve sessions

This enables students to:

• develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem, and self-confidence;
• distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England;
• accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and to understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely;
• enable students to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in England;
• further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling students to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures;
• respect democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England.

NB: parts from the above are taken from `The School Inspection Handbook` Ofsted, May 2019.