SMSC

Intent

Our intention is that when children leave Christ Church, they will do so with the knowledge, understanding and emotions to be able to play an active, positive and successful role in today’s diverse society. We want our children to have high aspirations, and a true belief that ‘with God all things are possible’ (Matthew 19:26). Our SMSC curriculum will ensure that Christ Church children are equipped with the necessary skills to be successful, moral adults that live healthy lifestyles and take on opportunities beyond their horizons. We deliver a SMSC curriculum that:

Enhances community and celebrates the ever-growing cultural diversity within our school;
Develops self-confidence and identifies that all our children are unique, as well as recognising their God-given potential;
Encourages our children to develop a growth mindset that allows them to build resilience, independence and confidence; embrace challenge; foster a love of learning; and increase their level of happiness;
Provides the opportunity to explore values and beliefs through careful planning of vocabulary and questioning;
Enables each child to add a positive contribution to their community and the wider society:
Promotes an equal value on their physical and mental well-being and ensures they are prepared for life in modern Britain.

Implementation

Our school curriculum is planned to support the development of SMSC and is enriched with a wealth of opportunities for pupils to learn and play together, where they take part in a variety of activities, and mix with people of all ages, cultures and faiths in order to develop understanding and interest in the world. It is interwoven with the drive to promote positive relationships with all people:

A threaded curriculum approach has been implemented to ensure coverage and progression in all subject areas;
SMSC can be taught discretely when necessary, ensuring that individual class needs are met;

Wellbeing sessions are timetabled every week and supported by themed days and celebrations throughout the year;

Visitors, as well as school visits, are organised to complement our SMSC curriculum and promote further learning opportunities;
Worship and assemblies are linked to SMSC, PSHE and British and Christian values;
SMSC development is reinforced through the school’s relationships and behaviour policy and the use of restorative practice;
Pupil voice including the house system, language buddies, ethos group, eco council, junior travel ambassadors, reading buddies and play leaders provide the children with a wealth of opportunities to communicate, work together, feel supported and demonstrate our school values of community, hope, resilience, integrity, service and thoughtfulness;
Courageous advocacy encourages our children to develop their sense of self-worth and social justice, by playing a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community;
Extra-curricular clubs and enriching experiences that promote SMSC are provided free of charge throughout the year across all year groups.

Impact

Outcomes will be evidenced through displays, pupil voice and questionnaires, whole school celebrations and commemorations and floor books. Through consistent and high-quality teaching of SMSC, our children will leave Christ Church with a sense of belonging to a tightly knit community and will:

Be thoughtful and considerate children that grow into reflective moral adults that are able to make connections and become lifelong learners leading healthy and happy lives;
Be self-motivated, independent and resilient by developing a growth mindset that allows them to make mistakes and learn from them;
Be able to grow and seize opportunities beyond their perceived horizons;
Be confident to reflect and challenge previously held views;
Be self-confident, feel valued and have high level of self-esteem;
Be able to distinguish right from wrong; accept responsibility for their behaviour and show initiative;
Be able 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;
Be respectful of other people and different cultural traditions by acquiring an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures:
Be able to recognise and apply the British values of democracy, tolerance, mutual respect, rule of law and liberty;
Be able to understand and manage their emotions and look after their mental health and well-being.