What is SMSC?

At Marshland St James we are a school with heart. Our children develop as self confident, independent thinkers and have a genuine voice within the school through their democratically elected school council. We have a broad and balanced school curriculum underpinned by spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding and values. Our Christian values are firmly embedded in the daily life of our school. We prepare children in school for life in modern Britain by developing an age related, appropriate awareness of the four fundamental British Values of: Democracy, Rule of Law, Individual Liberty and Mutual Respect and Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. We work very closely with our partner school, other schools within our geographical cluster and other schools who share our Christian ethos.

The Spiritual development of our pupils 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.

This can be seen in our school through:

• RE lessons
• Acts of daily Collective Worship
• Our Wonder Tree
• Big Questions
• Celebration assemblies
• Religious Celebrations

The Moral development of our pupils is shown by their:

• ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong, readily apply this understanding in their own lives 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 being able to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues.

This can be seen in our school through:

• Sustainability
•  Fair trade issues
•  Equalities, identities and diversity
•  Discussions/debates around moral and ethical issues
•  Emotional Support Programmes
•  School behaviour policy (responsibility for own actions)
•  An understanding of the moral teaching of the Bible and other religions
•  The moral aspects of the school ethos

The Social development of our pupils is shown by their:

• use of a range of social skills in different contexts, including working and socialising with pupils from different religious, ethnic and social-economic background
• 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; the pupils develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.

 This can be seen in our school through:

•  Collaborative tasks (including team building activities)
•  Opportunities to vote
•  Regular collaboration across partnership schools and year groups
•  School council
•  Playground Helpers
•  After school activities
•  Community events (locally, nationally, globally)
•  School and community partnerships
•  School trips
•  Celebrating differences
•  Cluster events
• Blogs
• Partnership Links with the Mayflower School, Leicester

The Cultural development of our pupils is shown by their:

• understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and that 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, 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.

This can be seen in our school through:

• Links with local schools, churches, groups, businesses, charities, faiths etc
• Twinning, (Skype, email, letters, Blogs)
• Participation in cultural events
• School visits
• Acts of worship
• National and International events and celebrations
• Current affairs issues
• Enterprise activities
• School productions
• Visitors to school
• Links with a multicultural school in Leicester