SMSC
SMSC
SMSC refers to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural education that pupils at Our Lady’s receive. This is of utmost importance to us, particularly as a Catholic education provider, as it underpins many of the biblical teachings and gospel values that we keep at the core of our school. With this in mind, SMSC is delivered throughout our curriculum with specific opportunities created for pupils to explore and engage with each component
Spiritual
Our vision for spiritual development is for our students to be proud of and reflective about their own beliefs, but also actively interested in and respectful of the beliefs and faiths of others. Our students are provided with the powerful knowledge they need to have a conceptual understanding of the faiths, beliefs, feelings and values of others meaning they are able to develop meaningful relationships now and later in life.
We develop our students spiritually at Our Lady's RC High School by:
- Ensuring that Our Lady’s is a place full of joy and that our pupils feel pride both in their own accomplishments and also at being a part of our school community
- Delivering an engaging curriculum that develops a love of learning and that creates opportunities for pupils to learn about their beliefs and the beliefs of others
- Creating opportunities for pupils to engage with and reflect on the Catholic faith, for example through collective worship, reading of scripture and independent reflection in our school chapel.
Moral
Our vision for moral development is for all pupils to understand the difference between right and wrong. Our students are developed to make the right choices at the right times for the right reasons through the modelling of high expectations by all staff and a clear sanction and restorative system in line with our Catholic ethos. Pupils are also given the opportunity to reflect on their own opinions and beliefs and be able to articulate why they consider something wrong.
We develop our students morally at Our Lady's RC High School by:
- Holding pupils accountable for their actions and celebrating when they make the right decisions
- Addressing moral topics throughout the curriculum areas with subject experts guiding debates and discussions
- Explicitly teaching the rule of law including ‘What does the law say?’ about relevant possible issues students will face through our PSHCE curriculum
Social
Our vision for social development is for our students to have the necessary skills to navigate social situations in a variety of contexts both now and later in life. Our students are given opportunities to develop the social skills required to cooperate, build relationships, and resolve conflict with others. Our students interact with people from a variety of socio-economic, cultural and religious backgrounds at Our Lady’s and are regularly supported to develop as individuals capable of living in modern Britain
We develop our students socially at Our Lady’s RC High School by:
- Banning the use of mobile phones on the school premises, encouraging pupils to socialise with their peers
- Offering a range of extracurricular activities which give pupils the opportunity to develop new skills whilst learning to communicate with people from a variety of backgrounds and in different communication styles
- Regularly hosting visitors, employers and speakers from a variety of backgrounds with a variety of messages
- Explicitly teaching students about the social skills required to develop healthy relationships through our PSHCE curriculum
Cultural
Our vision for cultural development is for our students to have an understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and that of others whilst celebrating the different cultures that make our school such a unique place to be. We are a democratic community where there are systems and structures to ensure everyone has a voice, reflecting the democratic systems in modern Britain. We are a community that promotes not only academia but also aims to shine a spotlight on the beauty in diversity that our community presents.
We develop our students culturally at Our Lady’s RC High School by:
- Having a zero tolerance approach to bullying of any kind within the school, but particularly towards those characteristics protected in the Equality Act, 2010
- Striving for representation through the resources we promote within classrooms and allowing space and time for pupils to enrich the curriculum with their own diversity
- Evaluating our policies and procedures regularly to ensure that they allow for diversity and multicultural understanding
- Creating opportunities for pupils to celebrate and educate others on the diversity present in Britain for example through out Culture Day or our Tour Around the World Competition.