Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education
Values and Ethos
At Manor Primary School, we ensure that our pupils are prepared for life both in and outside of school. We recognise that pupils need to develop spiritually, morally, socially and culturally and how this development plays a significant part in their ability to learn and achieve. We acknowledge that pupils must develop an ability to relate fully to the world they live in and ensure our curriculum helps develop a balanced view on world events. We therefore aim to provide an education that provides children with opportunities to explore and develop their own values, whilst recognising that those of others may differ. The school will reflect and promote fundamental British Values through the deliverance of well balanced, non-judgemental lessons that promote the core ideas of tolerance of other faiths, the respect of law and rules, the role of democracy within society and the belief of liberty and freedom for all.
The school ethos "everyone succeeds" is also a significant contributor to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our pupils. The ethos is embedded strongly throughout all teaching of the National Curriculum subjects and lessons aim to include clear Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural opportunities.
Spiritual Development
As a school community we aim to provide opportunities that will:
sustain their self-esteem in the learning experience
develop their capacity for critical and independent thought
foster their emotional life and express their feelings
experience moments of stillness and reflection
discuss their beliefs, feelings, values and response to personal experiences
form and maintain worthwhile and satisfying relationships
reflect on, consider and celebrate the wonders and mysteries of life
Moral Development
As a school community we aim to provide opportunities that will:
reflect on the consequences of their actions, learn how to forgive themselves and others, which are attitudes they need to make moral, responsible decisions and act on them
recognise the unique value of each individual
recognise the challenge of life today and the role they play in it
listen and respond appropriately to the views of others
gain the confidence to cope with setbacks and learn from mistakes
take initiative an act responsibly with consideration for others
distinguish between right and wrong
show respect for the environment
Social Development
As a school community we aim to provide opportunities that will:
display a sense of belonging and an increasing willingness to participate
make an active contribution to the democratic process in each of their communities
develop an understanding of individual and group identity
learn about service in the school and wider community
begin to understand the place they have within society and the role they need to play
understand the changing nature of society and how this is an opportunity not a threat
develop their compassion for others in society
take initiative on wider social issues and establish ways they can help on an individual, local, national and global scale
Cultural Development
As a school community we aim to provide opportunities that will:
recognise the values and richness of cultural diversity in Britain and how this influences individuals and society
recognise and respect world faiths and beliefs and understand the impact they have on our culture
develop an understanding of Britain's local, national, European and global dimensions
broaden their perspective on different communities and cultures within the local area
interact with different cultures/lifestyles and explore
Year 3 are learning about the Christian concept of Creation and God as a 'builder'. They created their own paint pots of things he created thinking about scale, from small things (ants) to big things (oceans).
Year 6 have been exploring key philosophical questions. Through a text stimulus, they were able to explore the key concept of ‘fairness’. This led to them raising two questions that they wished to explore: Should everyone be treated in the same way? Should everyone be punished in the same way?
Reasoned discussions allowed the children to bring different elements of their lives and experiences to make their own justified conclusions. This helped them understand that people have different viewpoints and opinions which they should value and respect equally, whilst understanding that it is acceptable for them to have their own opinion. They were then able to put their ideas into a cohesive argument in their writing.