SMSC

SMSC Curriculum

Our identity, Our world, Our voice, Our future
“High standards and a strong religious ethos permeate your school. Under your determined leadership, pupils and staff alike are committed to making the school as good as it can be, and removing any barriers that stand in the pupils’ way. Pupils enjoy being in their school. Their behaviour is very good. They are polite, kind and very respectful to each other. Pupils really enjoy playing imaginatively together in the well-developed outdoor areas. In lessons, they concentrate well and are very keen to find things out for themselves. One pupil commented: ‘We are all different at this school, but we are treated the same, with love and respect.’”
OFSTED Report 2018

What is SMSC?
SMSC stands for Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development. All schools in England must show how well their pupils develop in SMSC. At St Matthias we put children’s development at the heart of everything we do, redesigning all elements of our curriculum to ensure all children feel stimulated and enriched. Embedding SMSC has allowed for us to develop aspects of our children’s social identity, as well as their individuality. We highlight contributions made by nonwestern cultures to all subjects and consider ethics and moral dilemmas in an effort to encourage reflection, decision making and respect for others.

Spiritual: Explore beliefs and experience; respect faiths, feelings and values; enjoy learning about oneself, others and the surrounding world; use imagination and creativity; reflect.
Moral: Recognise right and wrong; respect the law; understand consequences; investigate moral and ethical issues; offer reasoned views and have an appreciation of British Values.
Social: Investigate and moral issues; appreciate diverse viewpoints; participate, volunteer and cooperate; resolve conflict; engage with the fundamental values of British democracy.
Cultural: Appreciate cultural influences; appreciate the role of Britain’s parliamentary system; participate in culture opportunities; understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity.

At St Matthias, we have a thoughtful and wide ranging promotion of pupils’ Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development and their physical wellbeing, which helps them to thrive in a positive and supportive learning community. Interwoven into our SMSC development is our Rights Respecting curriculum, with a great focus on article 14 (right to think and believe what they choose), article 13 (right to express their thoughts and opinions) and article 31 (right to relax, play and take part in a wife range of cultural and artistic activities).

We are committed to empowering our children to become independent life-long learners who:
Know who they are
Ask questions about the world around them
User their voices to make a difference
Aspire to greatness

St Matthias provides a safe and happy environment for all of our children and staff to learn, develop and excel in their academic and social education. We believe that our children have to be supported to achieve and prepare for their lives ahead. Our curriculum aims to provide a wide range of artistic, sporting and cultural opportunities with the aim of instilling the values and care needed to ensure they become responsible, confident and capable members of society who have the confidence to provide their opinions and develop their own view points.

To see how we embed SMSC into our curriculum, please click here.

The St Matthias Enrichment & Extra-Curricular Overview outlines some of the SMSC opportunities that our children have throughout their time at school.