SMSC: where is it hiding in your school?

19 March 2013

Agenda

• • • • SMSC: where is it hiding in your school?

coffee

SMSC and Inspection

lunch

Auditing SMSC

tea

Provision into practice

If we don’t know what it is, how can we identify where it may be found?

So what is SMSC?

The 1994 inspection handbook attempted a definition of spiritual development:

Spiritual development

relates to that aspect of inner life through which pupils acquire insights into their personal experience which are of enduring worth.

It is characterised by reflection, the attribution of meaning to experience, valuing a non-material dimension to life and intimations of an enduring reality.

ʻSpiritualʼ is not synonymous with ʻreligiousʼ; all areas of the curriculum may contribute to pupilsʼ spiritual development.

Moral development is about the building, by pupils, of a framework of moral values which regulates their personal behaviour.

It is also about the development of pupils’ understanding of society’s shared and agreed values.

It is about understanding that there are issues where there is disagreement and it is also about understanding that society’s values change.

Moral development is about gaining an understanding of the range of views and the reasons for the range.

It is also about developing an opinion about the different views.

Social development is about young people working effectively with each other and participating successfully in the community as a whole.

It is about the development of the skills and personal qualities necessary for living and working together.

It is about functioning effectively in a multi-racial, multi cultural society.

It involves growth in knowledge and understanding of society in all its aspects. This includes understanding people as well as understanding society’s institutions, structures and characteristics, economic and political principles and organisations, roles and responsibilities and life as a citizen, parent or worker in a community.

It also involves the development of the inter-personal skills necessary for successful relationships.

Cultural development is about pupils’ understanding their own culture and other cultures in their town, region and in the country as a whole.

It is about understanding cultures represented in Europe and elsewhere in the world.

It is about understanding and feeling comfortable in a variety of cultures and being able to operate in the emerging world culture of shared experiences provided by television, travel and the internet.

It is about understanding that cultures are always changing and coping with change.

Promoting pupils’ cultural development is intimately linked with schools’ attempts to value cultural diversity and prevent racism .

Why spiritual development?

Spiritual development is an important element of a child’s education and fundamental to other areas of learning. Without curiosity, without the inclination to question, and without the exercise of imagination, insight and intuition, young people would lack the motivation to learn, and their intellectual development would be impaired.

(OFSTED 1994)

Deprived of self-understanding and potentially the ability to understand others, they may experience difficulty in co-existing with neighbours and colleagues to the detriment of their social development. Were they not able to be moved by feelings of awe and wonder at the beauty of the world we live in, or the power of artists, musicians and writers to manipulate space, sound and language, they would live in an inner spiritual and cultural desert.

• Pupils will want to do their best if they believe they matter as unique individuals capable of growing in spirit, making responsible moral decisions and being creative. Experiences and relationships must convince them of their value as individuals.

• A prime motivator for adults is a belief that what they are doing matters e.g. teaching to help pupils fulfil their potential as human beings, rather than just to pass exams.

• Ofsted – January 2012 Promoting spiritual, moral, social and cultural education across the curriculum • SIAMS inspection – April 2013 How well does the school, through its distinctive Christian character meet the needs of all learners?

How can we support SMSC?

• • • • Helping children to • reflect on important questions of meaning and identity • think about special events in life and how they are celebrated at home and in other communities • explore the relationship between human beings and their environment develop their self-esteem and self-awareness think about right and wrong reflect on their emotions and feelings express and explore beliefs, ideas and experiences through creative arts

It is important to see spiritual development not just in lessons but in other components of learning. Enquiry is perhaps the most obvious learning approach, for example: Philosophy for Children (P4C) Community of Enquiry

"I am beginning to appreciate that this other one (Leah) is innocent but even when I get clothes for them, I give priority to the older one."

This haunting image shows Joseline Ingabire, a 38 year old Tutsi woman, embracing her daughter Hossiana.

In the background is her other daughter Leah. Leah was born as a result of her being raped by Hutu militia during the Rwandan Civil War in 1994.

“I love my first daughter because I gave birth to her as

Which religious beliefs and practices could

favour of getting rid of all Tutsi; without the Tutsi, she

What ethical issues are raised by this

She says that she still finds it impossible to love Leah.

Quality of learning

• • • Shallow learning: memorisation, information recall, replication Deep learning: reflection, knowledge and understanding Profound learning: intuition, wisdom and meaning John West Burnham